Caribou consumption in northern Canadian communities

ABSTRACT

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) found in both farmed and wild deer, elk, and moose in the United States and Canada. Surveillance efforts in North America identified the geographical distribution of the disease and mechanisms underlying distribution, although the possibility of transmission to other cervids, including caribou, and noncervids, including humans, is not well understood. Because of the documented importance of caribou (Rangifer tarandus) to human populations in the northern regions of Canada, a risk-management strategy for CWD requires an understanding of the extent of potential dietary exposure to CWD. Secondary 24-h dietary recalls conducted among Inuvialuit and Inuit in 4 communities in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut were employed in this study. Econometric demand systems were estimated to model the impacts of individual- and community-level socioeconomic characteristics on expenditures on caribou and other foods, in order to examine the households’ ability to consume other foods in response to changing levels of caribou consumption. Thirty-five percent of respondents reported consuming caribou in the survey period, and caribou comprised, on average, 26% of daily dietary intake by weight, or approximately 65 g/d, across individuals in the 4 communities. Consuming caribou was also shown to exert positive impacts on dietary quality, as measured by calorie intake and dietary diversity. Communities with less access to employment, income and food stores are predicted to be constrained in their ability to obtain an adequate diet in the event of scarcity of caribou meat.

Funding

The authors acknowledge the helpful comments of the anonymous reviewers, funding from PrioNet Canada, the Social Economy Research Network of Northern Canada, the Co-operative Program in Agricultural Marketing and Business, and the CMD Agricultural Policy Network, and dietary data provided through research agreement with Dr. Sangita Sharma, PI, of Healthy Foods North and Aboriginal & Global Health Research Group, University of Alberta.

Notes

¹ The Arctic biome covers the three Canadian territories (Northwest Territories, Yukon, and Nunavut) and the northern parts of Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec. The sub-Arctic biome covers the Northwest Territories and the Yukon as well as the northern parts of seven provinces (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland and Labrador) (Bone 2009; Environment Canada & Canadian Wildlife Federation 2013). Communities in Canada’s four Inuit regions are located in the Arctic and sub-arctic biomes.

² Dietary data were provided through research agreement with Dr. Sangita Sharma, PI of Healthy Foods North and Aboriginal & Global Health Research Group, University of Alberta ([email protected]).

³ Opportunity cost units: .

⁴ Out-of-pocket cost units: (Fuel cost) + (Equipment ownership and depreciation costs) + (Cost of ammunition) = .

⁵ Marshallian price elasticities calculations are shown here. Calculations for elasticity of substitution, which is the ratio of percentage change in the relative demand for two goods to the percentage change in relative price and shows how substitutable goods are, are shown in Chiu (2013).

⁶ Formula for own-price elasticity (Chern et al 2002):.

7 ormulas for own-price, cross-price, and expenditure elasticities (Green and Alston, 1990): ;; .

Additional information

Funding

The authors acknowledge the helpful comments of the anonymous reviewers, funding from PrioNet Canada, the Social Economy Research Network of Northern Canada, the Co-operative Program in Agricultural Marketing and Business, and the CMD Agricultural Policy Network, and dietary data provided through research agreement with Dr. Sangita Sharma, PI, of Healthy Foods North and Aboriginal & Global Health Research Group, University of Alberta.