Recommendations
| Project | Type | # | Outcome | Report | Year | FEC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program (CBMP) | 2 | The CBMP is an adaptive, integrated monitoring program that provides timely information about status, trends, and changes in Arctic biodiversity and ecosystems. Objective 2.1: Integrate lessons learned and advice for monitoring outlined in the SABRs into next steps of CBMP.
Objective 2.2: Evaluate the effectiveness of existing and new methods and technologies as a tool to support biodiversity monitoring and assessment.
Objective 2.3: Identify expert networks relevant for CBMP.
Objective 2.4: Increase access to Arctic biodiversity data.
Objective 2.5: Continue and strengthen cross-cutting activities among the CBMP Steering Groups.
Objective 2.6: Via expert networks, develop user manuals and test implementation of CBMP Arctic Biodiversity Monitoring Plans in the field.
| Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program Strategic Plan: 2021-2025 | 2021 | ||
| Arctic TEEB | Key finding | 3.8 | Governance: Key Finding 3.8. Taking an interdisciplinary approach that combines economic and sociocultural analyses to the benefits people receive from Arctic nature faces a number of challenges and concerns. However, it also offers a complementary approach for communicating to decision makers the importance of nature to people, and a toolkit for evaluating policy options and integrating stewardship into decisions. | The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) for the Arctic: A Scoping Study Executive Summary | 2015 | |
| CBMP Terrestrial Biodiversity Monitoring | Key finding | Most populations showed increasing or stable trends over the last 10 years, but our ability to truly judge these trends is highly variable among populations. | A Global Audit of the Status and Trends of Arctic And Northern Hemisphere Goose Populations | 2018 | ||
| CBMP Freshwater Biodiversity Monitoring | Key finding | Temperature is the overriding and predominant driver for most FECs, but climate, geographical connectivity, geology, and smaller-scale environmental parameters such as water chemistry are all key drivers of Arctic freshwater biodiversity. | State of the Arctic Freshwater Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring | 2016 | ||
| CBMP Marine Biodiversity Monitoring | Key finding | Current trends indicate that species reliant on sea ice for reproduction, resting or foraging will experience range reductions as sea ice retreat occurs earlier and the open water season is prolonged. | State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring | 2017 | ||
| CBMP Terrestrial Biodiversity Monitoring | Advice | Knowledge Gaps : Currently, there is some monitoring for all FECs, but it varies in coverage, duration, frequency and access to institutional support and resources.
| State of the Arctic Terrestrial Biodiversity: Key Findings and Advice for Monitoring | 2021 | ||
| Arctic Species Trend Index (ASTI) | Key finding | 1 | The Arctic Species Trend Index (ASTI): 2011 update. 1.1 Average abundance of Arctic vertebrates increased from 1970 until 1990 then remained fairly stable through 2007, as measured by the ASTI 2011. 1.2 When species abundance is grouped by broad ecozones, a different picture emerges, with low Arctic species abundance increasing in the first two decades much more than high Arctic and sub Arctic species abundance. The low Arctic index has stabilized since the mid-1990s while the high Arctic index appears to be recovering in recent years and the sub Arctic index has been declining since a peak in the mid-1980s. 1.3 The trend for Arctic marine species is similar to that of the overall ASTI, while the trend for terrestrial species shows a quite different pattern: a steady decline after the early 1990s to a level below the 1970 baseline by 2005. | The Arctic Species Trend Index 2011: Key findings from an in-depth look at marine species and development of spatial analysis techniques | 2012 | |
| Inspiring Arctic Voices Through Youth | Increase numbers of youth engaged and actively participating and strive for diverse representation of youth from all Arctic nations, and beyond. | CAFF Arctic Youth Engagement Strategy: 2021-2026 | 2021 | |||
| CBird: Seabird Expert Group | 2.4 | Reduce the negative impact of commercial fisheries on breeding success. 2.4.1. Ensure industrial fisheries of pelagic forage fish such as capelin, herring and sandeel are not at a level that limits kittiwakes’ food supply. 2.4.2. Increase research into the resource competition between seabird and fisheries and how this should influence quotas. | International Black-legged Kittiwake - Conservation Strategy and Action Plan | 2021 | ||
| CBird: Seabird Expert Group | Research and monitoring Objective Provide reliable information about Ivory Gulls needed to implement the Strategy Actions• Develop a comprehensive research agenda foreach population specifying what informationis most needed, how it will be used, and which countries will be involved in doing the work. • Develop a research agenda that determines whether distinct Ivory Gull populations exist in the circumpolar Arctic. • For each major Ivory Gull breeding population, work to estimate population size, productivity, adult survival rates, and identify migration routes and wintering grounds. • Collaborate with the Arctic Monitoring Assessment Program (AMAP) to study contaminants that may be causing mortality or reproductive problems with Ivory Gulls and seek ways to reduce their adverse impacts. • Develop national and international monitoring plans for Ivory Gulls throughout the circumpolar Arctic. | International Ivory Gull Conservation Strategy and Action Plan | 2008 | |||
