Incorporating Traditional Ecological Knowledge into Science under the Law of the Sea via the Arctic Ocean Governance

Abstract

As indicated in Goal 14 of the Sustainable Development Goals, the international community tackles marine biodiversity and ecosystem conservation. However, the information on such biodiversity and ecosystems is limited compared to terrestrial conservation. Therefore, global ocean governance needs to acquire such knowledge and situate this knowledge into the decision-making process. In more recent contexts, the scientific approach is gaining acceptance. Meanwhile, the international movement towards human rights protection has gained strength and respect for diversity has also been confirmed. In this tendency, it is natural that the international community seeks to incorporate the ecological knowledge derived from the experience of various actors, so-called Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), into the global ocean governance. This tendency is quite strong in the Arctic, where scientific evidence has not accumulated, and many people live with TEK. Therefore, the framework to harmonise science with TEK in the Arctic Ocean is a worthy model for the rest of waters in the globe. For this purpose, the paper examined three agreements: the Agreement on Enhancing International Arctic Scientific Co-operation (Science Agreement), the Agreement to Prevent Unregulated High Seas Fisheries in the Central Arctic Ocean (CAOFA), and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, a universal treaty.