Arctic Observation Network Social Indicators Project: Commercial Fishing

The Arctic Observation Network Social Indicators Project (OPP0638408) is intended to contribute to the development of the Arctic Observation Network and to the science goals of SEARCH in two ways: (1) develop and make available to the science community relevant datasets and (2) identify gaps in the existing observation system and recommend appropriate actions to fill those gaps. The SEARCH Implementation Plan identified the following arenas of human activity likely to involve climate-human interactions: (1) subsistence hunting (2) tourism (3) resource development and marine transportation and (4) commercial fishing. This paper describes and assesses arctic fisheries data sets.

The project's commercial fisheries database currently consists of catch and landings data from 1980-present for commercially important species north of 60°N and in the Bering Sea. Datasets were collected to date for Alaska, Norway, Iceland, and Russia at the place and regional levels. Variables include: fisheries catch in metric tons, #fishing permit holders, #fishing permits issued, total kilograms landed, estimated gross earnings, #fishermen who fished, value of fish landed, and #permits fished. Data collection for these variables is individually interpreted by national agencies within each arctic country and not available for all variables. Standardization and/or comparability of time series data sets will be important for the future monitoring and modeling of changes in the arctic environment and associated impacts on fisheries such as diminishing sea ice cover, ocean acidification, species range extensions, and increasing production. Planning arctic fisheries of the future is dependent upon research that addresses and examines change for the successful development of new management plans and governance structures to accommodate international boundary conflicts, indigenous rights to resources, and organization/oversight of arctic marine science initiatives. Also important is the need to understand how changes in fisheries fit within a broader resource use and development context in the arctic, for example and especially oil and gas development. The Arctic Observation Network Social Indicators project takes the first step in examining what kind of arctic resource change and associated human dimension data are available and how best they can be organized.