Sea Warming Leads to Ban on Fishing in the Arctic

The United State and the four other nations that border the Arctic Ocean pledged on Thursday to prohibit commercial fishing in the international waters of the Arctic until more scientific research could be done on how warming seas and melting ice are affecting fish stocks.

Along with Canada, Greenland, Norway and Russia, the United States has authorized their vessels to conduct any future commercial fishing in this area only once one or more international mechanisms are in place to manage any such fishing in accordance with recognized international standards. The countries also intend to establish a joint program of scientific research with the aim of improving understanding of the ecosystems of this area. The agreement comes on the heels of an annual report on Earth’s climate that indicated ocean surface temperatures were the warmest in 135 years of records, with the seas holding record levels of heat energy down to 2,300 feet below the surface.