A moratorium on commercial fishing in Arctic waters has been agreed by Canada, China, Denmark, the European Union, Iceland, Japan, Norway, South Korea, Russia and the US. The region is experiencing global warming at twice the average rate, resulting in changes in the distribution of fish stocks. The moratorium, covering 2.8 million sq km, is designed to allow time to gain “a better understanding of the area’s ecosystems” and for the introduction of “appropriate conservation and management measures”. Greenpeace welcomed the deal which, when ratified, is expected to be in place for 14 April 2020.
A moratorium on commercial fishing in Arctic waters has been agreed by Canada, China, Denmark, the European Union, Iceland, Japan, Norway, South Korea, Russia and the US. The region is experiencing global warming at twice the average rate, resulting in changes in the distribution of fish stocks. The moratorium, covering 2.8 million sq km, is designed to allow time to gain “a better understanding of the area’s ecosystems” and for the introduction of “appropriate conservation and management measures”. Greenpeace welcomed the deal which, when ratified, is expected to be in place for at least 16 years.