 Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna
Outline
Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF)
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Component of the Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy (AEPS)
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Adopted by ministerial declaration in 1991 in Rovaniemi, Finland by the eight Arctic
countries (Canada, Finland, Greenland [Denmark], Iceland, Norway, Russia,
Sweden, and the United States).
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Represents a distinct forum of scientists, resource managers, indigenous peoples,
and conservationists sharing information on Arctic species and habitats.
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Goals --
protecting Arctic environments from identified threats and seeking the
development of more effective laws and conservation practices in close
coordination with indigenous peoples in the Arctic.
Country Representatives of CAFF
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Canada: Douglas Pollock, Environment Canada
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Finland: Esko Jaakkola, Ministry of the Environment
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Greenland: Peter Nielson, Greenland Homerule Government
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Iceland: Aevar Peterson, Icelandic Museum of Natural History
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Norway: Pal Prestrud, Ministry of Environment
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Russia: Amirkhan Amirkhanov, Russian Federation of Protected and
Natural Resources
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Sweden: Rune Frisen, Swedish Environmental Protection
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United States: David Allen, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Work Plan for 1993 - 1994
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Habitat Conservation
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Indigenous Peoples and their Knowledge
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Flora Conservation
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Fauna Conservation
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CAFF Relationships within Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy (AEPS)
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Investigations into Threats to Flora, Fauna, and Habitats
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Circumpolar Data Base and Information System
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CAFF Organizational and Operating Framework
Recommendations for Future Actions By CAFF
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Establish linkages to the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity and other
appropriate international fora with Arctic components.
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Assess management strategies in circumpolar protected areas with the aim of
identifying successful management practices and procedures.
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Develop strategies for conservation of Arctic flora, fauna and habitats that do not
rely strictly on establishing and maintaining protected areas.
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Include the Arctic marine environments in the identification of habitats important to
maintaining diversity and conservation of Arctic flora and fauna.
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Explore and develop innovative management agreements/mechanisms for the
conservation and sustainable use of Arctic flora and fauna involving indigenous
peoples and appropriate governments.
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Develop appropriate means or mechanisms to ensure the effective participation of
indigenous peoples' groups to gather and contribute information on traditional
uses and values of Arctic flora and fauna and to nominate species for special
concern, where appropriate.
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Examine current international agreements relating to Arctic flora and fauna to see
where they can be strengthened and, if necessary, to make recommendations for
their improvements.
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Develop strategies for funding CAFF initiatives.
Habitat Conservation
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Initial focus on protected areas
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Publication - The State of Habitat Protection in the Arctic prepared by Directorate
for Nature Management Norway with support by GRID Arendal
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Future work:
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Habitat conservation outside of protected areas
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Threats to Arctic ecosystems
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Strategies for species conservation and sustainable use that do not relay
exclusively on protected areas
Flora Conservation
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Evaluate the proposed geographic region of concentration as delineated on the
map by Yurtsev, et al (1978) for each national region of the Arctic.
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Examine the vascular plant list of rare vulnerable and endangered plants in both a
geographical context and in the criteria for listing rare plants.
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Compilation of literature and maps regarding vegetation mapping.
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Establish contacts with representatives of ongoing international initiatives:
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Circumpolar Arctic Tundra Vegetation Classification and Mapping Project A
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Pan-Arctic Flora including data base standards and checklists of all Arctic
plants and experts in matters of nomenclature, taxonomy, and floristics.
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International Tundra Experiment (ITEX): a source for information on plants
suitable for monitoring under both AMAP and CAFF in the interests of
habitat protection.
Circumpolar Data Base and Information System
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To facilitate and support international scientific cooperation and exchange of
biological information important to the conservation of Arctic ecosystems.
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Initial action:
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Develop for Alaska a prototype for a circumpolar data base
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Support international activity to produce a standardize vegetation map of the
circumpolar regions of the Arctic.
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Establish a computer-based information systems working group representing
all Arctic countries.
Indigenous Peoples and Their Knowledge
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Circumpolar indigenous people's ecological and environmental knowledge mapping
project led by U.S. and Canada with the Inuit Circumpolar Conference (ICC)
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Pilot project to focus on traditional knowledge of beluga whales in the Beaufort,
Chukchi and Northern Bearing Seas.
Ethical Principals for Arctic Research
Fauna Conservation
Ethical Principals for Arctic Research
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