Ahtna knowledge of long-term changes in salmon runs in the Upper Copper River drainage, Alaska
Simeone WE, Valentine EM, Tuttle S. 2007. Ahtna knowledge of long-term changes in salmon runs in the Upper Copper River drainage, Alaska. Alaska Department of Fish and Game Subsistence Technical Paper. No. 324. Juneau, AK
This research combines Ahtna environmental knowledge with data from the biological and social sciences to document changes in the upper Copper River salmon fishery. Information in this report covers the period from 1989 to 2004. Ahtna elders have observed that over time, fisheries management and competition from other users have adversely affected the productivity of subsistence harvests. The Ahtna attribute effects on salmon spawning in the headwaters of the Copper River to environmental pollution and interception by commercial and recreational fishers. Since 1889, when the commercial fishing industry began, historical reports document various effects on Copper River salmon stocks and subsistence harvests. The effect of commercial fishing on the long-term abundance of salmon stocks spawning in the headwaters is uncertain. Global climate change may be playing a role in salmon abundance and subsistence harvests, but its effect is difficult to distinguish from natural variation and local environmental conditions. This project is the first of its kind to document the history of the upper Copper River salmon fishery using written historic and scientific documents and Ahtna oral accounts. It provides insights for further research on the long-term effects of human use and environmental changes on these fisheries.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Simeone, William; Valentine, Erica; Tuttle, Siri
- Date of Issue
- 2007-08
- Units
- WRST
- Keywords
- Ahtna, Athabaskan, Batzulnetas, Copper River, Copper River Basin, federal management, Fisheries, Fisheries Management, salmon runs, seasonal abundance, Subsistence, tradition fisheries, Traditional Ecological Knowledge
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Human Use | Consumptive Use | Consumptive Use