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Russia to join declaration of Arctic biological resources

The order was signed by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev

MOSCOW, May 13. /TASS/. The Russian government has reported on Wednesday it instructed the Foreign Ministry to sign the declaration on the prevention of unregulated fishing in the high seas of the Arctic Ocean. The order was signed by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

"Due to the intensive exploitation of living aquatic resources in the World Ocean, one of the priorities is the creation of conditions preventing their uncontrolled fishing," the government said in an explanatory note. "The Arctic remains the region uncovered by international agreements in the sphere of fishing because of the fact that the current ice conditions in the central part of the Arctic Ocean does not allow for any fishing activities."

"However, in the future the conditions may be created for active exploitation of living aquatic resources in these waters because of climate change," the document says. "As a result of negotiations between the concerned departments of the Arctic states (Denmark, Canada, Norway, Russia and the United States) a draft Declaration on the prevention of unregulated fishing in the high seas of the Arctic Ocean was prepared.".