Canada appears poised to sign an international agreement to block commercial fishing in the central Arctic Ocean until more is known about the potential of the resource.
A source close to the negotiations says the deal is to be signed next Thursday in Oslo.
A Fisheries and Oceans spokeswoman confirms Canada plans to attend a meeting in Norway with other Arctic Ocean countries to discuss further measures against unregulated high-seas fishing.
Canada, the United States, Russia, Denmark and Norway agreed last year that some protection was needed for the High Arctic beyond territorial waters.
No commercial fishery exists in the central Arctic, but the water is increasingly ice-free and research suggests fish populations are moving north.
The five countries expected to sign the deal have acknowledged the need to bring the rest of the world on board.
