ABSTRACT
Renewable resources in the Arctic, particularly fish and wildlife, are the focus of growing conflict. Marine mammals, caribou, seabirds, and other resources provide a wide array of nutritional, socio-cultural, and economic benefits to Arctic peoples. This chapter describes distinctive characteristics of Arctic renewable resources, their importance over time to local economies, and some contemporary conflicts associated with them. It highlights co-management and the use of traditional ecological knowledge as increasingly useful means of conserving Arctic resources and respecting the rights and desires of indigenous peoples. Renewable resources of the Arctic are found in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments. Conflicts over renewable resources have increased dramatically since the advent of colonisation in the Arctic. The traditional diet of all Arctic peoples is based on renewable resources, particularly wild meat and fish. Renewable resources in the Arctic could be affected by global climate change and increased ultraviolet radiation caused by ozone depletion.
