Abstract
Large herds of caribou (Rangifer tarandus) in Canada, Alaska, and Russia that winter in northern coniferous forests and summer in tundra of the Arctic have provided a sustainable source of meat and other products for indigenous peoples for thousands of years. Several different administrative structures for management of large caribou herds have emerged throughout the circumpolar North. In Russia under the previous Soviet government, the herd of the Taimyr Region, numbering around 500 000 caribou, was managed under a harvest quota system for both subsistence use by indigenous people and commercial sale of meat and skins. In North America, as indigenous peoples have gained increasing political empowerment, systems for caribou management have been undergoing change. Establishment of the Beverly and Qamanirjuaq Caribou Management Board in Canada, with majority representation from users of the resource, provides a model and a test of the effectiveness of a comanagement system. The Western Arctic Herd in northwestern Alaska, numbering close to 500 000 caribou, has been managed under the traditional American system of game management, with user advisory groups, but with management decisions resting with a statewide Board of Game, whose major representation is from sport-hunting interests. The Porcupine Caribou Herd, which is shared by the United States and Canada, is the focus of an international agreement, in principle designed to assure its continued productivity and well-being. The diversity of systems for caribou management in the circumpolar North provides an opportunity for comparing their effectiveness.
Highlights
Caribou, or w i l d reindeer as they are knownin northern Europe and Siberia, are an important subsistence resource for indigenous cultures throughout the circumpolar North
W i l d reindeer as they are knownin northern Europe and Siberia, are an important subsistence resource for indigenous cultures throughout the circumpolar North. For many of these northern cultures, caribou have been the primary source of food and clothing, and the seasonal patterns of life of these indigenous peoples have followed the movements and availability of caribou
Caribou and other fish and wildli fe resources continue to be the primary support for the economy of northern peoples, whether it be directly for subsistence or through contribution to a cash economy
Summary
W i l d reindeer as they are knownin northern Europe and Siberia (both are Rangifer tarandus), are an important subsistence resource for indigenous cultures throughout the circumpolar North For many of these northern cultures, caribou have been the primary source of food and clothing, and the seasonal patterns of life of these indigenous peoples have followed the movements and availability of caribou. In the Soviet Union , prior to its dissolution, intensive management, designed to achieve maximum exploitation of their largest caribou population, was practiced (Klein & Kuzyakin, 1982) This occurred in the Taimyr region of north-central Siberia, where the caribou population had increased to occupy wintering areas formerly used by domestic reindeer. Management of the caribou is n o w expected to be financially selfsupporting
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