Linking local knowledge and fisheries science: the case with humpback whitefish (Coregonus pidschian) in Interior Alaska

Abstract

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.