Seasonality of consumption of traditional products of reindeer husbandry and river fishing by indigenous people of the Arctic zone of Western Siberia in the context of climate change

Abstract

Introduction. The nutrition of the Nenets in the Arctic zone of Western Siberia is mainly based on traditional products (raw (thermally unprocessed) local fish and venison), which is the most important factor of survival in the Arctic. Storing up food products for an extended period is not relevant for the Nenets. Climate change and industrial development in the Arctic primarily affect the seasonality of consumption. Changing the calendar of fish and venison harvesting leads to greater use of imported and canned local food, increasing the length of the periods when local food completely disappears from the diet of the Nenets. Material and methods. During the expeditions to the national villages of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, cross-sectional screening studies were performed, in which 985 Nenets people took part. Nutritional analysis was conducted using the questionnaire method based on an album of portions and dishes. Retrospective information was collected on the seasonality of consumption of reindeer products and local fisheries (the length of the period when unserved fish and venison are available). Results. The consumption of reindeer and river fishery products is seasonal. The duration of the season of venison consumption was from 150±14.0 to 180±21.0, and raw fish - from 120±14.0 to 200±21.0 days. Despite the high level of consuming reindeer products per season, the average annual consumption of venison by Nenets in the Arctic zone of Western Siberia was 240 g/day/person that is less than in the central regions of the Russian Federation and industrially developed countries. In the studied area, the average annual consumption of fish (171.5 g/day/person) is three times higher than the average consumption in the Russian Federation. However, increased consumption of traditional food is typically only during the season of fishing or slaughtering reindeer. The average annual consumption reduced; during the off-season, the share of easily digestible carbohydrates in the diet increased. Conclusion. The creation of fish and venison stocks in villages and their year-round sale to the population is a necessary step in ensuring the food security of the Nenets people.