Introduction

The Lower Kolyma region is widely known for its iconic nomadic reindeer communities. The major Siberian river, along with hundreds of smaller streams, lakes and the Arctic Ocean coast is home to rich and diverse fish species. These fish have been the food security and cultural staple for the region’s communities for millennia. In this part of the Snowchange Kolyma ELOKA pages we explore some aspects of the Indigenous fishery in the region and some of the drivers of change affecting it. Most of the materials here discuss freshwater harvests.

In order to get a sense of some of the smaller streams that are prominent in the region, you can click on a video clip to see the Turvaurgin community representatives boating upstream on the Chukotskaya River.