Enhanced scientific cooperation among the coastal States of the Arctic Ocean

Senior officials of the five coastal States of the Arctic Ocean – Canada, Denmark/Greenland, the Russian Federation, the United States of America and Norway – met on 22 June 2010 in Oslo to hold informal discussions on their particular responsibilities in the field of conservation and management of fish stocks.

Large-scale commercial fishing in the Arctic Ocean is not imminent. However, under the comprehensive international legal framework that applies to the Arctic Ocean, the coastal States have particular precautionary responsibilities in their 200 mile zones in order to prevent possible negative effects on fish stocks in the area.

The participants acknowledged that the current state of information does not allow for a full understanding of the impact of climate change on fish stocks in the Arctic Ocean. In this regard, they underlined the importance of enhancing scientific cooperation among the coastal states, and agreed on the need for their scientific experts to meet to evaluate current information and identify future research requirements and priorities.

The participants also discussed future cooperation related to documentation of the outer limits of the continental shelf outside 200 nautical miles in the Arctic Ocean for the Continental Shelf Commission in New York.

• See the chair's summary.