Traditional knowledge of Arctic Indigenous Peoples and the establishment of area-based management tools beyond national jurisdiction

Abstract

Traditional knowledge of Arctic Indigenous Peoples plays an important role in Arctic marine environment protection. The BBNJ Agreement presents a significant opportunity for international law to more fully acknowledge the role of traditional knowledge and its custodians in ocean governance and marine ecosystem management. It also provides legal framework for establishing area-based management tools (ABMTs) beyond national jurisdiction. This paper aims to explore the role and significance of traditional knowledge of Arctic Indigenous Peoples in the establishment of ABMTs beyond national jurisdiction. It is concluded that three distinct approaches can be adopted to facilitate the integration of traditional knowledge from Arctic Indigenous Peoples into ABMTs in the Arctic marine region. These include leveraging Indigenous Peoples’ traditional knowledge to aid States in identifying areas and crafting proposals, engaging through regional organizational mechanisms like the Arctic Council, and participating via the BBNJ Agreement’s mechanisms.