Seals Become Elusive for Inuit in Nunavut

"The ringed seal is the single most important food source for the Inuit, representing the majority of the food supply in all seasons. No other species is present on the land or in the waters of Nunavut in the quantities needed to sustain the dietary requirements of the Inuit. In recent decades, local people have observed that ringed seal pup production has suffered as increased temperatures have led to a reduction and destabilization of the sea ice. These ice changes have also affected the harvest of polar bear, another important food source, because ringed seals are central to a polar bear's diet and the bears are also directly affected by the observed changes in snow and ice.

To hunt, catch, and share these foods is the essence of Inuit culture. Thus, a decline in ringed seals and polar bears threatens not only the dietary requirements of the Inuit, but also their very way of life. Projections of sea-ice decline in the future spell further trouble. Forecasts of summer sea ice from climate models suggest reductions of 50% or more during this century, with some models projecting the complete disappearance of summer sea ice. Because ringed seals and polar bears are very unlikely to survive in the absence of summer sea ice, the impact on indigenous communities that depend upon these species is likely to be enormous."

Source & © ACIA Impacts of a Warming Arctic: Arctic Climate Impact Assessment  (2004),
 Key Finding #8, p.94