More than 2,000 scientists from 67 countries have urged Arctic leaders to develop an international fisheries accord that would protect the unregulated waters of the Central Arctic Ocean.
Although industrial fishing has not yet occurred in the northernmost part of the Arctic, its newly opened waters are closer to Asian ports than Antarctica’s waters are. Large bottom trawlers regularly catch krill and toothfish in the Southern Ocean, placing stress on populations of these fish. The lack of regulation in the Arctic region could make it an appealing target for similar activities.
The open letter can be downloaded here.
