Nov. 4, 2016: Anthropology doctoral student Davin Holen discusses social role of salmon

Salmon, people, place: Coastal Alaska communities that depend on fisheries Friday, Nov. 4, 12-1 p.m. ISER Conference Room (1901 Bragaw Street, Suite 301)

In much of coastal Alaska and the North Pacific in general, humans and salmon share an intertwined and complex social-ecological system. Salmon are managed for maximum sustainable yield for economic purposes, but what is often not as clear is the social role of salmon for coastal communities. Fishing for salmon is a family and community activity that takes place during just a short period each summer, but it is vitally important in the year-round harvest cycle.

In this presentation, Davin Holen, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, will discuss his dissertation, which examines the intersection of commercial and subsistence fishing in Alaska for food security, culture, and community well-being. His multi-year project documents how the economic and cultural value of salmon promotes the long-term viability of coastal Alaska communities.

Davin Holen has a long history of working in and studying Alaska fisheries, including 15 years at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. He is currently an assistant professor in the Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program, in the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences at UAF.

Note: Those who can't attend in person can stream the talk live at stream.iseralaska.org.

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