Rachel Donkersloot rachel.donkersloot@gmail.com

When in Rome: Rachel sampling Caribou tongue

Rapid ecological change greatly impacts community life in fisheries-dependent regions. The globalization of the salmon industry and recent ecological changes in Bristol Bay, Alaska resulted in fisheries decline and economic uncertainty for the entire region. In the late 1990s, the Governor of Alaska declared Bristol Bay an economic disaster. This paper presents some of the social impacts of declining ecological conditions in the region. Focus is directed towards how young people respond to environmental change. These are the preliminary findings on how fisheries crisis has impacted the migration patterns and education outcomes of young people living in Bristol Bay.