Centring Labrador Inuit Values in Arctic Char Management

Abstract

Arctic char (iKaluk / Salvelinus alpinus) is central to food sovereignty, livelihoods, and wellbeing across Inuit Nunangat. In Nunatsiavut, an Inuit self-governed territory in what is now Labrador, Canada, char is a cultural keystone species that supports both domestic and commercial fisheries. Despite this significance, consistent long-term federal monitoring and updated stock assessments have been absent, leading to what the federal government describes as a “knowledge gap” regarding sustainable and economically optimal harvest levels. However, this issue more accurately reflects a governance gap: data and knowledge about Arctic char are held locally and expressed through Inuit Knowledge Systems that do not align with federal management frameworks. This research seeks to identify the values underpinning the relationship between Nainimiut (individuals from the community of Nain, Nunatsiavut) and char to inform future monitoring and management in support of Inuit self-determination. Drawing on the Imappivut Knowledge Study, which identifies four guiding values: conservation, knowledge sharing, access, and well-being, this study employs these as a framework for analysis. Methods include a literature review examining how these values have been reflected in past monitoring efforts across Nunatsiavut, and interviews with community members in Nain. Findings indicate that these values have been inconsistently represented in the literature, while interview themes closely align with them. This demonstrates that the Imappivut framework is suitable for understanding Nainimiut relationships with char, and future research studies could seek to better represent these values in their approaches. Overall, this research highlights that understanding the values that underpin the fishery and ensuring their explicit consideration in research and management can support Inuit self-determination and align governance more closely with community priorities. Shifting management toward approaches grounded in the ecological, cultural and social relationships between char and Labrador Inuit offers a path toward more informed governance of these fisheries.