Managing And Conserving Living Resources In Warming Waters: How To Adapt Fisheries Management To Impacts Of Climate Change

Abstract

Climate change effects in the oceans are changing the marine environment and its ecosystems. These changes are impacting, and will continue to do so, the fish populations in unpredictable ways. One of the regions that is and will be more affected by the impacts on climate change on fish populations, and therefore fisheries, is the Arctic region. Fisheries is one of the key components of local and regional communities, and even states, in the Arctic region. The objective of this study is to see if the fisheries regime of the Arctic marine area is sufficiently adaptive to tackle these impacts on the marine living resources of the area. To accomplish this objective, the first thing to do will be a systematic description of the fisheries regime of the Arctic marine area, composed primarily by UNCLOS, the UNFSA and the CAOF Agreement. Then, the key legal challenges to the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions fisheries management regime triggered by climate change are going to be identified, mainly the changes in fish production, growth, distribution and migration patterns and the “gap” of the regime in the high seas of the Central Arctic Ocean. Lastly, the adaptation mechanisms of this regime will be studied to see if these are enough to tackle this problem. Particular attention is paid to UNCLOS’ rules of references, the UNFSA’s concept of “real interest”, and CAOF Agreements’ introduction as a central piece of the precautionary principle.