Arctic Council Working Group Recommendations
| Project | Type | # | Outcome | Report | Year | FEC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arctic Biodiversity Assessment (ABA) | Key finding | 4 | Disturbance and habitat degradation can diminish Arctic biodiversity and the opportunities for Arctic residents and visitors to enjoy the benefits of ecosystem services. | Arctic Biodiversity Assessment: Report for Policy Makers | 2013 | |
| Arctic Biodiversity Assessment (ABA) | Recommendation | 4 | Require the incorporation of biodiversity objectives and provisions into all Arctic Council work and encourage the same for on-going and future international standards, agreements, plans, operations and/or other tools specific to development in the Arctic. This should include, but not be restricted to, oil and gas development, shipping, fishing, tourism and mining. | Arctic Biodiversity Assessment: Report for Policy Makers | 2013 | |
| Arctic Biodiversity Assessment (ABA) | Action | 4 | Require the incorporation of biodiversity objectives and provisions into all Arctic Council work and encourage the same for on-going and future international standards, agreements, plans, operations and/or other tools specific to development in the Arctic. This should include, but not be restricted to, oil and gas development, shipping, fishing, tourism and mining. 4.1. Strengthen and develop new strategic partnerships, particularly with industry, to seek innovative solutions and expand responsibility for taking care of biodiversity. 4.2. Analyse the relationship between CAFF activities and international biodiversity objectives from relevant multilateral environmental agreements as a starting point for improved cooperation. 4.3. Develop a set of biodiversity principles for the Arctic Council, Observers, and stakeholders on incorporating biodiversity objectives and safeguards into their work, apply these principles to the activities of Arctic Council Working Groups and other Subsidiary Bodies, and evaluate the extent to which these activities respond to the ABA recommendations. 4.4. Develop, as needed, binding and/or voluntary agreements/standards that work towards the harmonization of industry-specific and cross-industry standards related to the conservation and/or sustainable use of biodiversity. This should considerhow to encourage the incorporation of biodiversity as a fundamental component of environmental and risk assessment work. 4.5. Provide information, expertise, and recommendations on conservation of Arctic ecosystems to policymakers. 4.6. Develop best practices for vessel-based Arctic marine tourism (Arctic Marine TourismProject- Best Practice Guidelines) (AMSA Recommendation IIIB). 4.7. Make monitoring and research results on species, including those relevant to maintaining and increasing resilience of biodiversity to climate change, accessible to all stakeholders, through the ABDS. 4.8. Strengthen collaboration with industry in Arctic biodiversity monitoring | Actions for Arctic Biodiversity, 2013-2021: Implementing the recommendations of the Arctic Biodiversity Assessment | 2015 | |
| Arctic Biodiversity Assessment (ABA) | Key finding | 4 | Increase financial and other support for indigenous peoples and organizations to actively engage in research and science initiatives and to effectively address their concerns. | Arctic Traditional Knowledge and Wisdom: Changes in the North American Arctic | 2017 | |
| Arctic Species Trend Index (ASTI) | Key finding | 4 | Shorebirds are in decline overall (-10%), with negative trends in the Americas and East Asia (-10% and -70%). Populations of this group are faring better in Africa-Eurasia, where abundance is 40% higher compared to 1970. | Arctic Species Trend Index: Migratory Birds Index | 2015 | |
| Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands (RAW) | Key finding | 4 | Although the majority of Arctic wetlands remain relatively intact, changes are already occurring across the Arctic and wetland resilience is needed to buffer further damage. Wetlands are vulnerable to substantial indirect damage e.g. through global warming, changes to p recipitation patterns, altered hydrological flows, and environmental pollutants. Such damage also constitutes a broader threat to migratory animal populations. These diverse threats to wetland ecosystems emphasize the need for landscape scale management with a focus on conservation, protection and maintained resilience. | Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands: Key Findings and Recommendations | 2021 | |
| Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands (RAW) | Recommendation | 4 | Develop pan-Arctic inventory of protected wetlands and completed, ongoing or planned restoration projects, Indigenous led and partnership projects, with country cases contributed by each Arctic State and with the list to be managed by CAFF. Such cases can serve as pilot and demonstration projects for other rapid action. | Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands: Key Findings and Recommendations | 2021 | |
| Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands (RAW) | Advice | 4 | Supporting Indigenous Community-Based Monitoring: Supporting community-based monitoring as an approach to active participation in biodiversity research and management of protected area is beneficial for conservation efforts. | Arctic Wetlands and Indigenous Peoples Study: An assessment of Indigenous engagement in wetland protected areas | 2021 | |
| Key finding | 4 | Different environmental changes are occurring within different cultural contexts creating diverse impacts; as such adaptive actions need to be based on local realities and priorities | Project Summary: Bering Sea Sub-Network II | 2015 | ||
