While the current framework of international law of the sea and ocean governance is crucial in offering mechanisms and procedures for sovereign Arctic states to oversee their marine living resources on a broader scale, the predominant mode of governance for Arctic maritime activities lies under unilateral management schemes employed by each of the five Arctic littoral states.

In light of ongoing changes in the Arctic Ocean’s socio-ecological systems, the concept of the blue economy becomes of paramount importance for Arctic states, and, disregarding the lack of a developed definition consistently understood across the Arctic, the blue economy has managed to inform sustainable fisheries and aquaculture governance models across different states.

The foundation of blue economy governance revolves around integrating ocean values and services into economic modeling and governance, a goal frequently envisioned among Arctic nations.

This chapter seeks to present a comparative analysis of the current state of environmental governance in fisheries and aquaculture/mariculture in Alaska and Northern Norway, addressing existing environmental challenges and opportunities for the two regions, as well as potentials for cross-sectoral synergies toward a common understanding of Arctic blue economy governance.