Evaluating the Effects of Climate Change on Indigenous Marine Mammal Hunting in Northern and Western Alaska Using Traditional Knowledge
Iñupiaq, Yup'ik, and Cup'ik hunters in 14 Alaska Native communities described a rapidly changing marine environment in qualitative traditional knowledge interviews conducted over the course of a decade with 110 individuals. Based on their observations, sea ice conditions are the most notab...
Published in: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2017
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2017.00319 https://doaj.org/article/586b5c5125214b8f94f62aba56130fa5 |
id |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:586b5c5125214b8f94f62aba56130fa5 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:586b5c5125214b8f94f62aba56130fa5 2023-05-15T15:16:26+02:00 Evaluating the Effects of Climate Change on Indigenous Marine Mammal Hunting in Northern and Western Alaska Using Traditional Knowledge Henry P. Huntington Lori T. Quakenbush Mark Nelson 2017-09-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2017.00319 https://doaj.org/article/586b5c5125214b8f94f62aba56130fa5 EN eng Frontiers Media S.A. http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2017.00319/full https://doaj.org/toc/2296-7745 2296-7745 doi:10.3389/fmars.2017.00319 https://doaj.org/article/586b5c5125214b8f94f62aba56130fa5 Frontiers in Marine Science, Vol 4 (2017) climate change sea ice marine mammals alaska natives traditional knowledge arctic Science Q General. Including nature conservation geographical distribution QH1-199.5 article 2017 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2017.00319 2022-12-31T06:00:24Z Iñupiaq, Yup'ik, and Cup'ik hunters in 14 Alaska Native communities described a rapidly changing marine environment in qualitative traditional knowledge interviews conducted over the course of a decade with 110 individuals. Based on their observations, sea ice conditions are the most notable change, with later freeze-up, thinner and less reliable ice, and earlier and more rapid break-up. Marine mammal populations in northern and western Alaska have been affected by changes in the physical environment, with alterations to migratory timing and routes, distribution, abundance, health, and behavior. Despite these changes, marine mammal populations in the region remain generally healthy and abundant. For hunters, access is the biggest challenge posed by changing conditions. Sea ice is less safe for travel, particularly for more southerly communities, making hunting more dangerous or impossible. Rapid break-up has reduced the time available for hunting amid broken ice in spring, formerly a dependable and preferred season. Social change also affects the ways in which hunting patterns change. Increased industrial development, for example, can also alter marine mammal distribution and reduce hunting opportunity. Reduced use of animal skins for clothing and other purposes has reduced demand. More powerful and reliable engines make day trips easier, reducing the time spent camping. An essential component of adjustment and adaptation to changing conditions is the retention of traditional values and the acquisition of new information to supplement traditional knowledge. Our findings are consistent with, and add detail to, what is known from previous traditional knowledge and scientific studies. The ways in which hunters gather new information and incorporate it into their existing understanding of the marine environment deserves further attention, both as a means of monitoring change and as a key aspect of adaptation. While the changes to date have been largely manageable, future prospects are unclear, as the effects of ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Climate change Sea ice Yup'ik Alaska Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Frontiers in Marine Science 4 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
climate change sea ice marine mammals alaska natives traditional knowledge arctic Science Q General. Including nature conservation geographical distribution QH1-199.5 |
spellingShingle |
climate change sea ice marine mammals alaska natives traditional knowledge arctic Science Q General. Including nature conservation geographical distribution QH1-199.5 Henry P. Huntington Lori T. Quakenbush Mark Nelson Evaluating the Effects of Climate Change on Indigenous Marine Mammal Hunting in Northern and Western Alaska Using Traditional Knowledge |
topic_facet |
climate change sea ice marine mammals alaska natives traditional knowledge arctic Science Q General. Including nature conservation geographical distribution QH1-199.5 |
description |
Iñupiaq, Yup'ik, and Cup'ik hunters in 14 Alaska Native communities described a rapidly changing marine environment in qualitative traditional knowledge interviews conducted over the course of a decade with 110 individuals. Based on their observations, sea ice conditions are the most notable change, with later freeze-up, thinner and less reliable ice, and earlier and more rapid break-up. Marine mammal populations in northern and western Alaska have been affected by changes in the physical environment, with alterations to migratory timing and routes, distribution, abundance, health, and behavior. Despite these changes, marine mammal populations in the region remain generally healthy and abundant. For hunters, access is the biggest challenge posed by changing conditions. Sea ice is less safe for travel, particularly for more southerly communities, making hunting more dangerous or impossible. Rapid break-up has reduced the time available for hunting amid broken ice in spring, formerly a dependable and preferred season. Social change also affects the ways in which hunting patterns change. Increased industrial development, for example, can also alter marine mammal distribution and reduce hunting opportunity. Reduced use of animal skins for clothing and other purposes has reduced demand. More powerful and reliable engines make day trips easier, reducing the time spent camping. An essential component of adjustment and adaptation to changing conditions is the retention of traditional values and the acquisition of new information to supplement traditional knowledge. Our findings are consistent with, and add detail to, what is known from previous traditional knowledge and scientific studies. The ways in which hunters gather new information and incorporate it into their existing understanding of the marine environment deserves further attention, both as a means of monitoring change and as a key aspect of adaptation. While the changes to date have been largely manageable, future prospects are unclear, as the effects of ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Henry P. Huntington Lori T. Quakenbush Mark Nelson |
author_facet |
Henry P. Huntington Lori T. Quakenbush Mark Nelson |
author_sort |
Henry P. Huntington |
title |
Evaluating the Effects of Climate Change on Indigenous Marine Mammal Hunting in Northern and Western Alaska Using Traditional Knowledge |
title_short |
Evaluating the Effects of Climate Change on Indigenous Marine Mammal Hunting in Northern and Western Alaska Using Traditional Knowledge |
title_full |
Evaluating the Effects of Climate Change on Indigenous Marine Mammal Hunting in Northern and Western Alaska Using Traditional Knowledge |
title_fullStr |
Evaluating the Effects of Climate Change on Indigenous Marine Mammal Hunting in Northern and Western Alaska Using Traditional Knowledge |
title_full_unstemmed |
Evaluating the Effects of Climate Change on Indigenous Marine Mammal Hunting in Northern and Western Alaska Using Traditional Knowledge |
title_sort |
evaluating the effects of climate change on indigenous marine mammal hunting in northern and western alaska using traditional knowledge |
publisher |
Frontiers Media S.A. |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2017.00319 https://doaj.org/article/586b5c5125214b8f94f62aba56130fa5 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic Climate change Sea ice Yup'ik Alaska |
genre_facet |
Arctic Climate change Sea ice Yup'ik Alaska |
op_source |
Frontiers in Marine Science, Vol 4 (2017) |
op_relation |
http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2017.00319/full https://doaj.org/toc/2296-7745 2296-7745 doi:10.3389/fmars.2017.00319 https://doaj.org/article/586b5c5125214b8f94f62aba56130fa5 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2017.00319 |
container_title |
Frontiers in Marine Science |
container_volume |
4 |
_version_ |
1766346732692570112 |