A plan that puts a large area of the Arctic off-limits to commercial fishing goes into effect Dec. 3, federal officials said.
The plan was approved by Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke in August.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Tuesday that the plan establishes an orderly process to consider requests to develop fisheries in the Arctic, and it provides time for science to catch up to changing Arctic conditions, specifically global warming and the loss of sea ice.
"We need a rush of scientists into the Arctic, not an armada of cargo ships, oil platforms and fishing trawlers," said Chris Krenz, Arctic project manager for conservation group Oceana.