HOW CAN CO-MANAGEMENT SUPPORT ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE? THE CASE OF CO-EXISTING FISHERIES FROM PANGNIRTUNG, NUNAVUT, CANADA

Abstract

Coastal fishery systems in the Arctic are undergoing rapid climate change. The chapter aims to (1) examine the ways in which Inuit fishers experience climate change, (2) investigate the co-management and co-management-associated responses that Inuit fishers use to adapt to such change, and (3) assess the characteristics of fisheries co-management that foster adaptation to climate change. The work is based on fieldwork conducted over six years (2016-2022), during which participant observation, semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and surveys were conducted. The community is experiencing climate change in diverse ways, including changes in sea ice, landscape, seascape conditions, fish-related changes, and dynamic weather conditions. Fisheries co-management is a key response to climate change along with country food sharing, use of technology, use of different kinds of knowledge, a fish processing plant that supports fisheries, and food system transformations. Pangnirtung fisheries co-management features key structural and functional characteristics that provide favourable conditions in support of climate adaptation. Three means of co-management that support adaptation are improving food security, fostering social learning, and co-producing knowledge. This study provides insights into how co-management can support climate change adaptation by building resilience that underpins the adaptive capacity of fisheries’ social-ecological systems.