The missing middle: Central Arctic Ocean gaps in fishery research and science coordination |
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| Institution: | 1. Transboundary Ecologic LLC, Anchorage, AK, USA;2. Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA;3. The Pew Charitable Trusts, Eagle River, AK, USA;4. The Pew Charitable Trusts, Seattle, WA, USA;5. University of Alaska Fairbanks, College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, Department of Fisheries, Juneau, AK, USA |
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| Abstract: | The warming global climate is reducing sea-ice coverage in the central Arctic, transforming a mostly inaccessible marine region into a 'new' and relatively poorly studied ocean. History shows that exploitation of newly accessible natural resources tends to precede effective research and management measures. But in response to increasing access to the central Arctic, a precautionary approach has been taking hold, with broad political and scientific support culminating in the Oslo Declaration of 2015, which aims to prevent unregulated high seas fishing in the central Arctic. Negotiations toward a full binding agreement are continuing. Formal efforts toward assessing knowledge of the Arctic marine ecosystems and coordinating research are underway, and practitioner-based research coordination and collaboration in the region is also ongoing. Yet broad gaps in our current marine research and coordination exist, and this paper draws attention to the spatial middle, middle trophics, and the middle scale — an Arctic 'missing middle'. Scientific activity in the central Arctic Ocean region is burgeoning in recent years, and a large number of initiatives, projects, and arrangements are meeting some of the need for coordination. But full pan-Arctic scientific coordination does not yet exist. In support of ecosystem-based and precautionary management of the central Arctic Ocean, this paper considers a fully Arctic-focused organization that can both orchestrate and prioritize marine research in the Arctic in view of policy imperatives, and bring emerging scientific understanding of the region directly into the discussion and formation of new policy. |
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| Keywords: | Central Arctic Ocean Precautionary approach Fisheries management Oslo Declaration Research coordination |
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