International efforts to bring social, environmental and ecological science and management advice to natural resource managers are in the realm of the Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment (PAME) working group of the Arctic Council. The Arctic Council is comprised of the eight Arctic nations, six organizations representing Arctic indigenous peoples, non-Arctic States, Intergovernmental organizations and Non-Governmental Organizations. PAME is the focal point of the Arctic Council’s activities related to the protection and sustainable use of the Arctic marine environment and provides a unique forum for collaboration on a wide range of activities in this regard.
The Ecosystem Approach is an overarching principle adopted by the Arctic Council for protection and sustainable use of the Arctic marine environment. This approach is very similar to the Integrated Ecosystem Assessment and NOAA scientists are a part of the Arctic Council. To learn more about how the IEA is informing the Arctic Council go here.
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Other groups within the Arctic Council that are using the Ecosystem Approach are:
Arctic Council Working Group Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF)
CAFF Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program
State of the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Report (SAMBR)
Arctic Council Working Group Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program (AMAP)
ICES/PICES/PAME Working Group on Integrated Ecosystem Assessment (IEA) for the Central Arctic (WGICA)
Another group using an Ecosystem Approach in the Arctic is:
Scientific Experts on Fish Stocks in the Central Arctic Ocean (FiSCAO)