Report | Sustaining Tomorrow’s Central Arctic Ocean Today

The Central Arctic Ocean (CAO) is becoming accessible for the first time in human history. As climate change diminishes the CAO’s traditional meters-thick sea ice cover, the potential for a commercial fishery is growing. In precautionary response to the ecological disaster that overfishing would cause to the CAO’s ecosystem, 10 parties (Canada, Denmark in respect of Greenland and the Faroe Islands, Norway, Russia, the United States, China, Iceland, Japan, South Korea, and the European Union) signed the Central Arctic Ocean Fisheries Agreement (CAOFA) in October 2018, with the agreement entering into force in June 2021. This report examines best practices and lessons learned from regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs), other relevant organizations and agreements, and subject matter experts to inform good fisheries governance within the CAO as well as good governance within the greater Arctic environment.

Jan Dusík, Lead Specialist – Governance, WWF Arctic Programme:

“It is important that the Central Arctic Ocean Fisheries Agreement starts implementation off right for several reasons. Firstly, to make sure that the management of Arctic fisheries is based firmly on the precautionary approach. Secondly, if successfully implemented, this Agreement can be a pilot for future legal and governance arrangements which will be needed to address other conservation challenges in Arctic high seas. Thirdly, this is a rare case of an Arctic-wide cooperation that continues in spite of the geopolitical divide, and a success can show the way of ensuring stewarding the Arctic resources even in difficult times. Lastly, the Agreement must provide the best possible reflection of Indigenous Knowledge, which is so important in any Arctic process.”

Download report (3.2 MB)

Published by WWF US