Kaupallinen kalastus Inarijärvellä – kestävää sopeutumista muuttuvaan toimintaympäristöön?

Abstract

The operational environment of commercial fishing in the North is changing due to climate change and other environmental and socio-economic drivers. In this study, we combine the practitioner knowledge of commercial fishers operating on the subarctic Lake Inari in northern Finland with long-term meteorological and hydrological observations from the region. Our interviews show that fishers have adopted various short-term strategies to cope with difficult weather conditions, among them flexibility in timing and location of fishing, as well as in catch species and gear. The livelihood is diversified both within and outside fishing to enhance the profitability. Responses of fishers to future uncertainties were varied and based on individual rather than community behavior. Four distinct longer-term adaptation strategies utilized by fishers differ in terms of the catch species, investments, and risk levels. Finally, we discuss the sustainability of the identified adaptation strategies, and the governance aspects of the livelihood.