The Journey to PICESScientific Cooperation in the North Pacific Sara Tjossem North Pacific Marine Science Organization Published by Alaska Sea Grant College Program University of Alaska Fairbanks AK-SG-05-04 Elmer E. Rasmuson Library Cataloging-In-Publication Data Tjossem, Sara. The journey to PICES : scientific cooperation in the North Pacific / By Sara Tjossem. – Fairbanks, Alaska : Alaska Sea Grant College Program, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2005. 206 p. : ill. ; 23 cm. – (Alaska Sea Grant College Program, University of Alaska Fairbanks ; AK- SG-05-04) Includes bibliographical references. 1. North Pacific Marine Science Organization—History. 2. North Pacific Marine Science Organiza- tion—Research—North Pacific Region. 3. Marine science—Research—North Pacific Region. I. Ti- tle. II. Tjossem, Sara. III. Series: Alaska Sea Grant College Program, University of Alaska Fairbanks ; AK-SG-05-04. GC29.2.P16 T56 2005 ISBN 1-56612-099-3 CREDITS This book is the result of a joint effort by the North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES), and the Alaska Sea Grant College Program. Views expressed in this book are those of the author and her sources. PICES is an intergovernmental scientific organization established in 1992. PICES member-countries are Canada, Japan, the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, and the United States of America. The purposes of PICES are (1) to promote and coordinate marine scientific research in the northern North Pacific and adjacent marginal seas, particularly northward from 30° north; (2) to advance scientific knowledge about the ocean environment, global weather and climate change, living resources and their ecosystems, and the impact of human activities on them; and (3) to promote the collection and rapid exchange of scientific information on these issues. PICES Secretariat is in Sidney, B.C., Canada, [email protected], http://www.pices.int. Sea Grant is a unique partnership with public and private sectors combining research, education, and technology transfer for public service. This national network of universities meets changing environ- mental and economic needs of people in our coastal, ocean, and Great Lakes regions. Alaska Sea Grant is cooperatively supported by the U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA National Sea Grant Office, under grant no. NA16RG2321, project A/161-01; and by the University of Alaska with state funds. The University of Alaska is an affirmative action/equal opportunity institution. Copyediting is by Sue Keller, book design and layout are by Jen Gunderson, and cover design is by Dave Partee, all of Alaska Sea Grant College Program. Index is by Nanette Cardon, IRIS, Anacortes, Washington. Cover photo of Bering Sea © 2004 Dan Parrett/AlaskaStock.com. Alaska Sea Grant College Program University of Alaska Fairbanks P.O. Box 755040 Fairbanks, Alaska 99775-5040 Toll free (888) 789-0090 Alaska (907) 474-6707 Fax (907) 474-6285 http://www.alaskaseagrant.org Contents PREFACE VII ABOUT THE AUTHOR IX AcKNOWLEDGMENTS XI INTRODUCTION: BOUNDING A LIMITLESS OcEAN 1 Increasing International Cooperation in Marine Affairs 5 Integrating Ocean Research in Marine Affairs 9 Early Marine Science Cooperation in the Northeast Atlantic 10 CHAPTER 1: DOES THE NORTH PACIFIC NEED A NEW ScIENCE COMMUNITY? 13 Figure 1. Map of the North Pacific Ocean 14 Constraining the Freedom of the Seas 15 International Fisheries Treaties 16 iii The INPFC and the Principle of Abstention 17 Negotiating a Unified Law of the Sea 18 The Spark in Vancouver 18 Restructuring Cooperation in Response to Extended Jurisdiction 21 The Rationale for a New Organization 24 ICES as a Template for PICES 32 Building Support across Nations and Disciplines, 1979 34 Amending the INPFC 37 Articulating a Fisheries Justification for PICES, 1981 38 Reinvigorated Planning for PICES at Anchorage 42 Figure 2. PICES logo 47 A Major Step Forward: The 1987 Intergovernmental Meetings 47 Sea Change: Japan Reconsiders 54 Moving Forward to the Plenary Session, 1990 55 Figure 3. International Delegates Who Initialed the Final Report Endorsing the PICES Convention 57 CHAPTER 2: THE CHALLENGE OF BRIDGING FISHERIES AND MARINE ScIENCE 59 The First Scientific Workshop 59 Table 1. Programs during 1992 Complementary with PICES 61 PICES Administrative and Scientific Structure 63 Figure 4. Organization Chart for PICES 64 Table 2. Chronology and Subject of PICES Working Groups 66 Table 3. List of PICES Annual Meetings and Locations 67 Different Expectations for a Marine Science Organization 69 Fishery Tensions Generate Science 69 Relying on Longstanding Intellectual Ties 75 Strategies to Generate Information and Advice 76 Bridging Fisheries and Oceanography Training 78 Scientific Research