87 Document 3:3 2014–2015 Report
5.3 Work on biological diversity in the Arctic Council
Biodiversity is a third environmental area that the Arctic Council has been working on since the Council was created. However, biodiversity has not been addressed in the
ministerial declarations to the same extent as climate and pollution. But in 2013 the Arctic Council presented a major status report on biodiversity in the Arctic.
Biodiversity was not one of the areas Norway prioritised the highest in its Chairman- ship Programme. Norway did, however, emphasise introducing the principle of
ecosystem-based management in the Arctic Council. This principle is discussed in more detail in the section on petroleum Section 6.2.
194
Many animal and plant species in the Arctic have adapted to life in the harsh environ- ment, and some are so specialised that they can only exist there. Arctic ecosystems
often have few species – there are few levels from the bottom to the top of the food chain. Although the species diversity is low, each species includes several million
individuals.
195
In Svalbard, the walrus was protected in 1952. It is one of the species considered endangered in some areas, but measures have led to growth in most colonies.
Photo: Harald Faste Aas, Norwegian Polar Institute
According to the Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre, 71 out of 270 assessed species in Svalbard are on the Red List of species considered to be at risk of
extinction; most are vascular plants 49. Among all species, 47 are deined as endangered 10 as critically endangered, 15 as highly endangered and 22 as
vulnerable and 24 deined as near threatened.
196
The endangered species include polar bears, walruses and harbour seals. Climate change and land-use changes are the
factors speciied as afecting most of the Red List species in Svalbard
.
197
The Greenland whale is one of the most endangered whale populations in the world, and habitats are reduced because the pack ice in the Arctic is disappearing.
198
194 Norway’s Chairmanship Programme 2006–2008 2009 and SAO report to the ministers in Tromsø, 2009. 195 Norwegian Polar Institute 2008 The Arctic System. Fact sheets.
196 Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre, www.artsdatabanken.no. 197 Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre, Rødlistete arter på Svalbard RedListed species in Svalbard,
http:artsdatabanken.noArticleArticle478. [Retrieval date 16 September 2013]. 198 Proposition 1 S 2012–2013 Proposition to the Storting draft resolution – Ministry of the Environment.
88 Document 3:3 2014–2015 Report
Arctic ecosystems are still relatively pristine, seen from a global perspective. Large parts of Svalbard are protected around 67 per cent, and only a small part of the
archipelago is afected by major interventions in the landscape. Biodiversity is largely intact, and the populations of most species that have previously been subjected to
over-exploitation, have been rebuilt.
199
According to the Norwegian Environment Agency, it is important to continue to keep the Arctic ecosystems as intact as possible.
The areas also serve as key reference sites for other ecosystems in the world, since pristine areas are becoming steadily rarer. According to the Norwegian Environment
Agency, more knowledge about how ecosystems work is needed to protect the eco- systems in the Arctic and the biodiversity of this region.
200
5.3.1 The Arctic Council’s work on biological diversity
The Arctic Council working group, Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna CAFF, is particularly involved in the work on biological diversity in the Arctic.
The Norwegian Environment Agency heads the Norwegian delegation in the working group, while the Norwegian Polar Institute serves as technical adviser.
According to its mandate, CAFF works on issues related to preserving biodiversity in the Arctic and disseminating knowledge and indings to the authorities and the general
public in the Arctic. The working group also works to promote the sustainable use of all living resources in the Arctic. CAFF has its own expert groups
201
that map Arctic lora and fauna, as well as seabirds and marine mammals. National monitoring data is
an important source in the work of the working group.
Biodiversity in the ministerial declarations
Biodiversity has been a recurring central theme of the Arctic Council and since its creation, CAFF has published several reports on biodiversity in the Arctic. The reports
span the gamut from mapping individual species to major reports on the status and trends of ecosystems and biological diversity in the Arctic. However, only two of these
reports have been directly mentioned in the ministerial declarations – in addition to ACIA cf. Section 5.1 on the climate. The ministers also emphasised CAFF’s eforts
to achieve monitoring of the biodiversity throughout the Arctic.
In 2001, CAFF published the report Arctic Flora and Fauna: Status and Conservation
202
, which contains a number of recommendations to safeguard biodiver- sity in the Arctic. This report presents, for the irst time, a comprehensive overview of
Arctic ecosystems, habitats and species, as well as threats and challenges associated with their management. In 2002, the Ministerial Meeting agreed with the report’s
recommendations as a strategy for the Arctic Council’s eforts to conserve Arctic biodiversity.
