See also:

Population by Community
 
Air Traffic

Arctic Borderlands Ecological Knowledge Co-op

What is happening?

• The furs harvested by trappers are sold at auction and the price fluctuates. The price offered for muskrat and weasel in 2006 is well above the long term average.

Why is it happening?

• The price obtained for furs varies with market demand and supply. For example, the high price offered for lynx in the winter of 1986-1987 occurred when there was great fashion interest in "long furs" but supply was very limited. The snowshoe hare populations that lynx rely on, had crashed as part of their cycle, so there were very few lynx to be found.

Why is it important?

• Fur trapping is one way that people can obtain money to support their subsistence lifestyle. When fur prices are high for several years it may encourage more people to spend time out on the land trapping.

Technical Notes

• These data are based on the average price for furs sold at auction in southern Canada and were collected by the Yukon Department of the Environment.