Inuvialuit Knowledge of Pacific Salmon Range Expansion in the Western Canadian Arctic

Abstract

Rapid climate change is altering Arctic ecosystems and significantly affecting the livelihoods and cultural traditions of Arctic Indigenous peoples. In the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (ISR), an increase in the harvest of Pacific salmon indicates largescale changes influencing Inuvialuit fisheries. In this project we recorded and synthesized Inuvialuit knowledge of Pacific salmon. We conducted 54 interviews with Inuvialuit fishers about the history of Pacific salmon harvest, how it has changed in recent decades, and concurrent changes to local environments and fish species. Our interviews show that historic, incidental salmon harvest in the ISR ranged from infrequent to common among western communities, but was rare or unprecedented among eastern communities. Participants in all six communities reported a recent increase in salmon harvest and attributed this shift to regional environmental change. Fishers were concerned that salmon would negatively affect their cultural traditions and preferred fish species. Given uncertainty about the effects of salmon on local fisheries, research on salmon diets in the Arctic, their subsidies to Arctic freshwater systems, and the likelihood of their establishment is vital.