PCRC-ArCS Special Sessions on post-ArCS research agenda for Arctic legal and policy studies
at 12th Polar Law Symposium, Hobart, Tasmania, 1-4 December 2019
< http://www.research.kobe-u.ac.jp/gsics-pcrc/sympo/2019-PLS12/PCRC-ArCS-special-session.html>

Fish going North: new routes, new trade, new disease in the Arctic
Alexandra CARLETON
Alexandra CARLETON is a candidate for the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Sydney andformerly a lawyer in Sydney and London working on international aspects of dispute resolution.

ABSTRACTArCS aims to utilize science in the delivery of information to promote appropriate decisions andto foster Japanese presence in international law for the sustainability of the Arctic.1 Identifying aresearch agenda that stems from science, utilises Japan’s space as both an Arctic gateway nation
and a collaborator in the Arctic, puts fish pathogenesis and its relationship to trade and health in
the North an important research agenda. Not only does this build upon Japan’s record in marine
science initiatives but also fills a gap in global collaboration for aquatic medicine, across industry,
local livelihood, underutilised individual skills and conservation.
Marine Arctic species have been and are continuing to be heavily impacted by climatic shift whichis altering the Arctic marine faunal barrier. Global trade in fish is estimated in 2019 as 177.8
million tonnes (FAO) making an understanding of the shifts in disease parameters for this taxa ofhigh significance to continued trade.
Migratory fish stocks pushing the northern boundaries bring in new pathogens to which naïveendemic populations are not exposed including local aquaculture. Warmer waters spells newopportunities for diversifying fish farmed with warmer water species thus placing additionalburdens on wild fish stocks. Arctic research has shown that emerging pathogeneses in the HighNorth, through species translocation and increased human activity, are occurring as warming
temperature increases access to fragile and previously remote areas, altering the species dynamicand testing the resilience of local species. The aim must be to understand pathogenic transmission
through piscine, cetacean or other marine life during a time of shifting disease boundaries.

1The Second International Advisory Board of Arctic Challenge for Sustainability (ArCS), 5. Issue date March 2019,
ArCS secretariat, National institute of Polar Research (NIPR) 10-3, Midoricho, Tachikawa, Tokyo 190-8518, Japan.

Building on Japanese experience in Arctic climate, sea-ice and weather forecast, places theNational Institute of Polar Research in position to expand into water temperature and nutrient
recording. Understanding Arctic biome shifts are an important step to understanding emerging
issues with fish species as the Arctic faunal barrier begins to change. Organisational networks,systems for data aggregation and individuals with relevant skills are needed to build data. Areasof thematic concentration including biodiversity and ecosystems in the Arctic facing change(Theme 6, NIPR) and the Arctic Data Archive System (ADS) (Theme 8, NIPR) provide a solidfoundation. Japanese marine arctic science initiatives in collecting scientific records may also be
applied to aggregating field-based data to understand evolving pathogeneses.
Understanding translocated and emerging pathogeneses in the Arctic is important not simply froma health and disease perspective but also because disease in livelihood products will effect local
Arctic and sub-Arctic peoples. Fish and fisheries comprise a large part of the diet of Arctic andsub-Arctic peoples. Both the local livelihood dimension and the inherent value of our endemic
fauna needs to be remembered in any formulation of law and policy research in the Arctic.
Devising legal mechanisms for monitoring unregulated areas needs to tread softly whilst climate
shift is altering the pathogen-host-environment dynamic.

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