Norway

Today, these livelihoods face multiple pressures at once. Climate change is affecting the Arctic coastal ecosystem, while fish stocks are also under pressure from external fishing fleets, tourism-related recreational fishing, aquaculture, renewable energy development, and wider demographic change such as depopulation and age and gender imbalance. The proposal also highlights that traditional local knowledge has often been overlooked in decision-making processes affecting the fjord and its resources.

Through this pilot, ArcticKnows supports tools and co-creation processes that strengthen the inclusion of local and Indigenous knowledge about marine resources, fishing grounds, and the ecology of the fjord. The goal is to empower Sea Sámi communities socially, culturally, economically, and politically, while making planning and governance more inclusive and meaningful.

Expected outcomes include co-created maps showing present and past spatial use of the fjord across the year, combined with ecological data and community knowledge. These results are intended to support stronger participation in decisions related to coastal planning, fisheries management, and Sámi rights. The pilot offers an important example of how fairer marine governance can be built through dialogue between knowledge systems.