The Arctic Council has recognised that the Arctic environment needs to be protected as a basis for sustainable development, prosperity, lifestyles and human well. An important step towards achieving this is to advance the protection of large areas of ecologically important Arctic marine habitats, building upon existing and on-going national and international processes and implementing appropriate measures for their management.

This current proposal responds by presenting a means to increase knowledge, understanding and facilitate protection of important areas in the Arctic’s marine ecosystem. It will provide harmonised and up-to-date information on the Arctic’s marine protected & important areas; identify gaps and priorities in the Arctic’s protected areas network; present science-based suggestions for next steps; and inform and guide policy and decision making.

The first phase of the project produced knowledge and information to facilitate the protection of important areas in the Arctic’s marine ecosystem. It identified gaps in knowledge and provided harmonized and up-to-date information to guide policy and decision-making concerning the Arctic’s marine protected and important areas.

Applicant: CAFF/PAME Secretariats

Countries: Iceland, Greenland, Finland, Norway, Sweden

Project start 2015, expected to be finalized in 2017.

Copyright pictures: unsplash.com