NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region

Tags: climate change, traditional knowledge, wildlife, polar bear

Objective(s): To develop a description of acceptable management practices and management goals for polar bears.

Project Description: Local and traditional knowledge will be collected related to the population status of polar bears, and the influence that climate change has had on polar bears and their habitat in the Beaufort Sea. The information from interviews will be used to develop a description of acceptable management practices and management goals for polar bears and compare this information to science-based information to identify similarities and differences in management approaches. The management approach will be developed for polar bears in the Beaufort Sea. Knowledgeable individuals in each community will be interviewed to specifically obtain information regarding polar bears. Residents of each community will conduct or assist with conducting interviews. Youth from each community will accompany interviewers. This will help facilitate intergenerational transfer of knowledge as well as provide capacity building opportunities in communities. Interview training will be offered to all youth and community interviewers. Names of individuals that harvest polar bears will be obtained from the harvest database maintained by GNWT. This list will be used as a starting point for potential interviewees. Interviewees will also be selected by HTCs in Aklavik, Inuvik, Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour, Ulukhaktok, and Tuktoyaktuk. Individuals who are interviewed will then be asked to suggest three other individuals to interview. Individuals most commonly suggested will be interviewed. Interviewing individuals in 6 communities will provide a regional perspective on the ecology and status of the Beaufort polar bear population. Some interview work has been conducted on the Alaska side of the Beaufort Sea population. The research team will work with managers in Alaska to incorporate the information acquired during that local and traditional knowledge assessment. Residents of each community will conduct or assist with conducting interviews. Youth from each community will accompany interviewers. This will help facilitate intergenerational transfer of knowledge as well as provide capacity building opportunities. Interview training will be offered to all youth and community interviewers. The researchers wish to conduct a workshop to communicate results of the project. A report will be produced to be distributed in the communities. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from April 6, 2011 to December 31, 2011.