The ambassador for oceans and fisheries called upon the United States must move forward with science research to make good decisions about how to manage human activities in the Arctic Ocean. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State David A. Balton said that the Arctic is certainly the least well understood ocean on the planet, and in particular the area of the western Arctic nearest the United States, the Chukchi and Beaufort seas.
Balton was speaking at the conclusion of the International Arctic Fisheries Symposium, a gathering aimed at promoting international discussions for conserving and managing future Arctic fisheries. Participants sought to identify gaps in existing management and potential steps to address them.
In August Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke had approved a U.S. plan that prohibits expansion of commercial fishing in the U.S. Arctic until more is known about the area. The Arctic Fishery Management Plan was prompted by changes that have come with global warming and the loss of sea ice.
U.S. commercial fishermen have not been poised to sail north of the Bering Strait for commercial fishing. Balton said there is time and political space to move smartly. The symposium did not begin the discussion, he said, but raised the issue’s profile. Chris Krenz, Arctic project manager for Oceana said that fish managers, commercial fishermen, conservation organizations and indigenous people living along the Arctic Ocean are looking for a pathway for sustainable fisheries.
