Skip to main content

Mapping Traditional Knowledge Related to the Identification of Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas in the Beaufort Sea 

Traditional Knowledge (TK) was collected during the process of identifying Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas (EBSAs) in the western Arctic to complement available science information. TK was collected from the six Inuvialuit Settlement Region communities during three workshops. Information on fish and marine mammals was drawn on paper maps by community participants and then digitized using Geographic Information System (GIS) software. The areas of traditional significance for fish and marine mammals as identified by community members were used to help determine the EBSA locations and proved valuable where scientific data was lacking.