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In addition to the case studies, various stakeholders have contributed with their perspectives on how conservation of biodiversity within the Arctic can be achieved. Although the views offered in this report cannot cover the myriad of stakeholders in the Arctic, each offers a different perspective.

With climate change recognised as one of the most significant threats to biodiversity, Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), outlines the initiatives within the framework of CBD for addressing biodiversity loss in the Arctic and its associated impacts for Indigenous communities. Focussing on the need for more co- ordinated research on Arctic biodiversity, Tom Barry, Executive Secretary for the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) working group of the Arctic Council, discusses the organization’s

efforts and programmes in this direction. Violet Ford, a prominent Canadian Inuit who has represented Inuit interests in international forums for many years, discusses the importance of seal hunting for Inuit, and of the impact the EU ban on seal imports has had on Inuit communities. Mikhail Pogodaev, Chair of the Association of World Reindeer Herders, talks about the wealth of traditional knowledge held by reindeer herders of the north, and how this should be rightfully acknowledged for sustainable development and the conservation of biodiversity in the Arctic. Finally, Hannes Manninen, a Finnish Member of Parliament and current Chair of the Standing Committee of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region (SCPAR), offers a Parliamentarian’s perspective on changes occurring in the Arctic, what this means for northern residents, and the steps that need to be taken to meet current and future challenges.

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