What the New Global Treaty on Fishing Vessels Means for the Arctic

In 2021, recognizing the importance of the Cape Town Agreement to the Arctic, the Arctic Council Working Group PAME joined the efforts led by the IMO Secretariat to achieve the entry into force criteria. Through a dedicated project, PAME compiled fishing vessel data and raised awareness of the Agreement among Arctic States and Arctic Council Observers.

The Director of the IMO's Maritime Safety Division in 2019, Dr Heike Deggim, and Senior Deputy Director, Jack Westwood-Booth, deserve enormous credit for initiating such a noble drive for the protection of the world's fishers. Without their initiative, this milestone would never have been reached at this juncture, and certainly not for decades. Additionally the IMO and PAME Secretariats deserve enormous credit for fostering such a productive working relationship, IMO having achieved Arctic Council Observer status in 2019.

Recent research shows that some fish species have shifted northward, seeking colder temperatures as the ocean warms. This leads to fishing vessels moving further north to catch the fish in increasingly hazardous environments, running the risk of sea ice encounter. Fishing vessels are also harvesting further away from land, increasing difficulty for rescue services in the case of emergencies.

PAME has found that fishing vessels are the most common vessel type operating in the Arctic, representing 40% of all vessels entering the Polar Code area in 2025. PAME is doing more research on this and will soon publish an Arctic Shipping Status Report that explores more data on fishing vessels in the Arctic. Preliminary results show vessels are also larger and sailing more nautical miles, supporting the research on how fish stock is moving further north, away from more traditional fishing grounds.