Courtney Price

CAFF International Secretariat

Arctic Change 2017

December 15, 2017

ConservationArctic

Flora and Fauna

Overview

• CAFF and the Arctic Biodiversity Assessment (ABA)

• Actions for Arctic Biodiveristy

• Illustrate how CAFF is responding to ABA recommendations

Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF)

• Biodiversity Working Group of the Arctic Council

• Board members from eight Arctic countries six Indigenous organizations

• Observers from non Arctic countries, international organizations

• Mandate:

• to address the conservation of Arctic biodiversity, and to communicate its findings to the governments and residents of the Arctic, helping to promote practices which ensure the sustainability of the Arctic’s living resources

Arctic Biodiversity Assessment (ABA)

www.arcticbiodiversity.is

• To synthesize and assess the status and trends of biological diversity in the Arctic

• Provides 17 policy relevant recommendations• 250+ experts• Seven years

Actions for biodiversity

• Action plan to implement 17 ABA recommendations

• Phased approach over 8 years, reviewed every 2 years

• Relevant to:• Arctic Council members• Observers • Non-Arctic states• Regional and local authorities• Scientific community• Industry• Arctic citizens & visitors

ABA Key Finding #3

Many Arctic migratory species are threatened by

overharvest and habitat alteration outside the Arctic,

especially birds along the East Asian Flyway.

Photo: Jochen Dierschke

Reduce stressors on migratory species range-wide,

including habitat degradation and overharvesting on

wintering and staging areas and along flyways and other

migration routes.

ABA Recommendation 8

Photo: Peter Prokosch7

ArcticMigratory

BirdsInitiative

8

AMBI Priorities

An info graphic will go here- I am awaiting its delivery- explains AMBI priority geographies, species and conservation issues

ABA: Key Finding 6

Photo: Sigurður H. Magnússon

There are currently few invasive alien species in the Arctic, but more are expected with climate change and increased human activity.

Reduce the threat of invasive alien species to the Arctic by developing and implementing common measures for early detection and reporting, identifying and blocking pathways of introduction, and sharing best practices and techniques for monitoring, eradication and control.

ABA: Recommendation 9

Arctic Invasive Alien Species Strategy and Action Plan

Contains activities and projects to o Inspire urgent and effective actiono Improve capabilities for well-informed decision makingo Undertake prevention and early detection/ rapid response

initiatives

Photo: Karl Kolemainen/Shutterstock.com

ABA Key Finding # 4

Require the incorporation of biodiversity objectives and provisions into all Arctic Council work and encourage the same for on-going and future international standards, agreements, plans, operations and/or other tools specific to development in the Arctic. This should include, but not be restricted to, oil and gas development, shipping, fishing, tourism and mining.

ABA: Recommendation

4

Multiple recommendations including:

Disturbance and habitat degradation can diminish Arctic biodiversity and the opportunities for Arctic Residents and visitors to enjoy the benefits of Ecosystem Services.

Biodiversity Principles

• Framework developed that defines biodiversity principles in an Arctic context and develops approach for incorporating biodiversity principles into Arctic Council work and broader application

• Translate these principles into resources including guidance and tools that will promote and support the integration of biodiversity objectives into decision-making

• Background and options paper developed• CAFF Board decidign how to proceed

ABA Key Finding #8

Increase and focus inventory, long-term monitoring and research efforts to address key gaps in scientific knowledge identified in this assessment to better facilitate the development and implementation of conservation and management strategies.

ABA Recommendation 13

Current knowledge of many Arctic species, ecosystems and their stressors is fragmentary, making detection and assessment of trends and their implications difficult for many aspects of biodiversity.

Multiple recommendations including:

Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Programme (CBMP)

• International network improving detection, understanding and reporting of Arctic biodiversity trends

• Focal point for current and credible Arctic biodiversity information

• Bridging the information-policy gap

• Use existing networks to better harness knowledge and capacity

• Develop Arctic Biodiversity Monitoring Plans (marine, freshwater, terrestrial, coastal) to better coordinate, detect and report

CBMP Operation

State of the Arctic Biodiversity Reports

• State of Biodiversity Reports will be produced from each ecosystem group

• Summary report provides concise overview of key trends and advice for monitoring, directed towards policy and decision makers

State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Report - Fishes

• Trends in fishes across the Arctic

• One for each of the six Expert Networks in the report

State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Report

Status of circumpolar marine biodiversity monitoring by Focal Ecosystem Component in each Arctic Marine Area

ABA Key Finding # 9

Climate change, ecosystem-based management, mainstreaming biodiversity, identifying and safeguarding important areas for biodiversity, addressing individual stressors on biodiversity and improving knowledge and public awareness

All 17 recommendations

The challenges facing Arctic biodiversity are interconnected, requiring comprehensive solutions and international cooperation

Continuing focus on:

• mainstreaming biodiversity (Recommendation 4),

• reducing stressors on migratory birds (Recommendation 8),

• ecosystem services evaluation (Recommendation 12), and

• communications and outreach (Recommendation 17).

Additional focus on:

• adaptation to climate change (Recommendation 2);

• addressing stressors on biodiversity, in particular, migratory species (Recommendation 8), invasive species (Recommendation 9) and pollution (Recommendation 11);

• safeguarding critical areas (Recommendations 5, 6, and 7); and

• improving knowledge and public awareness, in particular, monitoring and traditional and local knowledge (Recommendations 13, 14, and 15), and indicator development (Recommendation 16).

Action Plan

Focus Areas 2017-19

Photos by

Carsten Egevang/ ARC-PIC.com

Thank you

For more information please visit:www.caff.is

Or contact

Courtney PriceCommunications OfficerCAFF International SecretariatBorgir Nordurslod600 Akureyri, IcelandPhone: + 354 462 3350courtney@caff.is