INTAROS Community-Based Monitoring Capacity Development Process in Yakutia and Komi Republic, Arctic Russia.

Abstract

INTAROS (Integrated Arctic Observing System) is an effort funded by the European Union to extend and improve existing and evolving observing systems that encompass the land, air and sea in the Arctic. INTAROS has been implementing a community-based monitoring (CBM) capacity development process among selected indigenous peoples’ communities in Arctic Russia since September 2017. The areas and sites involved include communities in Zhigansk and Olenek districts in Sakha Republic, Eastern Siberia, and Komi-Izhma communities in Komi Republic. The CBM activities are primarily being implemented in the various communities of Zhigansk and Olenek districts in Sakha Republic, which is home to the Evenk indigenous communities. The indigenous communities involved are mainly fishermen, hunters and reindeer herders who are heavily dependent on the living natural resources in remote areas of the Arctic. All areas have indigenous communities making important local use of living resources but who are, at the same time, facing serious challenges in relation to accessing these resources due to changes in resource availability and threats, including pollution and resource depletion caused by various forms of mining and the oil and gas industry, as well as companies utilising and increasingly monopolising the fish resources. The areas are classified as traditional areas of occupational use. This is a legal status that gives indigenous communities in Russia a degree of protection but, in practise, it has proved difficult to enforce this status in relation to protecting the rights of indigenous communities. The organisations involved in the CBM process are first and foremost the Centre for Support to Indigenous People of the North (CSIPN), the Republic Indigenous Peoples’ Organisation of Sakha Republic and NORDECO (Nordic Foundation for Development and Ecology) from Denmark. The CBM process has involved a wide range of workshops and meetings in the communities of the targeted districts. A total of 20 workshops and meetings have been conducted in the three districts, with an average of some 10-15 people involved in each one. The workshops and meetings have focused on introducing CBM and on building capacity to undertake CBM in the communities. Subsequent workshops have focused on how concrete CBM activities are being implemented in the respective communities. Different communities have been involved in the INTAROS CBM process for different lengths of time, with some starting in 2017, others in 2018 and a few in 2019. The status as of May 2019 is that eight different CBM groups are actively undertaking CBM within the targeted areas. Key participants in workshops and meetings have included local fishermen, hunters and herders, local indigenous peoples’ representatives, various members of local authorities, and school students and teachers. Sakha Republic, Zhigansk and Kystatyam. Workshops were held in September 2017 and September 2018 in Zhigansk and Kystatyam in Zhigansk District, Sakha Republic. Here, involvement in CBM activities includes fishermen and hunters from Zhigansk; fishermen, hunters and herders in Kystatyam; and school students and teachers from Zhigansk School. In summary, the natural resources and the main issues discussed were: • Fishing grounds and fisheries are being taken over by outside companies. A major change in the law has allowed for hunting and fishing rights to be bought, controlled and monopolised by outside companies through a system of auctions. In Zhigansk District, when locals attempt to fish, they are now frequently told to leave the area. Although indigenous demonstrations and boycott threats were organised in the Republic, this only helped bring about changes to the hunting laws. Fishing laws remained untouched, and these are of far more significance to the people. Fishing area auctions are still occurring and companies still control the majority of fisheries. Only subsistence fishing is allowed, and local people may only legally sell fish if it is 2 through the companies, on their terms. The changes that are occurring with regard to the fishing areas and fishery resources are of crucial importance locally. • Certain species of fish (first of all, Arctic cisco (Coregonus autumnalis) and Siberian cisco (Coregonus sardinella) are especially vital for the people, who have seen major changes in access to these fish. There is a decline in availability. • Lake fishing involving Peled (Coregonus peled) and Siberian whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus pidschian) is a crucial resource. Lake fishing is experiencing major changes, and these are affecting people’s livelihood opportunities. • The domestic reindeer industry is considered to be in crisis. There has been a decline from 20,000 to only 3,000 in the area. There is reportedly plenty of pastureland, so this is not the problem. The issue revolves around the methods and measures for organising and supporting reindeer husbandry, which are not currently conducive to the industry. The availability of suitable food, the right reindeer lichen, is also a topic that requires better understanding, however. • Wild reindeer are an important resource in the area, especially for local hunting. The populations of wild reindeer have been in decline, so knowledge of their numbers and movements would be invaluable. • Moose is another important natural resource. The population has been steadily decreasing, with hunting rules - such as the need not to shoot females - widely disregarded. • Sable (Martes zibellina) is traditionally an important animal, locally hunted for the fur trade. The income from hunting sable has reduced significantly, and practices are no longer environmentally or economically sustainable. • Wolf populations are increasing in numbers; this is considered worrying by the community members as wolves are an increasing threat to domestic reindeer and to people. • Brown bear populations are also a growing threat to the local people due to increasing numbers of attacks and encounters close to villages. It is difficult for locals to control the numbers due to a lack of licenses for bear hunting. People are increasingly afraid to go into the forest. Key resources that the CBM groups in Zhigansk and Kystatyam are monitoring include: • Availability of fishing areas and rules regarding fishing as well as fish prices • Arctic cisco (Coregonus autumnalis) in the Lena River in summer and autumn (catch, size and time of occurrence) • Water quality in Lena River • Siberian cisco (Coregonus sardinella) in the Lena River during winter time (catch, size and time of occurrence) • Lake fish (Peled - Coregonus peled, Siberian whitefish - Coregonus lavaretus pidschian) • Reindeer husbandry (methods of reindeer husbandry support) • Wild reindeer (population dynamics) • Moose (distribution, population dynamics) • Brown bear (population dynamics) • Wolf (distribution, population dynamics) • Sable (population dynamics) 3 Sakha Republic, Olenek, Kharyalakh