Brussels, 25/04/2016 (Agence Europe) - The European Union participated in the first round of international negotiations on measures to prevent unregulated fisheries in the Arctic high seas, which took place between 19 and 21 April in Washington DC.
Commissioner Karmenu Vella, Commissioner for the Environment, Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, welcomed this important process and noted that it had "started on a good note", with all the parties agreeing on the need for "precautionary measures". According to the Commission this will help fill an important gap in the ocean governance system.
At present no commercial fisheries take place in the Arctic high seas, but with the Arctic region warming at almost twice the global average rate and the sea ice cover shrinking, changes in fish stocks' size and distribution may occur both in the exclusive economic zones of Arctic coastal states and in the high seas area of the Central Arctic Ocean. Therefore, it cannot be ruled out that in the medium and long term, the Arctic Ocean's ecosystem evolves in such a way that fish stocks become interesting from a commercial point of view and therefore lead to fishing activities in the Arctic high seas.
The international community therefore met in Washington to start negotiating an agreement that would prevent the opening up of unregulated fisheries in the Central Arctic Ocean. Delegations from Canada, the People's Republic of China, the Kingdom of Denmark (in respect of the Faroes and Greenland), the European Union, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Kingdom of Norway, the Russian Federation and the United States were present. The second round of negotiations is to take place from 6 to 8 July 2016 in the Province of Nunavut, Canada.
This agreement could help ensure that over the first transition phase, no non-regulated commercial fishing takes place, whilst paving the way to the setting up of a regional organisation or regional fishing management mechanism.
On Wednesday, 27 April, the Commission will put forward a new integrated policy for the Arctic. Arctic Ocean governance occupies an important place in European Union policy. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)