under the Law of the Sea 80 The Consequences of a Renegotiated INPFC 81 Japan’s Sudden Approval 84 CHAPTER 3: THE FIRST PICES DECADE OF COOPERATION 87 First Annual Meeting, Victoria, Canada 87 Recurrent Issues for the Organization 90 Table 4. Cumulative Publications of PICES 1992–2004 91 Disciplinary versus Problem-Oriented Questions 94 iv The Importance of Timely Exchange of Data 95 Overcoming Fiscal Challenges 96 Improving Communication within and between Meetings 98 Widening Country Membership 101 Relating to the New NPAFC 105 Figure 5. Number of Participating Scientists at PICES Meetings 1992–2004 105 “PICES Is Not PISCES!” Advising on Scientific Matters, Including Fish 108 The PICES-GLOBEC “Four Cs” Program 112 Increased Interactions with NPAFC 115 A New Integrating Project: Ecosystem Status Reports 116 International Year of the Ocean 118 10th Annual Meeting, Victoria, Canada (2001) 118 CHAPTER 4: EpILOGUE 121 PICES Internal Review 125 Conclusion 129 ENDNOTES 133 BIBLIOGRAPHY 163 AcRONYMS 171 INDEX 175 v Preface This book presents an in-depth look at the activities leading to the adoption and implementation of the North Pacific Marine Science Organization, now a vibrant six-nation international governmental marine organization. It was not an easy birth. On the face of it, it seems obvious that such an organization was needed, and, in ret- rospect, it is hard to understand why the process took so long, and why it faced substantial impediments. There existed no prior inter- national organizations to fill the role of coordinating research and synthesizing knowledge for the region. The North Pacific Ocean is a huge body of water, but many species, commercial and non- commercial, are shared. The only way for the Pacific Rim nations to gain a reasonable level of knowledge about the area is through cooperative research among the nations surrounding the ocean. PICES has steered away from issues of fisheries management, but rather seeks to provide the broad scientific basis for management urgently needed by the member nations. Yet the organization took two decades to come to fruition. vii viii The Journey to PICES: Scientific Cooperation in the North Pacific The reasons for this lengthy incubation become obvious to the reader, through the author’s masterful tracing of the events. It took aggressive pro- motion, incredible patience, and dogged perseverance; these eventually led to success. The recruitment by the University of Washington of Dr. Warren Wooster for the task of pursuing the organization was the primary factor in assuring its ultimate creation. His knowledge, canniness, and experience with international marine affairs and organizations served the process well. Once the planning was under way, many people in many countries played important leadership roles as well. This book will fulfill several purposes. It is a seminal contribution to the history of international marine scientific organizations. For PICES itself, it will serve as a permanent historical record, not just of the steps leading up to its adoption, but also of the critical first ten years of its existence. It is appropriate that the Alaska Sea Grant College Program has been selected to publish this volume. Alaska Sea Grant sponsored a pivotal meet- ing in Anchorage (1986), bringing Chinese participants to the table for the first time, and subsequently put a great deal of effort into promoting the organization. Financial support for both the writing of the book and its publication was provided by the National Science Foundation, Ocean Sciences Division. Although not explicitly mentioned in the text, NSF has played a supportive role in several ways during the past two decades. Today, the North Pacific Marine Science Organization is a vibrant entity, developing new programs, and contributing to marine science in substan- tial ways. The Ecosystem Status report, planned as a periodic report, has been initiated with the release of the first issue. Relationships with other international organizations have expanded, and collaborations have been developed. This book leads the reader to the time when the structure and organization has solidified and the activities expanded. PICES has proved itself, and has now come of age. Vera Alexander Chairman, North Pacific Marine Science Organization About the Author Sara Tjossem is trained both as a scientist and historian of science, with research interests in the history of the biological sciences, es- pecially ecology, marine science, and agriculture. She is intrigued by the intersection of science and society, particularly through the development of scientific cooperation and environmental move- ments. She has taught at the University of Washington and the University of Minnesota, and is currently Lecturer and Researcher in