Objectives

FY2003
Management methods and their effectiveness for marine resources captured by indigenous peoples during livelihood activities used for home consumption or ritual purposes are assumed quite different from those within or outside of society for marine resources taken for commercial purposes for distribution in exchange for money. The objectives of this joint research are to examine how after indigenous peoples in the Arctic and Circum-Pacific regions harvest marine resources they are distributed within society, and through what social and economic networks commercial distribution takes place, as well as what impacts the social allotment and commercial distribution of these resources have on the socioeconomic lifestyles of these indigenous peoples. We will also comparatively investigate from the political-ecological standpoint to be able to propose new methods for resource control. Since renewable marine resources are common resources of the entire world, seeking methods for the sustainable usage and management of these resources is a critical research topic for contemporary human society. The fact that the results of this research could be applied to marine resources in various places throughout the world should give them practical significance, not just academic importance.