Sustainable adaptation of commercial inland fishing?—Lessons learnt from subarctic Lake Inari, Finland

We studied commercial fishers’ observations and experience-based knowledge in combination with long-term monitoring data in order to gain a holistic view of the adaptation of fishers to climate change and other drivers on Lake Inari. Fishers’ main sustainability concerns included degradation of the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Regional environmental change 2025-03, Vol.25 (1), p.17-17, Article 17
Main Authors: Turunen, Minna T., Rasmus, Sirpa, Montonen, Marja, Salonen, Erno, Lehtonen, Ilari
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation
Climate Change
Climate Change/Climate Change Impacts
Commercial fishing
Decision making
Earth and Environmental Science
Environment
Environmental degradation
Finland
Fisheries
Fishing
Geography
Hydrology
Inland fisheries
Lakes
Monitoring
Nature Conservation
Oceanography
Original Article
Overfishing
perch
pike
Regional/Spatial Science
Risk reduction
Social behavior
Spawning
species
Sustainability
uncertainty
Water temperature
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Summary:We studied commercial fishers’ observations and experience-based knowledge in combination with long-term monitoring data in order to gain a holistic view of the adaptation of fishers to climate change and other drivers on Lake Inari. Fishers’ main sustainability concerns included degradation of the environment, overfishing, and lack of decision-making power. The fishery and fishing have changed due to increased water temperature and lake productivity; the open-water period has become longer and winter fishing season shorter and spring-spawning species, such as pike and perch, have become more common. Fishers’ responses to reduce risks and cope with future uncertainty included both long- and short-term adaptation—achieved through diversification, flexibility, innovation, and mobility. The responses of fishers to multiple changes are variable and based on individual rather than community behavior. We argue that diverse fishing strategies support the adaptation capacity and sustainability of commercial fishing. Sustainable adaptation of commercial inland fisheries could be further enhanced by better monitoring of the hydrology and fishery, by supporting social relations and communication, and through decision-making based on both scientific and fishers’ knowledge.
ISSN:1436-3798
1436-378X
DOI:10.1007/s10113-024-02357-7