SUSTAINING TOMORROW’S CENTRAL ARCTIC OCEAN TODAY

The report provides a comprehensive framework for implementing the Central Arctic Ocean Fisheries Agreement (CAOFA), which temporarily bans commercial fishing in the high seas of the Central Arctic Ocean to prevent ecological disaster. It advocates for a precautionary approach, emphasizing the separation of scientific advice from political decision-making through tools like management procedures (MPs) and reference points. The document details best practices for quota allocation, monitoring and compliance (including 100% VMS and observer coverage), and the inclusion of indigenous and local knowledge. It further suggests that the CAOFA can serve as a broader experiment for Arctic governance, offering lessons on transparency, adaptive management, and the inclusion of non-Arctic states.

• The Central Arctic Ocean Fisheries Agreement (CAOFA) implements a precautionary approach by temporarily banning all commercial fishing in the high seas portion of the Central Arctic Ocean for an initial period of 16 years, with possible five-year extensions.
• To prevent political interference in fisheries management, the report recommends using management procedures (MPs)—systematic schemes that automatically set total allowable catches (TAC) based on transparent scientific inputs.
• Effective monitoring and compliance for the CAOFA should include 100% vessel monitoring systems (VMS) and 100% independent observer coverage, with VMS data reported directly to a secretariat to prevent flag-state manipulation.
• The report recommends the use of 'pre-approved vessel lists' (whitelists) rather than just IUU 'blacklists,' as they establish fishing access as a privilege and increase transparency.
• The Joint Program for Scientific Research and Monitoring (JPSRM) should be supported by a standing science body that maintains independence through rotating chairmanships and the potential inclusion of non-member nationals in leadership roles.
• The report emphasizes that indigenous and local knowledge (IK and LK) must be recognized as a systematic way of knowing that is not validated by science, and that indigenous peoples should represent themselves through dedicated organizations rather than solely as members of national delegations.
• To avoid the gridlock associated with consensus decision-making, the report suggests implementing independent dispute resolution mechanisms and exploring the use of sub-coalitions.

APA

Shahbazi, A. (2022). SUSTAINING TOMORROW’S CENTRAL ARCTIC OCEAN TODAY. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/452/7zhj2wrz1i_CAOFA_Full_Report_pages_web_version.pdf

Chicago

Shahbazi, Alex. SUSTAINING TOMORROW’S CENTRAL ARCTIC OCEAN TODAY. WWF International, 2022. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/452/7zhj2wrz1i_CAOFA_Full_Report_pages_web_version.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Shahbazi |first1=Alex |title=SUSTAINING TOMORROW’S CENTRAL ARCTIC OCEAN TODAY |publisher=WWF International |date=November 2022 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/452/7zhj2wrz1i_CAOFA_Full_Report_pages_web_version.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{shahbazi2022sustaining, author = {Shahbazi, Alex}, title = {{SUSTAINING TOMORROW’S CENTRAL ARCTIC OCEAN TODAY}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2022}, month = nov, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/452/7zhj2wrz1i_CAOFA_Full_Report_pages_web_version.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }