The Northern Climate Observer

The Northern
Climate Observer

A cultural, economic and social emergency The NOAA trawl survey saw some promising results this year with a return of the cold pool to the bottom of the Bering Sea and some modest increases in cod and blue king crab numbers (see Nome Nugget article). However, it is not enough to turn around the snow crab fishery, which was closed this year for the first time on record, bringing major changes to many coastal fishing communities in Western Alaska. Last week KCUB reported that the city council of St. Paul, an Unangan community of 350, unanimously declared a "cultural, economic and social emergency." They know what they are talking about. Last year the crash of the crab fishery resulted in a roughly $670,000 loss for St. Paul. In 2023, they expect losses to be closer to $1 million; a sum that for a small community can mean the difference between having electricity or water. In another example or resource decline, the Anchorage Daily News reported that the Northwest Arctic Caribou Herd was down by 13% over the past year. The population has been dropping precipitously, from 259,000 in 2017, to 188,000 last year. To protect the declining herd, sport hunting closed early and subsistence hunters are being asked to limit their harvest to bulls. But hunting has been difficult and there are concerns about food insecurity at a time when inflation has pushed local economies to the breaking point. Whether you are talking about crab in the Bering Sea, or caribou in the Bering Strait, the crashes in our fisheries and game populations are having broad impacts on Northern communities that are cultural, economic and social. Proactive actions such as in St. Paul provide a model for activating communities to recognize and respond to the challenges in the months ahead. Mike Brubaker, Editor

	St. Paul government declares emergency in attempt to get ahead of looming crab crash Saint Paul, Alaska, United States Maggie Nelson, KUCB - Unalaska / Alaska Public Media / November 9, 2022 The recent closure of the Bering Sea snow crab and Bristol Bay red king crab fisheries has some Western Alaska towns taking a hard look at their futures, including St. Paul. Read article on Alaska Public Media
	NOAA trawl survey: Cold pool returns in the Bering Sea Bering Sea Megan Gannon / The Nome Nugget / November 11, 2022 The Bering Sea’s cold pool, a critical part of the seafloor ecosystem, had shrunk to a worrying degree in recent years, but it is continuing to slowly return, according to the latest results of NOAA’s bottom trawl survey. Saffron cod, also called tomcod, seems to be bouncing back after a few bad years, and Arctic cod and blue king crab numbers were also better. Read article on The Nome Nugget
	Western Arctic Caribou Herd shrank more in 2022, hurting Northwest Arctic subsistence hunters Selawik, Alaska, United States Alena Naiden / Anchorage Daily News / November 8, 2022 Biologists struggle to single out a leading cause of the caribou population’s decline. Increased wolf predation, changed migration patterns and climate warming affecting food sources can all influence the herd. “It’s going to be another rough winter again this year without caribou,” Selawik resident Norma Ballot said. Read article on Anchorage Daily News
	"Should have received four tons of plums" Linge farm, Valldal, Fjord community, Vestland, Norway Josef Benoni Ness Tveit / NRK / October 31, 2022 Norwegian fruit farmers are seeking compensation for poor harvests due to extreme weather conditions, with over 1,000 farmers applying for compensation this year, compared to under 500 last year, as cold weather destroyed crops in the west and north, while drought hit the east and inland areas. Read article on NRK
	Huge sunfish makes rare appearance in cold north Vancouver Island waters Cormorant Island, British Columbia, Canada Dean Stoltz / CHEK / October 27, 2022 The Mola tecta, a semi-tropical sunfish, had been misidentified until seven years ago and is rarely seen in the northern hemisphere. Read article on CHEK
	Haines’ changing alpine permafrost Haines, Alaska, United States Alain d'Epremesnil / KHNS Radio \| KHNS FM / October 12, 2022 Alpine permafrost is thawing, according to an article by the National Science Foundation. This is bad news because thawing releases carbon dioxide and methane and because it can cause destabilization of the land, as a couple of northbound drivers found out last week when their car was buried in the slide at 23 miles, as reported in a Chilkat Valley News article. Read article on KHNS Radio \| KHNS FM

The Northern Climate Observer is published by the Center for Climate and Health. We track news coverage from across the circumpolar north and provide readers with a curated roundup of climate change related events. Thank you for reading our newsletter and for paying attention to our changing world.

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Northern Climate Observer

The Northern Climate Observer is published weekly by the Center for Climate and Health. We track news from across the circumpolar north and provide readers with a curated roundup of climate change related events.

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Northern Climate Observer

The Northern
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