Recommendations

Research and monitoring:

22. Coordinate circumpolar murre population monitoring and store data in standardized databases.

23. Conduct research on population demography at circumpolar monitoring sites.

24. Develop a coordinated circumpolar murre banding program.

25. Monitor murre feeding ecology and food availability.

26. Monitor murre mortality due to oil pollution, commercial fisheries, and hunting.

27. Conduct research to develop techniques to reduce entrapment in fishing nets.

28. Develop management techniques to restore habitats and populations.

29. Consider the effects of global warming and local eutrophication on murre populations.

30. Assess the need to conduct research into the genetics of murre populations.

Collaboration and cooperation:

5. Encourage and assist the development and implementation of national murre conservation plans.

6. Coordinate initiatives among circumpolar countries to address shared murre conservation issues.

7. Ensure the involvement of other jurisdictions and groups necessary to effectively implement this action plan.

Reporting

8. Report annually to CAFF on each nation's progress in implementing this action plan.

9. Meet regularly to revise objectives and actions on the basis of shared information.

Establishment of a system that is acceptable, predictable and measurable for industry, stakeholders and authorities to manage ecological compensation6, taking into account the vulnerability of Arctic nature and the long timeframes and slow pace of renewal associated with cold climates. The process of ecological compensation for unavoidable impacts is based on many assumptions and is inherently uncertain. A primary challenge is predicting with certainty what biodiversity benefits will be gained through the compensatory action (e.g., protection or restoration of another piece of land) and then measuring actual benefits versus predictions. Compensation should be designed and implemented so that the benefits to nature in the compensation area are equal to or higher than the value lost in the affected area. Ideally, that benefit would occur prior to the development action, but practically, that is often not the case.

Government agencies could:

• Facilitate access to land (e.g., assist with agreements to access and ensure long-term protection of compensation sites).
• Develop legal and administrative provisions that allow companies to create compensation areas, ensuring their long-term conservation./li>
• Provide guidelines for monitoring of the effects of the compensation measures carried out and provide data infrastructure to publicly disclose the results to establish a growing knowledge base and create confidence in compensation and trust between the various stakeholders.
• Collaborate with CAFF on developing products described in the “CAFF could” subsection.

Mining industry could:

• Adhere to rigorous scientific standards when designing and implementing compensation measures and present expected results openly and realistically.
• Publicly disclose the design and implementation as well as the monitoring results of compensation actions carried out. This will establish a growing knowledge base and create confidence in compensation and trust between the various stakeholders.
• Collaborate with CAFF on developing products described in the “CAFF could” subsection.

CAFF could:

• Work with mining and other industries and sectors, government agencies and interested stakeholders to evaluate existing and emerging ecological compensation practices and programs and their usefulness in Arctic situations.
• Evaluate systems of measurement and monitoring (e.g., what values should be measured, how should they be measured and when, and how should achieved compensation values such as compensation credits be compared to impacts levels).
• Evaluate existing legislation and guidelines (e.g., what can be done to encourage good ecological compensation practices).
• Consider guidelines and good practices to assist in conserving and increasing biodiversity and ecosystem services through compensation measures.

Address individual and cumulative effects of stressors and drivers of Arctic biodiversity loss.

1.1 Enhance climate change mitigation and adaptation through ecosystem-based approaches and nature-based solutions to minimize the impact of climate change on Arctic biodiversity.

1.2 Contribute to reducing the threats of pollution to Arctic biodiversity.

1.3 Provide scientific knowledge and Indigenous Knowledge to support management actions to enable recovery and conservation of species and ecosystems.

1.4 Support efforts to minimize the threat of invasive alien/non-native species to Arctic biodiversity.

1.5 Contribute to area-based conservation measures including Indigenous-led and managed, protected, or conserved areas, and restoration of degraded Arctic ecosystems.

1.6 Promote appropriate measures to reduce human disturbances.

Promote sustainable use of Arctic biodiversity.

2.1 Enhance science and Indigenous Knowledge and monitoring to support sustainable management of species and ecosystems.

2.2 Contribute to sustainable management of species and ecosystems, using an ecosystem approach.

2.3 Protect and respect the rights of Indigenous Peoples including the rights to use, manage, and conserve their lands and waters.

Advance enabling conditions to support implementation of actions.

3.1 Strengthen opportunities to inform and interact with international and national processes.

3.2 Strengthen Arctic Council and CAFF networks to better address biodiversity conservation and ensure engagement of key partners.

3.3 Mobilize people, funding and infrastructure to support implementation.

3.4 Improve communication on the importance of Arctic biodiversity and sustainable management, including challenges, needs and successes.

3.5 Support the participation of Indigenous Peoples and the Permanent Participants, to enable continued Indigenous-led conservation and management of Arctic biodiversity.

3.6 Support mainstreaming biodiversity, including in sectors driving biodiversity loss and/or of importance in the Arctic.

Establish a monitoring and evaluation framework for implementation of the actions for Arctic biodiversity.

4.1 Develop indicators to monitor implementation of the Actions for Arctic Biodiversity, assess and evaluate effectiveness of implementation, and report in relevant fora.