The ACIA report emphasises the need to increase awareness of the impact of climate change on Arctic lora and fauna and Arctic habitats and improve the monitoring of
biodiversity in the Arctic. The Arctic Council asked two of its working groups, CAFF and AMAP, to consider the indings of the report and develop follow-up programmes
to meet the challenges of the future Arctic. In that connection, CAFF proposed the establishment of the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program CBMP.
203
199 Report No. 22 2008–2009 to the Storting Svalbard. 200 Norwegian Environment Agency 2013 Miljøsamarbeid i Nord Arktis Environmental Cooperation in the NorthArctic,
http:m.gazettebeta.nonoTemadirnatNaturmangfoldInternasjonaltmiljosamarbeidMiljosamarbeidinordomradeneArktis. 201 CAFF has six expert groups: 1 Circumpolar Flora Group, CFG, 2 Seabirds CBird, 3 Circumpolar Protected Areas Network
CPAN active 1996–2010, 4 Marine Ecosystems Monitoring, 5 Freshwater Ecosystems Monitoring, 6 Terrestrial Ecosystems Monitoring.
202 CAFF 2001 Arctic Flora and Fauna: Status and Conservation. 203 Need for the CBMP, www.caff.isaboutthecbmp.
89 Document 3:3 2014–2015 Report
CBMP is an international network of scientists, public authorities, indigenous peoples’ organisations and environmental protection organisations whose purpose is
to coordinate and integrate measures for monitoring living resources in the Arctic. The ministers support the CBMP as CAFF’s cornerstone programme, and the Arctic
states are encouraged to actively contribute to monitoring.
Since the establishment of the CBMP, the ministers have supported CAFF in the need to provide decision-makers and management with a summary of available scientiic
and traditional ecological knowledge of Arctic biodiversity.
204
Eforts to create such a summary resulted in the Arctic Biodiversity Assessment ABA in 2013, with an
interim report in 2010.
The Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna CAFF working group has contributed much
information on biodiversity, particularly with the study published in 2013. In the opinion of the
Norwegian Environment Agency, the Arctic Council does not cover the connection between
use and protection well enough.
The ministers support the recommendations of the report in the Kiruna Declaration 2013. The SAOs were instructed to prepare a plan to follow up the report’s recom-
mendations and deliver a progress report at the next Ministerial Meeting in 2015.
The ministers are concerned about the degradation of biodiversity, and that climate change is the greatest threat. The ministers encourage the Arctic states to implement
measures to maintain biodiversity in the Arctic and to implement internationally agreed biodiversity targets. The countries are encouraged to collaborate on manage-
ment measures for vulnerable species and ecosystems, and to continue both the exist- ing research on Arctic biodiversity and monitoring eforts through the CBMP.
Norwegian authorities’ assessment of the Arctic Council’s work on biodiversity
In the opinion of the Ministry of the Environment, the Arctic Council’s technical production has not been equally distributed among the diferent areas covered by the
Arctic Council. According to the Ministry, the activity level within biodiversity has been low for some time, both because the ield is technically demanding, and because
politically speaking, it is more diicult for the Arctic Council to handle. The situation
204 CAFF 2010 Arctic Biodiversity Trends 2010 – Selected indicators of change.
90 Document 3:3 2014–2015 Report
makes it harder to initiate circumpolar projects on biodiversity, according to the Ministry. CAFF has had fewer resources than the other working groups in addition to
that it is very costly to monitor biodiversity.
While biodiversity projects are usually concerned with how the individual member states manage their own natural environment, climate challenges are global and
largely caused by sources outside the Arctic region. According to the Ministry, CAFF’s report on Arctic biodiversity, Arctic Biodiversity Assessment 2013, has,
however, given biodiversity work in the Arctic Council a solid boost. The Ministry views the report as an important work and a basis for fostering more extensive
cooperation in this area.
205
The Norwegian Environment Agency noted that in recent years CAFF has undergone a positive transformation by which the working group largely fulils its mandate of
promoting sustainable exploitation of biodiversity in the Arctic, and disseminating knowledge on the status of and trends of these resources. The trend towards larger
projects, such as the report from 2013 and the CBMP, contributes, in the Agency’s view, to better products and more visible results. According to the Agency, CAFF and
the Arctic Council have, through their work, contributed considerable information about biodiversity in the Arctic, which would have been very costly in terms of
resources for Norway to obtain alone.