| Mainstreaming Biodiversity in Arctic Mining | Advice | Agreement on data (e.g. cultural and ecological indicators of change) collection, management, and sharing of information. Baseline data and other information about the status and health of plants, animals and ecosystems in and around mine sites are important for the mining industry, communities, government agencies and CAFF. An important challenge is to ensure that data generated by the mining industry are accessible in a form that can inform broader understandings of Arctic biodiversity status and trends. Government agencies could:
Mining industry could:
CAFF could:
| Mainstreaming Biodiversity in Arctic Mining Challenges and Proposed Solutions | 2019 | ||
| Arctic Migratory Birds Initiative (AMBI) | Action | 3 | Mitigate seabird and seaduck bycatch 3.1 Initiate an overlap analysis for seabird bycatch in circumpolar region 3.2 Continue discussions about mitigation measures with fisheries partners 3.3 Support efforts to develop best practices for bycatch data collection 3.4 Assess gill net bycatch for key species and regions | AMBI Work Plan 2019-2025: Circumpolar Flyway | 2021 | |
| Arctic Biodiversity Assessment (ABA) | Key finding | 9 | The challenges facing Arctic biodiversity are interconnected, requiring comprehensive solutions and international cooperation. | Arctic Biodiversity Assessment: Report for Policy Makers | 2013 | |
| Arctic Biodiversity Assessment (ABA) | Recommendation | 16 | Research and monitor individual and cumulative effects of stressors and drivers of relevance to biodiversity, with a focus on stressors that are expected to have rapid and significant impacts and issues where knowledge is lacking. This should include, but not be limited to, modelling potential future species range changes as a result of these stressors; developing knowledge of and identifying tipping points, thresholds and cumulative effects for Arctic biodiversity; and developing robust quantitative indicators for stressors through the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program. | Arctic Biodiversity Assessment: Report for Policy Makers | 2013 | |
| Arctic Biodiversity Assessment (ABA) | Action | 12 | Evaluate the range of services provided by Arctic biodiversity in order to determine the costs associated with biodiversity loss and the value of effective conservation in order to assess change and support improved decision making. 12.1. Prepare a scoping report on the potential for applying the TEEB (The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity) approach to evaluate the benefits people receive from Arctic biodiversity. 12.2. Evaluate ecosystem services. a. Complete the TEEB scoping study. b. Follow-up as appropriate on valuation of ecosystem services. 12.3. Enhance the use of both existing traditional and local knowledge and community-based monitoring approaches in the work of the Arctic Council. | Actions for Arctic Biodiversity, 2013-2021: Implementing the recommendations of the Arctic Biodiversity Assessment | 2015 | |
| Advice | Develop targets to stimulate actions and against which progress can be measured. | Arctic Biodiversity Congress 2014, Co-Chairs Report | 2014 | |||
| Arctic Biodiversity Assessment (ABA) | Action | CHALLENGE Funding is inconsistent, often leaving out the involvement of Arctic Indigenous peoples. POTENTIAL ACTIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES Funding aimed at actively engaging Indigenous peoples and organizations in scientific activities and to improve the understanding and use Traditional Knowledge and Wisdom | Arctic Traditional Knowledge and Wisdom: Changes in the North American Arctic | 2017 | ||
| Arctic Species Trend Index (ASTI) | Key finding | 8 | Due to data limitations, this report is a first step towards developing detailed knowledge of macroecological patterns in Arctic breeding migratory birds. Trends may differ from expert knowledge until data gaps are filled. In addition, we did not examine if abundance change is attributable to factors other than the loss of individuals, e.g., shifts in seasonal ranges. | Arctic Species Trend Index: Migratory Birds Index | 2015 | |
| Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands (RAW) | Key finding | 7 | The extensive scientific, Indigenous, institutional, and local knowledge on Arctic wetlands could inform broad and rapid actions to protect, conserve and restore wetlands if supported by policy. Noting the stewardship and wealth of knowledge of Arctic communities, and existing science, the key obstacles to scaling-up research or case studies are not due to lack of knowledge. Multiple case studies and research projects have demonstrated that protection, conservation, or restoration of degraded Arctic wetlands offers substantial benefits for water-centric ecosystem services, biodiversity, and climate change mitigation. In addition to Indigenous, institutional, and local knowledge of wetlands, there is a considerable and broad scientific knowledge base on wetlands protection, conservation, restoration, and management which dates back many decades. All of this knowledge is crucial for adaptive and holistic management of wetlands. | Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands: Key Findings and Recommendations | 2021 | |
| Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands (RAW) | Recommendation | 10 | Develop and share between Arctic states outreach and communication strategies and tools to explain the values of wetlands, the threats to wetlands and provide examples of wetland restoration success stories. Material for the full Arctic region could be complemented with materials specific to knowledge from different geographic regions, communities, and Indigenous Peoples. | Resilience and Management of Arctic Wetlands: Key Findings and Recommendations | 2021 |
Arctic Council Working Group