U.S. and Canada to Form Task Force for Beaufort Sea Negotiations

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States and Canada announced on Tuesday the creation of a task force this autumn to discuss the maritime boundary in the Beaufort Sea and address overlaps along the continental shelf.

The group aims to achieve a final agreement regarding the border region located north of Alaska and the Canadian provinces of Yukon and Northwest Territories.

These negotiations arise amidst increased cooperation between Russia and China in the Arctic Sea, as both nations seek mineral resources and new shipping routes revealed by melting ice due to rising temperatures.

The long-standing dispute over the Beaufort Sea maritime border involves a contentious area off the coast of Yukon and Alaska, which is ecologically sensitive and hosts various oil and gas deposits.

The root of the boundary disagreement lies in the 1825 Anglo-Russian treaty, passed down to the U.S. in 1867 and to Canada in 1880. This treaty is interpreted differently by both nations.

Last year, the U.S. government revealed plans to make nearly 3 million acres in the area “indefinitely off limits” for oil and gas leasing. This move was part of President Joe Biden’s efforts to balance the decarbonization of the U.S. economy with the preservation of pristine wilderness, building upon an Obama-era ban that effectively restricted oil exploration in U.S. Arctic waters.