• Contact Us
  • Subscribe

North Pacific Fishery Management Council

Managing our Nation's Fisheries off the Coast of Alaska

  • Home
  • Meetings
    • Council Meetings
      • Agenda Platform – All meetings
      • Current (or next) Council Meeting
      • Future Council Meetings
      • Archive of Council Meetings
      • Three Meeting Outlook
      • Calendar
  • About
    • Overview
      • FAQ
      • Recognition Awards
      • Management Policies
      • Navigating the Process
      • Staff
      • fisherycouncils.org
      • List of Acronyms
    • Engagement topics
      • Halibut Subsistence
      • Northern Bering Sea Research Area
      • Community Quota Entity Program
  • Membership
    • Council and Committee Members
      • Council Members
      • Scientific and Statistical Committee
      • Advisory Panel
    • Committees
      • List of Committees
      • Bering Sea FEP Climate Change Taskforce
      • Bering Sea FEP LKTK Taskforce
      • Charter Halibut Management Committee
      • Community Engagement Committee
      • Cook Inlet Salmon Committee
      • Ecosystem Committee
      • Enforcement Committee
      • Fishery Monitoring Committees
      • Halibut ABM Stakeholder Committee
      • Halibut Management Committee
      • IFQ Committee
      • Joint Protocol Committee
      • Legislative Committee
      • PNCIAC
    • Fishery Management Plan Teams
      • Overview
      • Groundfish Plan Teams
      • Salmon FMP
      • Scallop Plan Team
      • BSAI Crab Plan Team
      • Social Science Planning Team
      • Bering Sea Fishery Ecosystem Plan
  • Fisheries
    • Halibut
      • Halibut Subsistence
      • Charter Halibut Management
        • Charter Halibut Management Committee
        • Halibut Charter Stakeholder Committee
      • Halibut Bycatch Overview
    • Groundfish
      • Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska Groundfish
      • Groundfish Plan Teams
      • BSAI Groundfish FMP Doc
      • BSAI FMP Appendix
      • GOA Groundfish FMP Doc
      • GOA FMP Appendix
    • Crab and Scallop
      • BSAI Crab Plan Team
      • BSAI Crab FMP Doc
      • Scallop Plan Team
      • Scallop FMP Doc
    • Other FMPs
      • Salmon
      • Arctic
  • Current Issues
    • Habitat Protections
      • Overview
      • Bering Sea Canyons
      • Essential Fish Habitat (EFH)
      • Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (HAPC)
        • HAPC Proposals
      • Northern Bering Sea Research Area
      • Gear Modifications
    • Protected Species
      • Overview
      • Steller Sea Lions
      • Seals
      • Seabirds
      • Walrus
      • Whales
    • Catch Shares Allocation
      • AFA Pollock Cooperatives
      • Amendment 80 Program
      • BSAI Crab Rationalization
      • CDQ Program
      • Community Quota Entity Program
      • Cooperative Reporting
      • Economic Data Reporting
      • GOA Rockfish Program
      • Halibut/Sablefish IFQ Program
      • Pacific Cod Allocations
    • Other Conservation Issues
      • Alaska Marine Ecosystem Forum
      • Aleutian Islands Fishery Ecosystem Plan
      • Bering Sea Fishery Ecosystem Plan
      • Non Target Species Management
      • Observer Program
  • Bycatch Controls
    • Salmon Bycatch
      • Overview
      • BSAI Salmon Bycatch
      • GOA Salmon Bycatch
    • Crab Bycatch
      • Overview
      • BSAI Crab Bycatch
      • GOA Crab Bycatch
    • Halibut Bycatch
      • Overview
      • BSAI Halibut Bycatch
      • GOA Halibut Bycatch
    • GOA Trawl Bycatch
      • GOA Trawl Bycatch Management
  • Publications
    • Publications
      • Research Priorities
      • Scientific Papers
      • Summary Reports
      • NPFMC Newsletters
      • SAFE (Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation) Reports
      • ACEPO
    • Resources
      • Plan Teams
      • Related Links
      • Meeting Minutes
      • Council Mailings
      • NOAA Fisheries Policy Directives
  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe

Central Arctic Ocean Agreement

You are here: Home » Newsletters » Central Arctic Ocean Agreement

February 15, 2019

Map of Central Arctic Ocean

The Council received a presentation from Jean-Pierre Plé (NFS Office of International Affairs and Seafood Inspection) and Candace Nachman (NMFS Office of Policy) on development of an international agreement to prevent the start of commercial fishing in the Central Arctic Ocean (CAO) for at least 16 years while scientists study the effects of climate change on the CAO and its ability to sustain commercial fisheries. The agreement was signed by 10 participants at a meeting in Greenland in 2018, and is designed to prevent unregulated fishing in the high-seas portion of the CAO as part of a long-term strategy to safeguard the health of the CAO ecosystem and promote the sustainable use of fish stocks.

Dr. Plé provided an overview of the agreement and the expected schedule for the U.S. to ratify the agreement. Ratification can occur by executive action and does not require advice and consent of the Senate. A meeting of the signatories to the agreement is being hosted by Canada in May 2019, additional information about ratification and implementation of the agreement, as well as the text of the agreement, will be available once the agreement is ratified by all participant nations. He extended to the Council the opportunity to comment on exploratory fisheries strategies for the CAO, following on from a Council discussion paper in February 2018 wherein exploratory fishing protocols for various RFMOs and international agreements were summarized.

The Council, during staff tasking, directed the Executive Director to prepare a letter expressing the Council’s appreciation for the presentation and signaling the Council’s interest in remaining informed of the development of the agreement and requirements for exploratory fishing in the agreement area. Staff contact is Steve MacLean.

Tagged With: CAO, February 2019

Upcoming Meetings

View Calendar →

Recent Updates

Halibut/Sablefish IFQ Program

Current (or next) Council Meeting

Future Council Meetings

Archive of Council Meetings

Enforcement Committee

  • October 2015 Newsletter
  • June 2015 Newsletter
  • April 2015 Newsletter
  • February 2015 Newsletter

Upcoming Meetings

Past Meetings →

Recent Updates

Fishery Economist / Fishery Analyst Vacancy Announcement

Scientific Coordination Subcommittee

April 2022 Newsletter

Meeting News

Cooperative Reports

Photo Stream

More Photos →

Newsletters

All →

Subscribe to our Agenda/Newsletter:

Contact Info

View Map →

North Pacific Fishery Management Council
1007 West Third, Suite 400
Anchorage, Alaska 99501-2252
Phone: (907) 271-2809

Return to top of page
Copyright © 2022. North Pacific Fishery Management Council. All Rights Reserved. · Website by Sundog Media LLC · Login