The Agency, however, pointed out that the relationship between biodiversity and the economic value biodiversity represents is not suiciently incorporated into the work
of CAFF and the Arctic Council. The Agency also noted here that the organisation of the Arctic Council is not in line with the Convention on Biological Diversity and
Norwegian policy. An unfortunate distinction is drawn in the Arctic Council between CAFF and the Sustainable Development Working Group SDWG – where the
relationship between the use of biological resources and protection of biodiversity is not suiciently considered.
CAFF and international conventions on biological diversity
In contrast to what is the case in the climate and pollution area, the Arctic Council – apart from referring to the 2009 Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears – has
not given any recommendation to the member states to participate in any explicit international convention on biodiversity. However, the Arctic Council has, as noted
above, recommended that countries work together on international conventions. In addition, CAFF directs much of its outreach activities at international organisations
and conventions relevant to the protection of biodiversity in the Arctic.
The Norwegian Environment Agency and CAFF pointed out that the working group provides information to international conventions such as the Convention on Biologi-
cal Diversity CBD. The Agency added that CAFF is recognised as a key provider of information on Arctic biodiversity to the Convention’s scientiic body. CAFF also
provides technical contributions to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals the Bonn Convention and the Agreement on the
Conservation of Polar Bears. Data from the CBMP will also be used in such contexts, and is ofered to other organisations outside the Arctic Council, such as the European
Environment Agency.
206
205 Interview with the Ministry of the Environment on 26 August 2013. 206 Interview with the Norwegian Environment Agency on 13 June 2013.
91 Document 3:3 2014–2015 Report
The Norwegian Environment Agency stated that CAFF also works to ensure national implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Ramsar Conven-
tion. A decision has also been made to cooperate with the African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement AEWA to protect aquatic birds migrating between Africa, Europe and
Asia.
207
For a description of the conventions and agreements, see Fact box 6. CAFF also noted that an important follow-up study on biological diversity ABA,
2013 is to consider the international fora to which the various recommendations can be addressed.
208
CAFF presents its work at various international meetings,
209
and is in the process of establishing an open online data system, the Arctic Biodiversity Data Service, with
updated information on biodiversity in the Arctic.
Fact box 6 Conventions and agreements on biodiversity
The Convention on Biological Diversity CBD is the most important global agreement for protecting biodiversity, ensuring sustainable use of biological resources and ensuring that the beneits from
utilisation of genetic resources are shared equally among the countries. All Arctic states, with the exception of the United States, have signed the treaty, but the United States is considering ratifying it.
In CAFF’s view, however, the United States is very active in the Convention. The Ministry of the Environ- ment is the management authority and national liaison for the Convention in Norway.
The Ramsar Convention is a global treaty whose purpose is to protect wetlands through conservation and sustainable use. Wetlands provide vital ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, water
supply, lood control, iltering and decomposition of pollutants and excess nutrients. Furthermore, wetlands are breeding and nursery grounds for a variety of waterfowl species and resting grounds for
migratory birds. The Norwegian Environment Agency is the management authority and scientiic
authority for the Convention. The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals the Bonn Convention is
a global agreement whose purpose is to protect populations of migratory wild animals that regularly cross national borders. The Convention does not distinguish between terrestrial and marine animals,
and it also includes the protection of animal habitats. Of the members of the Arctic Council, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland have signed the agreement, while Iceland, Greenland, Canada, Russia
and the United States have not. The Convention is a framework agreement that for many species only becomes binding through special agreements. The African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement AEWA on
the protection of migratory waterbirds in the Western Palaearctic and throughout Africa is a special agreement under the Bonn Convention. The Norwegian Environment Agency is the Norwegian
management authority for both the Bonn Convention and agreements under this Convention. The Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears for the protection of polar bears and their habitats
is an international agreement that obligates Norway and the other four polar bear countries, Canada, the United States, Greenland and Russia, to protect the ecosystems of which polar bears are a part.
United Nations Association. Convention on Biological Diversity. www.globalis.no. Norwegian Environment Agency. Convention on Biological Diversity CBD. www.miljodirektoratet.no.
Ministry of the Environment. Miljøkonvensjonene. The environmental conventions. www.regjeringen.no.
207 Focus group meeting with the Norwegian Environment Agency et al on 9 March 2012 and interview with the Agency on 13 June 2013.
208 Interview with the Norwegian Environment Agency on 13 June 2013. 209 Focus group meeting on 9 March 2012.