The Arctic states – cooperation or competition?

Interview

Today, when we are witnessing the rise of interest towards the Arctic, the issue of successful cooperation between the Arctic states is becoming increasingly important. RIAC has asked Scott Highleyman and David Balton to comment on the ecological challenges and the future of international cooperation in the region.

Interview

Today, when we are witnessing the rise of interest towards the Arctic, the issue of successful cooperation between the Arctic states is becoming increasingly important. RIAC has asked Scott Highleyman and David Balton to comment on the ecological challenges and the future of international cooperation in the region.

Scott Highleyman – Director, International Arctic Program, Pew Environmental Group

Ambassador Balton, David A (OES) – U.S. State Department

In your opinion, which ecological challenges and those connected with the use of living resources are caused by the ice melt in the Arсtic?

S. Highleyman: One of the issues that we were looking at today was the possibility of commercial fisheries starting in the international waters of the Central Arctic Ocean. This area beyond national jurisdiction has been frozen for at least 100,000 years until very recently. This year, at the end of the Arctic summer, 40 % of the high seas area has been open water. So, for the first time in human history it is possible that in the near future large fishing fleets could enter this area. And so, the general question is should there be regulations in place or should the Arctic countries allow unregulated fishing to happen.

We suggest that the common sense approach would be to have rules in place before commercial fishing starts. Because it takes a while for these rules to be developed under international law, the Arctic countries should take the lead in developing a simple agreement that delays the start of commercial fisheries until science is in place and the rules are in place.

D. Balton: Well, the ice is melting in the Arctic. And there are areas that have been covered by ice for as long as we can recall that are now open. And we are worried that fishing wrestlers will begin to enter new areas and fish in a way that has not been properly regulated, and that would pose problems to the stocks and to the interests of the coastal nations.

Ambassador David Balton

How could you describe the interaction of the five Arctic nations in ecology and management of living resources? Is it a partnership rather than competition or vice versa?

S. Highleyman: I think the five Arctic countries get along very well. They cooperate extremely well on many Arctic issues, including living resources. And I think the history of US and Russian cooperation was quite successful. The US and Russia have the longest shared border on the globe in the Bering Sea, and yet you never hear about fisheries disputes like you do in Norway and many other places. So, I think we have a good model there, and that is one of the reasons that we came to Russia was to talk to our colleagues who have cooperated in the past on issues of joint concern. And that’s the question: is this how you are seeing things or are you concerned about other nations, perhaps starting this kind of fishing, and what’s your opinion on what we should do.

D. Balton: There has been no competition to speak of. I think, we are at the beginning of a new cooperative cycle. The five Arctic coastal states have met a number of times to talk about this issue at various levels, and some consensus is emerging among the five that we should take the lead and try to resolve this problem. But I think it is also true that the five coastal states alone by themselves cannot solve this problem entirely, because vessels from other nations might someday come to fish in the high seas of the Central Arctic Ocean, and we need to find a way to bring in the governments of those vessels too.

So, there is no tension between these countries that can happen in the foreseeable future?

S. Highleyman: Well, every country has its own interests, and of course an issue can come up, but what I find is that the media often focuses on conflicts, and sometimes they make up conflicts, as human beings like to hear stories about conflicts, and they make stories more interesting for them. Cooperation is often quite boring, because it is sitting around in rooms for days and days.

D. Balton: I do not see any real problem with cooperation. We are trying to figure out the best way forward, we all realize that a current situation poses risks to all of us.

Scott Highleyman – Director,
International Arctic Program,
Pew Environmental Group

In which way do you believe Russia can take advantage of its cooperation with other countries to achieve its goals in ecology and use of living resources?

S. Highleyman: Two things.

One is that Russia has the longest Arctic coast line, and so the other Arctic countries can really learn from anything that Russia is taking a lead on in its own waters. We need to learn from each other what works and what doesn’t work, and that requires good information back and forth.

And the second is that when Russia comes to an international forum with an idea, people really listen. So, Russia can easily take the lead on, for example these fishery issues, and this would start the process moving much, much faster. Because what everybody asks in other countries is: what does Russia think?

D. Balton: Russia is the biggest country in the Arctic, and nothing can be done in the Arctic without Russian participation and cooperation. So, I hope that the government of Russia takes a very active interest in rolling this process. One possibility would be for Russia, perhaps with the United States also, to come together and create a conference among all the Arctic states, or at least the five Arctic states at a high level to talk about these issues, perhaps to propose a way forward together. I think that would be a very powerful signal to the other countries involved.