Arctic Fishery Management
At its October 2006 meeting, the Council requested that staff prepare
a draft discussion paper on options for management of fisheries in the
Alaskan EEZ waters of the Arctic Ocean. With the apparent climate
change trends, the environment for commercial fishery development in
the Alaskan Arctic may be changing, with warming ocean temperatures
and changes in seasonal sea ice conditions potentially favoring the
development of commercial fisheries. The Council is interested in
exploring possible policy options, such as a Fishery Management Plan,
to address management of potential future commercial fisheries in this
region. The Arctic Management Area would be the EEZ waters north of
Bering Strait (Cape Prince of Wales to Cape Deshneva) including the
Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. (link to map)
Arctic FMP Informational Flier
2/09
Arctic
FMP,
EA/RIR/IRFA
1/09; Arctic FMP
motion 2/09
December 08: Draft Arctic FMP;
EA/RIR/IRFA February 09:
Arctic FMP
motion
NOVEMBER 08: Preliminary Draft
Arctic FMP; Public Review Draft
EA/RIR/IRFA
Arctic FMP Motion 10/08
Draft Arctic FMP;
EA/RIR/IRFA 10/08
Arctic FMP Discussion Paper Dec 2006
The Council reviewed this paper in December 2006 and requested an
expanded evaluation of options for fishery management in the Arctic
(link to motion).
Arctic
FMP Discussion Paper April 2007
The Council reviewed this
expanded discussion paper at its June 2007 meeting, and requested that
staff work with the Ecosystem Committee and bring a progress report to
the December 2007 meeting (link to June 2007 motion).
Ecosystem
Committee Minutes
The Ecosystem Committee
reviewed the proposed work plan for developing an Arctic FMP analysis
package. The Committee developed several recommendations for Council
consideration.
Council Recommends Preparation of an Arctic FMP
At its October 2007 meeting, the Council
adopted a
motion
that tasked staff with preparation of a draft Arctic FMP, amendments
to the scallop and crab FMPs to terminate their geographic coverage at
Bering Strait, and an accompanying NEPA analysis. The Council
requested staff conduct an outreach program as recommended by the
Ecosystem Committee, and provide a
progress report
on outreach at its December 2007 meeting; that presentation is
available. June 2008 Council
motion.
Outreach Program
The Council adopted an
outreach
program designed to inform residents of the Arctic region of
the Council’s intent in developing an Arctic FMP. The schedule for
development of the FMP is provided on a
flyer
to be distributed to individuals, groups, villages, and other entities
in the Arctic.
Additional Information
1990
Treaty
between the U.S. and Russia on the boundary between the two countries
signed by the U.S. but not yet ratified by Russia.
Senate Joint Resolution
17
United Nations
Agreement on Straddling Stocks and Migratory Fish
Satellite image, minimum polar
sea ice extent, September 24, 2007
