International Legal Regulation of Biodiversity Conservation in Northern Latitudes (Part 2)

International scientific and technical cooperation is critically important for making effective decisions and measures to manage Arctic biodiversity. The 2017 Agreement on Strengthening International Arctic Scientific Cooperation creates a solid legal basis for intensifying current and designing new scientific research in order to obtain the best scientific data as a basis for conservation and resource management. The basis of the international legal regime for the conservation and management of biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction in the Arctic is the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. International legal acts on fisheries regulation have been adopted for all four areas of the high seas in the Arctic. The study of the Agreement on the Prevention of Unregulated Fishing on the High Seas in the central part of the 2018 SLA revealed significant shortcomings: when determining the spatial scope of application, an ecosystem approach is not used; a precautionary approach to fishing is not taken into account; the basis for the creation of a regional fisheries management organization is not created; the issue of fishing by third States remains open. The Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction 2023 develops a number of institutions, including IOE and EIA. An analysis of its provisions indicates the inexpediency of Russia’s participation in it, taking into account the existence of the 2017 Agreement and a significant system of organizations involved in the implementation of joint marine research projects. The 2023 Agreement is not capable of having a significant positive effect on international cooperation in the conservation of Arctic biodiversity, but on the contrary will create additional obstacles to scientific research and impose financial burdens.

See the beginning: Lex russica. 2024;77(8):112-129. (In Russ.). DOI: 10.17803/1729-5920.2024.213.8.112-129.

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