Co-Management Regimes: An Approach to the Sustainable Development of Natural Resources in the Arctic

The exploitation of western Canadian Arctic natural resources has historically paid little regard to the indigenous communities. The Inuvialuit People of this region ultimately won a land claim settlement, requiring a comanagement agreement for resource management. As a result of this, the Inuvialuit Game Council was established in 1983 to govern the management of natural resources. This led to the founding of five comanagement organizations composed of Inuvialuit and government representatives. These collaborative institutions have addressed many conservation initiatives in the western Arctic.