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With the prospect of fisheries developing in the Central Arctic Ocean as climate changes and summer sea ice retreats, an effective international agreement is under diplomatic discussion to foster a successful fisheries management regime. This paper explores the implications of the Central Bering Sea experience for a fisheries agreement covering the Central Arctic Ocean. The 1980s and early 1990s witnessed the depletion of pollock resources from overfishing in the Central Bering Sea, a high seas area of the sub-Arctic. With joint efforts from coastal states and distant-water fishing states, the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Pollock Resources in the Central Bering Sea was signed, facilitating the involvement of both groups in the establishment of a management regime and the implementation of management measures. Specifically, the paper considers the role of the precautionary approach, cooperation between coastal states and distant-water fishing states, timely establishment of a Regional Fisheries Management Organization, dynamic fisheries management, and scientific research and investigation. The analysis indicates ways to address challenges and potentially conflicting interests in the Central Arctic Ocean fisheries management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]