| Arctic Biodiversity Assessment (ABA) | Recommendation | 4 | Target resource managers when communicating research, monitoring and assessment findings. Increase efforts to communicate results of research and monitoring relevant to conservation of sea-ice associated biodiversity. Focus particularly on meeting the information needs of those making on-the-ground wildlife conservation decisions on, for example, conditions of development permits or fish and wildlife harvest regulations. Available information, including from recent Arctic Council assessments, may be hard for managers to sift through or to know what is most relevant to them. Work in this area should engage users of the information in designing content and delivery and should consider methods beyond print media. It should take into account time and resource constraints of the users and considerations such as keeping information up to date. Communication may best be delivered at a national or regional level, but benefits and efficiencies of collaboration through Arctic Council could be explored. | Life Linked to Ice: A guide to sea-ice-associated biodiversity in this time of rapid change | 2013 | |
| Arctic Biodiversity Assessment (ABA) | Key finding | 4 | Since 1991, the extent of protected areas in the Arctic has increased, although marine areas remain poorly represented. | Arctic Biodiversity Trends 2010 – Selected indicators of change | 2010 | |
| Arctic Migratory Birds Initiative (AMBI) | Advice | 4 | Monitoring nest incorporation and entanglement: Black-legged kittiwake and northern gannet (Morus bassanus) nests should be monitored for nest incorporation of and entanglement in plastic pollution. | Plastic Pollution in Seabirds: Developing a program to monitor plastic pollution in seabirds in the pan-Arctic region | 2021 | |
| Actions for Arctic Biodiversity 2025-2035 | Action | 4 | Establish a monitoring and evaluation framework for implementation of the actions for Arctic biodiversity. 4.1 Develop indicators to monitor implementation of the Actions for Arctic Biodiversity, assess and evaluate effectiveness of implementation, and report in relevant fora. | Actions for Arctic Biodiversity 2025-2035 | 2025 | |
| CBird: Seabird Expert Group | 4.1 | Improve feeding conditions. 4.1.1. Systematically identify important feeding grounds throughout the year. 4.1.2. Identify and quantify diet during breeding and non-breeding season. 4.1.3. Conduct comprehensive, multidisciplinary studies of environmental drivers in wintering grounds (climate and food availability). 4.1.4. Assess the direct and indirect effects of fisheries on kittiwakes. | International Black-legged Kittiwake - Conservation Strategy and Action Plan | 2021 | ||
| CBird: Seabird Expert Group | Action | 4.1 | Consumptive use: 1.Develop international harvest plans, 2. Establish appropriate harvest rules , 3.Obtain reliable harvest estimates , 4. Evaluate the opportunity for guided hunts, 5. Support egg and down collection programs. | Circumpolar Eider Conservation Strategy and Action Plan | 1997 | |
| CBird: Seabird Expert Group | Action | 4.1 | Priorities: 1. Give high priority to actions addressing significant levels of murre mortality 2. Give high priority to habitat protection for key colonies and foraging areas. 3. Give additional priority to research and monitoring needed to address murre conservation issues. 4. Give additional priority to actions supporting obligations of treaties and agreements. | International Murre Conservation Strategy and Action Plan | 1996 | |
| Arctic TEEB | Key finding | 4.1 | Valuing Arctic ecosystem services: Key Finding 4.1. The ecosystem services link is crucial when striving for sustainable management of complex social-ecological systems, and valuation in this context can provide powerful information for evaluating alternative management strategies. Cohesive, integrated and commonly accepted frameworks for assessment of the values of Arctic ecosystems are needed. | The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) for the Arctic: A Scoping Study Executive Summary | 2015 | |
| Arctic TEEB | Key finding | 4.2 | Valuing Arctic ecosystem services: Key Finding 4.2. Any effective, equitable and sustainable policy must account for a diversity of perspectives and encompass a diversity of value systems. | The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) for the Arctic: A Scoping Study Executive Summary | 2015 | |
| CBird: Seabird Expert Group | 4.2 | Improvement of knowledge on limiting demographic factors. 4.2.1. Develop a comprehensive research agenda for each population specifying what information is most needed, how it will be used, and which countries will be involved. Relate this to the Circumpolar Seabird Monitoring Plan and evaluate if necessary. 4.2.2. For each major kittiwake breeding population, estimate population size, productivity, adult survival rates, and identify migration routes and wintering grounds. Also investigate survival rates and distribution of the immature birds. 4.2.3 Investigate the breeding success and population estimates for a larger proportion of the circumpolar population. 4.2.4. Investigate the genetic structures in the different populations. 4.2.5. Implement the Circumpolar Seabird Monitoring Plan (CBird 2015) throughout the circumpolar Arctic. | International Black-legged Kittiwake - Conservation Strategy and Action Plan | 2021 | ||
| CBird: Seabird Expert Group | Action | 4.2 | Non consumptive use: 6. Evaluate risks from human activities. 7. Encourage non-consumptive uses of eiders | Circumpolar Eider Conservation Strategy and Action Plan | 1997 |