June 16, 2023, Incheon, South Korea—The 2nd Conference of the Parties of the Agreement to Prevent Unregulated High Seas Fisheries in the Central Arctic Ocean (CAOFA) took place this week, and Inuit are engaged as part of our national delegations to ensure decision-making considers the potential impacts to our Inuit way of life, especially on hunting and food security.
Inuit are engaged in this multi-year process since the first negotiations of the Agreement. Our engagement ensures the inclusion of Indigenous Knowledge in the CAOFA’s implementation. Inuit offer a holistic, balanced approach to understanding the Arctic that considers the entire food chain, potential impacts to Inuit food security, and recognizes that people, including Inuit, are a part of the Arctic ecosystem(s). This understanding is critical as the Agreement calls for taking a precautionary approach to prevent unregulated fishing in the high seas portion of the Central Arctic Ocean to safeguard healthy marine ecosystems.
This 2nd meeting of the Parties resulted in the endorsement of the Joint Program of Scientific Research and Monitoring (JPSRM) Framework, which includes Indigenous Knowledge in the research plan to better understand the Central Arctic Ocean ecosystem(s) and will inform the work ahead by Parties.
ICC has been asserting that Inuit are a part of the Arctic ecosystem and are dependent on the food resources it provides. It is important that Inuit have a strong presence in the Agreement’s implementation, and ICC will continue to engage in the CAOFA process on behalf of all Inuit.
“Much like our holistic worldview, the CAOFA process is one piece to a larger puzzle. ICC continues to engage in various international processes. In addition to this one, we engage in the agreement on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the International Panel on Climate Change, the International Maritime Organization, as well as our own Pikialasorsuaq-project, which all go beyond state borders. Our valuable contributions benefit not only Inuit living across the Arctic, but the world and its whole environment.
– Sara Olsvig, Chair, Inuit Circumpolar Council
“Parties will need to work with Inuit to build solid foundations and develop processes to meaningfully engage with Inuit in the implementation of the agreement, and to ensure the recognition of Indigenous Knowledge in its own right.”
– Herb Nakimayak, Executive Council Member, Inuit Circumpolar Council
“Inuit are a part of Arctic ecosystem and are dependent on the traditional food resources that it provides. Our people live a hunting, fishing, and gathering culture, and we have a responsibility to take care of the resources that sustain our culture and way of life into perpetuity.”
– Mayor Harry Brower Jr., Mayor of the North Slope Borough
| CONTACT: | ||
| Kelly Eningowuk | Kuluk Lyberth | Cassandra Elliott |
| ICC (Alaska) | ICC (Greenland) | ICC (Canada) |
| (907) 274-9058 | 299 34 22 25 | 613-407-2642 |
| kelly@iccalaska.org | Kuluk@inuit.org | celliott@inuitcircumpolar.com |