Nunavimmiut Knowledge of climate change and its impact on environment, wildlife, and harvest activities in Hudson Strait, Nunavik

Climate change is impacting the Arctic more than other ecosystems, and, within the Arctic, some regions are being affected more than others. Studying areas of concentrated climate change impact in the Arctic and understanding how these focused changes are impacting northern communities is an important knowledge priority. The Hudson Strait, located between Nunavik and Nunavut in the eastern Canadian Arctic, is the entry point for the Atlantification of Hudson Bay and eastern Arctic Ocean and is a region of critical importance to Nunavimmiut, the Inuit of Nunavik. We documented Nunavimmiut Knowledge on the impacts of climate change on the environment, wildlife, and Inuit harvest activities through semi-directed interviews with 30 local experts in five communities located along the Hudson Strait and northern Hudson Bay. Nearly all local experts we interviewed observed that climate change has affected the seasonal timing and thickness of sea ice around communities. Local experts also reported associated changes in wildlife abundance and distribution, with increased sightings of Atlantic walrus ( Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus Linnaeus, 1758) and polar bears ( Ursus maritimus Phipps, 1774) and decreased observations of seals ( family Phocidea). Environmental change in the Hudson Strait is impacting Inuit life and food security, accelerating the need to align research and management with local priorities.