Recommendations

Consumptive use:

1. Ensure that consumptive uses of murres are sustainable.
2. Monitor harvest levels and assess their impacts on populations.
3. Harmonize management and harvest regimes for shared populations.
4. Involve local and Indigenous people in the management of consumptive uses.

Commercial activities and industries:

8. Identify, publicize and minimise impacts of commercial activities on murre breeding and foraging areas.

9. Implement programs to reduce oil pollution in areas used by murres.

10. Assess and reduce mortality of murres in commercial fishing gear.

11. Ensure that management of commercial harvests of small fish species provide for their role in murre diets.

Habitat protection and enhancement

12. Identify important murre colonies and designate them under national and international systems of protected areas.

13. Promote the establishment of marine protected areas in important pelagic habitats for murres.

14. Contribute to the "Important Bird Areas" system to highlight important areas for murres.

15. Explore the establishment of an international network to identify and protect key areas for murres.

16. Ensure that conservation action will benefit populations, by assessing causes of population declines from an ecosystem perspective.

17. Undertake specific restoration activities to assist depressed populations to recover.

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.

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.