Steady food supply connected to environment health, Alaskan Inuits claim
28 Dec 2015 12:59 PM GMT
Climate change, pollution and other factors are a threat to Inuit food.
In this Oct. 7, 2014 file photo, men haul sections of whale skin and blubber, known as muktuk, as a bowhead whale is butchered in a field near Barrow, Alaska. (Picture Courtesy: AP)
Anchorage, Alaska: A report by a group representing Alaska's Inuit people calls for more protection for their traditional foods. The Inuit Circumpolar Council-Alaska says drastic changes in the Arctic brought on by climate change, pollution and other factors are a threat to Inuit food.
The report says decisions on policy and research should be made in the light of how they will affect traditional foods, from fish and berries to marine mammals. Spokeswoman Carolina Behe (cayr-oh-LEE'-nah BEE'-hee) says the Inuit have a different understanding of food importance than some other cultures. She says food security in urban Alaska is viewed in terms of nutrition and buying power.
She says the Inuit view themselves as part of the Arctic environment and the availability of traditional food is closely tied to the health of the ecosystem.
( Source : AP )
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