In a response to the migration of fish stocks northward due to climate change, both the United States and Russia are considering the prospect of opening commercial fisheries in the Arctic. However, their efforts are subject to international agreements that currently ban fishing in the Central Arctic Ocean.
The Central Arctic Ocean Fisheries Agreement, signed in 2018 by nine nations and the European Union, came into effect on June 25, 2021, imposing a ban on fishing in the Central Arctic until at least 2037. This agreement permits fishing in the high seas area of the Arctic solely for research purposes, and its extension beyond 2037 requires unanimous consent.
Additionally, the U.S. introduced the Arctic Fishery Management Plan in 2009, which, following approval by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, restricted fishing in state waters north of the Bering Strait, including the Chukchi and Beaufort seas.
Despite these restrictions, a commercial pollock fishery opened in Russian-controlled waters in the Chukchi Sea in 2020, and Pacific cod has also ventured into the region due to changing climate conditions.
In March 2023, officials from the U.S. and Russia convened in Utqiagvik, Alaska, to collaborate on a joint science plan, emphasizing that commercial fishing in the Arctic is unlikely for at least the duration of the existing agreement, which spans 16 years.
David Balton, a former U.S. State Department diplomat who played a key role in negotiating the Central Arctic Ocean Fisheries Agreement, commended the signatory nations for adhering to the treaty, calling it a “success story.”
At the Arctic Encounter Symposium in Anchorage, Alaska, on March 29, Alaska Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Doug Vincent-Lang expressed his commitment to preparing for the eventual end of the moratorium on commercial fishing in the state’s Arctic waters. He is seeking funding, including $1 million from the state of Alaska and $2 million in federal funds, to conduct research on the matter.
Vincent-Lang’s plans include identifying biomasses and stocks north of the Bering Strait that could support commercial fisheries and establishing a system for allocating fishing rights to Arctic communities.
“We see opportunities for our coastal communities to develop fisheries,” Vincent-Lang said, emphasizing the importance of not being left behind while other countries, including Russia, explore Arctic waters for fishing opportunities.
He also stressed the need to begin working on a comprehensive fishery management system to ensure sustainable fishing practices in the region.