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Indigenous communities on the Pribilof Islands have longstanding cultural and economic ties to their marine ecosystem and, in particular, to laaqudan (in Unangam Tunuu) or northern fur seals (NFS; Callorhinus ursinus). Indigenous and Local Knowledge holders from the Pribilof Islands have long expressed concerns about declines in NFS abundance, and research increasingly suggests that nutritional limitation is a key factor in the decline. Using a co-production of knowledge approach, we explore perceptions of NFS ecology and commercial fishery interactions in the Pribilof Islands Marine Ecosystem (PRIME). We synthesize results from community surveys and analyses of commercial pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus) fishery catch data from 2004–2018 relative to documented NFS foraging areas. Community survey results highlighted ecosystem changes and nutritional limitation as primary drivers of recent declines in Pribilof Islands NFS. Consistent with these results, pollock catch data indicate there are concentrated areas of pollock harvest over time near the Pribilof Islands where female NFS forage. These results reinforce the value of considering Indigenous and Local Knowledge and western science together to better understand ecosystem interactions. Our findings also support the consideration of Indigenous and Local Knowledge-based approaches in combination with spatiotemporal management to mitigate NFS nutritional limitation and Pribilof Islands NFS declines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapidly changing ocean conditions pose substantial challenges for coastal communities, fishermen, and managers. From 2014 to 2016, the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) experienced a marine heatwave and corollary decline in Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus). Here, we explore the 2020 closure of the directed Pacific cod federal fishery in the GOA as a case study of the needs and opportunities for managing fisheries in the context of environmental change. We build on climate-ready fishery research and conversations with experienced commercial fishermen, including Alutiiq fishers, and fishery managers to: (i) discuss ecosystem-based management in Alaska, (ii) explore early warning signs and management challenges preceding the decline of Pacific cod, (iii) recommend tools to enhance adaptive capacity in fishery management. We conclude that a strong foundation of science-based management that incorporates ecosystem information and multiple ways of knowing, increased monitoring and evaluation of indicators, and new tools for managers to respond and adapt will be essential to sustainable fishery management. New mechanisms highlighted in this essay include: a GOA Fishery Ecosystem Plan, climate risk and vulnerability analyses, habitat protections, and the development of original metrics, such as food web production or function targets to inform stock assessments and fishery management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]