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Moderator: Jim Vanderwal

Climate Change Induced Vulnerability of Lobster Fishing Communities

Presenter: Kiyomi Ferguson

Climate change related effects on fisheries will undoubtedly have socio-economic impacts on coastal communities. However, integrating climate change information in a form that can be used efficiently by adaptation planners/policy makers/fishery managers remains a challenge. This presentation outlines how ocean climate models that provided mid-century projections of temperature were used to predict changes in lobster distribution in Nova Scotia, Canada. Vulnerability indices (socio-economics, infrastructure, environment, and the likely response of lobster to warming), were then integrated at the scale at which fishery decisions are made in this region (fishery management units), to provide assessments of climate change related vulnerabilities to coastal communities. Because adaptation planning is very important for long-term sustainability, the proximate goal is to make outputs available online as a tool to help fishery managers take a geographical perspective to adaptation planning, and to anticipate changes in productivity and abundance across borders of neighbouring communities.

Collaborative Research in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (Western Canadian Arctic): Building the Evidence-base for an Inuit Food Security Strategy

Presenters: Jullian MacLean and Sonia Wesche

Climate change, in combination with other social-ecological stressors, challenges the integrity of both country (wild) food and market food components of Inuit food systems in Canada’s Arctic. In the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, research partners from the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, universities and local communities are working to better understand and address food security issues. A community engagement process was conducted, involving 12 focus groups and 19 key informant interviews, in Inuvik, Aklavik, Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour, Tuktoyaktuk and Ulukhaktok. Taking a "food security governance" lens, community assets, gaps, priorities and actions will be discussed, as will the role of retail, food transportation and health service dynamics. A co-developed framework aims to scale up results to enable alignment of local and regional goals. Research outcomes will help decision-makers identify gaps and opportunities for action on food security, align resources across sectors and contribute to emerging policy frameworks at multiple scales.