News Item
2008-11-24
Changing ice patterns increase risks for northern hunters
NOVEMBER 2008 – Sea ice is changing and so too are the hazards for Arctic residents who hunt on ice or use it for transport.
A study by University of McGill geographer James Ford and a group of scientists provides new insight into the way changing ice patterns and new technologies are increasing the hazards associated with ice use in a paper published in the November issue of the American journal Arctic, Antarctic and Alpine Research (AAAR).
“Climate conditions, along with other factors such as gas prices and mining development, are definitely stressing the ability of residents to get country foods,” says Ford.
Ford and his colleagues conducted interviews with Inuit residents in three Arctic communities – Churchill in Manitoba, Igloolik in Nunavut and Ulukhaktok in NWT. In all communities ice is freezing later and breaking up earlier. In addition, unstable weather patterns are contributing to non-uniform ice. Some sections might be thick enough to support a skidoo while other areas are dangerously thin.
This means hunters either stay home or travel in hazardous conditions. Over the last few years, incidents have been documented where snowmobiles, and in one instance a truck, have fallen through the ice. Hunters have become stranded or, worse, have died.
New technologies are also contributing to increased risk. Snowmobiles are heavier than dogsleds and, unlike dogs, snowmobiles do not warn their handlers when ice is dangerously thin. New technologies, such as satellite phones, high frequency radios and GPS systems, do improve safety. But they also leave hunters feeling more secure and willing to take increased risks such as traveling without adequate supplies or warm clothing. This is particularly true of the younger generation.
While changing ice patterns are similar in Churchill, Igloolik and Ulukhaktok, the impacts on each community are different. In Churchill, for instance, where more people participate in the wage economy the lack of access to ice is less important than in Igloolik, where 21% of the population gets more than half its food from hunting.
“Down south hunting is often a hobby. Up here, it’s much different. Country food is cheaper and when people can’t hunt, going to the store is not always an option,” says Ford.
Another change Ford sees is that scarcity is prompting hunters to sell country food to other community members. “This is very recent as country food would always be shared,” says Ford.
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AAAR staff also produce the INSTAAR Occasional Paper series, which is a miscellaneous collection of reports and papers on research performed by INSTAAR personnel and their associates.