Carleton University

Published purpose

This proposed study aims to assess current harvest practices and how they contribute to sharing practices, knowledge about the land, environmental changes, and ultimately food security and knowledge transfer. We, therefore, plan to conduct a 2-year detailed harvest study with a representative sample of occasional, frequent, and intense harvesters from the community. The objective of the harvest study is to gain insights regarding how hunters currently use the land, what species are harvested in different locations throughout the year, what the returns of hunting and fishing effort are, how hunting and fishing activities are linked, and what financial costs and constraints subsistence harvesters face. This study will provide a baseline status for harvest levels, value of local fisheries (such as Arctic char, white fish and lake trout), and increase understanding of the local economy, food security, and access to country food in Gjoa Haven.