Fishery in ‘free spaces’: non-compliance with fishery regulations in a northern Baikal Evenki village

Abstract

During the post-Soviet period, fishery became one of the main sources of income for the inhabitants of Evenki villages in the northern Baikal region. When a number of villagers lost their official jobs, they managed to earn money by selling fish. Most people are required to fish during a particular season and to follow official quotas. Special indigenous Evenki quotas, however, are usually in excess of regular official guidelines and those who can use these quotas usually exceed them. This results in a tension between the way local Evenki people judge their own actions and the way their actions are judged by the official authorities. The law never covers all the areas of human activities, and in these gaps regular people manage to control certain institutions, knowledge and the use of landscapes themselves. In a discussion of the northern Baikal area, I employ the term 'free spaces', that describes the weakening of external control over the sphere of activities which are essential for local people's survival. This lessening of control has led people to regulate the fishing situation locally, resulting in many violations of fishing laws not being registered in official documents. The purpose of this paper is to to discuss a case of 'free spaces' in the post-Soviet Evenki village, with particular focus upon the village's non-compliance with official fishery regulations. This article investigates the reasons for, and the social mechanisms guiding, non-compliant behaviour in a northern Baikal Evenki village. It argues that non-compliance with fishery regulations should be interpreted within the context of local mechanisms of social control, market relations, reciprocity and cooperation.

‘To fish or not to fish?’: fishing communities of Arctic Yakutia in the face of environmental change and political transformations

“…The latter brought new challenges to the livelihoods of millions of citizens, especially those practicing a traditional way of life. The break-up of the Soviet Union brought about a change in the economic activities of local people as they adapted to the new market economy (Davydov, 2014). State-run fishing and hunting companies were hamstrung after the termination of central subsidies; therefore, local communities had to fall back on their own experience and relations with others (Ziker, 2002).…”

“…Fishing was more reliable and less expensive than hunting. Davydov (2014) uses the term 'free spaces' to characterise sustenance of a certain freedom of action by local people in relation to violation of fishing regulations. Local communities perceive these regulations as inappropriate and establish their own instruments to manage resources (Davydov, 2014).…”

“…Davydov (2014) uses the term 'free spaces' to characterise sustenance of a certain freedom of action by local people in relation to violation of fishing regulations. Local communities perceive these regulations as inappropriate and establish their own instruments to manage resources (Davydov, 2014). Many respondents in our study mentioned respect towards nature as a way of practicing their traditional activities, and disrespect, which is expressed in overharvesting for instance, may anger Buga and thus may deprive a fisher of luck.…”

Global Change Impacts on Indigenous Sustainability in Sakha Republic: A Synthesis of Knowledge

“…The Russification brought about a native language attrition and loss of native ethnic identity as many children had to study in Russian at a local or at a boarding school [99]. The USSR collapse created new challenges to Indigenous peoples, especially those practicing traditional activities, as transition to a new market economy had terminated central state support and inaugurated new governmental regulations [9,100,101]. Soviet policies also caused cultural assimilation, Christianization, and the suppression of shamanism, which in turn had resulted in a loss of spirituality among many Indigenous peoples in Sakha Republic.…”

How people perceive their role in the natural environment. The Primorye paradox

“…Другой пример -взгляд эвенков, живущих у северного побережья Байкала, на рыбную ловлю, ее регулирование и контроль над ней. Занимаясь нелегальной добычей, они утверждают, что имеют на это полное право, а преступными и воровскими являются законы и действия контролирующих органов [Davydov, 2014]. Можно предположить, что себя люди ворами не называют, поскольку отсутствуют две из трех упомянутых предпосылок: в этих местах эвенки укоренены и количество чужаков невелико в сравнении с дальневосточными побережьями в промысловый сезон.…”