A Network Of Marine Protected Areas In The Arctic: Promises And Challenges

Abstract

This chapter highlights the Arctic States' commitment to the concept of a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and the promise which such a network holds for the protection of the region's marine ecosystems and biodiversity. At the same time, a number of obstacles are identified which could potentially impede the designation and effective management of MPAs within an integrated Arctic network. While large land areas in the Arctic region have come under various conservation and protection regimes, less than 1 percent of the marine coastal areas-so critical to Arctic food chains and coastal ecosystems-are currently protected. Under the Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy (AEPS), and later, the Arctic Council (AC), the Arctic nations agreed to work together to create a network of protected areas to encompass the circumpolar Arctic. Keywords: Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy (AEPS); Arctic food chains; Arctic States; coastal ecosystems; Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)