The Arctic is that part of the globe in which land based plant
husbandry is simply impractical. A modest harvest of caribou and
other ruminants is possible but certainly not expandable. Again
because we are outside a proper growing environment. This can be
partially offset with artificial refugia, but even that calls for
energy inputs.
What is plausible however is an active Arctic fishery although it is
necessary to work with the ice. That can also include fresh water
fisheries such as Arctic char. The recent reduction of summer sea
ice makes this even more plausible.
What is then needed is a locally owned packing operation to process
the catch and store it. It can easily be flown out as packaged
product. We do that already for fisheries in the boreal forest.
There is more than enough resource to sustain the specialized Arctic
population.
ArcticNet will help
improve standard of living in Canada's north
by Staff Writers
Boston MA (SPX) Feb 21, 2013
Northern communities
are in the midst of a period of intense and rapid change brought on
by modernization, industrialization and the realities of climate
change. From preserving the means to hunt caribou to protecting
stocks of arctic char - balancing development with a respect and
preservation of traditional means of sustainability may be key to
improving standards of living in the North.
With the help of the
icebreaker Amundsen, Louis Fortier, Canada Research Chair on the
Response of Arctic Marine Ecosystems to Climate Change and other
members of the ArcticNet team conduct complex assessments of
different Arctic regions, including Nunavik in northern Quebec and
Nunatsiavut in Labrador.
Their findings about
the effects of modernization, industrialization and climate change,
form the basis of a series of recommendations that were recently
published in high-profile impact study on the region.
Arcticnet's
recommendations include improving management of large caribou
herds, expanding monitoring of water quality, protection of berry
production areas, assessing the sustainability of arctic char and
improved weather forecasting in the region.
It is a practical
roadmap that could have a real positive impact. With high rates of
addiction, negative health outcomes and a life expectancy 10 years
lower than the rest of Canada, it is critical that communities in the
north find solutions. Fortier believes that science can help provide
a guide.
"Scientific facts
must inform policy and decision and, for that to happen, scientists
must increasingly team up directly with stakeholders and policy
makers, especially at the community and region levels where
strategies to adapt are acutely needed" said Fortier.
Fortier created
ArcticNet to generate the knowledge to inform policies and strategies
for dealing with the effects of climate change. From the top of the
Arctic Circle to Washington, D.C., and beyond, the discoveries
Fortier and ArcticNet are making point the way for nations not only
to anticipate but manage the changes affecting northern regions.
A full version of the
impact report is available upon request.
Louis Fortier will be
speaking as part of the Canada press breakfast event at the American
Association for the Advancement of Science annual meetings in Boston.
Members of the media can attend his session Sunday, February 17 at
7:45 am in room 200 at the Hynes Convention Centre
No comments:
Post a Comment