Story last updated at 10/22/2009 - 10:52 am
ANCHORAGE - The United States must move forward with science research to make good decisions about how to manage human activities in the Arctic Ocean, the ambassador for oceans and fisheries said Wednesday.
"The Arctic is certainly the least well understood ocean on the planet, and in particular the area of the western Arctic nearest the United States, the Chukchi and Beaufort seas," said Deputy Assistant Secretary of State David A. Balton.
Balton spoke at the conclusion of the International Arctic Fisheries Symposium, a gathering aimed at promoting international discussions for conserving and managing future Arctic fisheries. Participants sought to identify gaps in existing management and potential steps to address them.
Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke in August approved a U.S. plan that prohibits expansion of commercial fishing in the U.S. Arctic until more is known about the area. The Arctic Fishery Management Plan was prompted by changes that have come with global warming and the loss of sea ice.
Locke said the goal would be a sustainable fishing plan that would not harm the overall health of the fragile ecosystem.
Balton said there is time and political space to move smartly. The symposium did not begin the discussion, he said, but raised the issue's profile.
"What this symposium did allow was for a whole mix of people from very different perspectives to come together and talk about a common set of issues, including people from all the other Arctic nations," he said.
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