and Zhilinda. Workshops were held in September 2018 and April 2019 in Olenek, Kharyalakh and Zhilinda. Here, involvement in CBM activities includes hunters and fishermen from Olenek; hunters, fishermen and herders from Kharyalakh; and hunters, fishermen and herders from Zhilinda; as well as school students and teachers from Olenek School. In summary, the natural resources and the main issues discussed were: • Wild reindeer. The hunting of wild reindeer is the most important resource for the local communities of the area. The occurrence of wild reindeer is dynamic and changing. Hunting restrictions are not aligned with the actual numbers of wild reindeer. The local communities consider that the hunting quotas and licenses have been unreasonably reduced by the authorities. Overall, the population of wild reindeer has increased but major changes in abundance are occurring from year to year. Wolf predation on the wild reindeer population is significant. Major worries are that hunting of wild reindeer will be negatively affected by future developments, including industrial. A better understanding of wild reindeer migration routes is needed. • Domestic reindeer. Olenek District used to have a large domestic reindeer production but this has decreased sharply in recent decades. Domestic reindeer production is facing many problems. One key issue is the very substantial wolf predation on the domestic herds, resulting in losses of up to 20-25% of the animals per year. Pasture quality is also an issue in reindeer herding. • Wolf. There has been a sharp increase in the number of wolves. This is a major problem, especially for domestic but also for wild reindeer. The reason for this increase is considered to be a lack of effective wolf control measures. • Industrial mining development. There were major concerns raised in all the villages with regard to the various ongoing and planned industrial developments in the area. The concerns relate to water pollution, air pollution (radioactive from rare earth metal mining) and to the blocking of reindeer migration routes and overutilization of living resources in and adjacent to the industrial sites. • Water quality of the river. Drinking water quality is a major concern for people. The quality of fishing water is also important. There are fears that water quality is deteriorating. • Sable. Sable are important for the fur trade although prices have reduced significantly. The population is considered to be stable. • Brown bear. Numbers are increasing and people are increasingly afraid of encountering bears. • Fish population, including Tugun, or Tugunok (Coregonus tugun), a small fish very important for the livelihood of the Olenek people, and Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus) are understood to be declining in the area. Fishing license policy does not currently support local people. • Berries. Berries are very important for people and there is a need to ensure continued supply. Key resources that the CBM groups in Olenek, in Kharyalakh and in Zhilinda are monitoring include: • Wild reindeer • Berries • Brown bear • Wolf 4 • Tugun, Tugunok (Coregonus tugun) • Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus) • Water quality • Polar fox • Sable • Lenok (a fish) – (Brachymystax lenok) • Pike • Domestic reindeer and pasture quality The general status of the CBM process is that local communities and local indigenous peoples’ representatives are interested in and supportive of the CBM activities. CBM activities are well underway in a number of areas of Sakha Republic. The use of CBM is generally understood and seen as a relevant activity that will provide the local communities with an improved way of developing and presenting local knowledge on resources and resource use. Local authorities are supportive of the activities. The Republic Indigenous Peoples’ (IP) organisation is taking a leading role in activities and ensuring linkages to the communities. Input from the CBM groups (information, analysis and recommendations) has been used by the Republic IP organisation to seek influence over the management of a number of subject areas related to resource management at both Republic and District level. Organising and communicating information is being undertaken using short and relevant forms, which are filled out by the CBM groups and which include resource information, analysis of information and suggested actions. A summary of the impacts of CBM activities so far includes: • Project participation is linking well with the process of seeking to put the territories of traditional land use into practise rather than being merely a classification on paper, as they are now. The work with the CBM groups is helping the IPs to become more the subjects of the development of the traditional land rather than just the objects of its development. This contributes to more active local people. It also contributes to monitoring the various industrial developments (mining) that are being undertaken and planned on traditional territories. The CBM work is thus a tool that contributes to a dialogue between the extractive industries and the owners/users of the traditional lands. • An obshina (community) in Zhigansk has obtained the rights to a traditional fishing ground partly because of its active participation in the CBM group project. This work empowered the obshina and gave extra clout to their process of obtaining the rights. • Information on fishing and the challenging of fishing net sizes from the CBM groups, where the CBM groups have established that two most important fish – Siberian cisco and Arctic cisco – species are swimming deeper due to warmer waters and are therefore difficult to catch with the permitted net types. This action has been used by the IP organisation at several meetings with the Republic’s authorities, who then refer the matter up to the Federal authorities. • Information on brown bear problems has been promoted at several meetings with the Republic’s authorities in order to seek better solutions by which local people can protect themselves from bear attacks. • The information on wild reindeer hunting shows that this is very important and that local people are worried about its future due to industrial development (mines). The IP association has taken this to the mining company and agreed a monitoring programme for wild reindeer with them. Information on wild reindeer populations and their strong fluctuations, as well as the mismatch with set hunting quotas, is also being used to influence the authorities’ decisions on management of reindeer hunting. 5 • Monitoring has raised problems of water pollution around the Alrosa diamond mining sites. The IP organisation has taken the problem of water quality monitoring to the District- and Republiclevel authorities. • Establishment of the CBM groups has generally resulted in much more important information reaching the IP association from the communities and this is proving useful in dialogues with the authorities. • The IP organisation in Zhigansk District has become more active due to the introduction of the CBM activities.