Commerce approves Arctic fisheries plan

The nation’s secretary of commerce has approved a plan that would prohibit an expansion of commercial fishing in the Arctic, at least until more is known about the area.

Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke on Aug. 20 approved the Arctic Fishery Management Plan, which was prompted by changes in the Arctic that have come with global warming and the loss of sea ice.

Locke said the goal now is to come up with a sustainable fishing plan that will not harm the overall health of the fragile Arctic ecosystem.

“As Arctic sea ice recedes due to climate change, there is increasing interest in commercial fishing in Arctic waters,” Locke said in a statement. “This plan takes a precautionary approach to any development of commercial fishing in an area where there has been none in the past.”

Locke’s decision came a day before Obama administration officials were scheduled to conduct a public hearing in Anchorage on the nation’s ocean policy. A task force is developing a recommendation for a policy that officials say ensures protection, maintenance and restoration of oceans, coasts and the Great Lakes.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council, which oversees the management of fish in federal waters, adopted the Arctic Fishery Management Plan in February. The plan then underwent public review before Locke’s approval.

The plan has been hailed by environmentalists and industry representatives alike.

It would prohibit industrial fishing in nearly 200,000 square miles of U.S. waters in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas until researchers can gather sufficient information on fish and the Arctic marine environment.

—The Associated Press