Linking local knowledge and fisheries science : the case with humpback whitefish (Coregonus pidschian) in Interior Alaska
Dates
Year
2005
Citation
Robinson, Melissa, 2005, Linking local knowledge and fisheries science : the case with humpback whitefish (Coregonus pidschian) in Interior Alaska: University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Summary
Contents: Introduction -- The Northway Whitefish Project -- Theoretical approach -- Thesis structure -- Background and methods -- Gender, knowledge, and environmental change related to humpback whitefish (Coregonus pidschian) in Interior Alaska -- Time, expertise, and more time : four heuristics for developing trust between researchers and residents in participatory studies of subsistence resources -- Generating knowledge and questions about humpback whitefish (Coregonus pidschian) in Interior Alaska though connecting local and scientific experts -- Synthesis and discussion -- References -- Appendix 1. Northway guide to researchers -- Appendix 2. Interview guides used during this study -- Appendix 3. Release forms for Northway residents [...]
Summary
Contents: Introduction -- The Northway Whitefish Project -- Theoretical approach -- Thesis structure -- Background and methods -- Gender, knowledge, and environmental change related to humpback whitefish (Coregonus pidschian) in Interior Alaska -- Time, expertise, and more time : four heuristics for developing trust between researchers and residents in participatory studies of subsistence resources -- Generating knowledge and questions about humpback whitefish (Coregonus pidschian) in Interior Alaska though connecting local and scientific experts -- Synthesis and discussion -- References -- Appendix 1. Northway guide to researchers -- Appendix 2. Interview guides used during this study -- Appendix 3. Release forms for Northway residents and fisheries biologists -- Appendix 4. Upper Tanana Athabascan terms provided by Northway residents. Summary: "Humpback whitefish (Coregonus pidschian) are the main subsistence fish for the residents of the Athabascan village of Northway. Local residents' concerns over whitefish and gaps in knowledge in the scientific community about whitefish basic ecology provided a basis for collaboration between fisheries scientists, social scientists, and Northway Village. Through semi-directed interviews and participant observation, I documented and linked local and scientific knowledge about whitefish. Trust, formed in part by my engagement with the community, was essential to meaningful collaboration between local and scientific experts. Through collaboration, insights emerged about the long-distance migrations of whitefish (up to 230 km), their small-scale use of creek channels, annual site fidelity, and repeated long-term use of seasonal habitats. Partially due to gendered fishing roles, women and men differed in their knowledge about whitefish. Women observed seasonal and annual variation in the prevalence of parasite-infected whitefish, while both men and women observed increased sedimentation in area lakes. Questions surfaced about the behavioral response of whitefish to increasing water temperatures and the effects of siltation on their health. I argue that the fusion of local and scientific knowledge, gained through collaboration, enhanced the information required to make management decisions regarding whitefish in the Upper Tanana drainage and the resilience of this social-ecological system"
