About this time of the year spring begins in the Arctic. Everyone has one thing on their mind, Arctic Char. The char move from the fresh water lakes to the ocean. During the winter these fish hardly move as they go into a semi hibernation. They live off their body fat and lose up to a third of their weight. These fish have a clock which switches on and they move to the opening of the lakes where in a few short days the ice will melt and rush like a torrent to the sea.The Char follow the melting water and can be seen in great numbers.
Local Inuit capture these fish on their way to the sea and eat some fresh but dry many for use the following winter. When the Char reach the sea they eat non stop on Tommy Cod and shrimp. Their body mass gain up to a third and all this in about 8 weeks. While at sea the Char swim in great numbers along the shoreline seeking food. Inuit use nets to again catch Char for the winter. On one occasion I was with a friend who was pulling a net after only a half hour in the water. It contained nearly a hundred fish.
These fish average about 10 pounds but larger fish are caught as well. Inuit women are skilled at cleaning and cutting the fish for future use. Families will use hundreds of pounds of this food. It is a great source of protein and even babies chew the dried fish. The same happens with caribou when the migration begins. Inuit will not hunt caribou during the calving season.
While I lived in the Arctic , Char was a staple in my diet but I preferred to freeze the fresh Char but I did dry some. The Inuit have a great way of freezing Char . I wondered how they froze the fish without having freezer burn. They dip the whole Char in water and let it freeze. They do this several times until the fish has a thin coating of Ice completely over its body. The secret is to freeze the whole uncut or ungutted fish. This really works.
This season of the year brings out whole families and before the rivers are open they will jig through the ice. This social behaviour is best shown when part of the catch is given to the elders and needy. This is true of all food gathering whether it be fish, berries, caribou or bear. Everyone gets a share of the bounty. This enabled this society to survive through the years. The fun of living in the Arctic for me was survival for the Inuit. Spring was fun in Ikaluktutiak for me but serious business for the Inuit.
Local Inuit capture these fish on their way to the sea and eat some fresh but dry many for use the following winter. When the Char reach the sea they eat non stop on Tommy Cod and shrimp. Their body mass gain up to a third and all this in about 8 weeks. While at sea the Char swim in great numbers along the shoreline seeking food. Inuit use nets to again catch Char for the winter. On one occasion I was with a friend who was pulling a net after only a half hour in the water. It contained nearly a hundred fish.
These fish average about 10 pounds but larger fish are caught as well. Inuit women are skilled at cleaning and cutting the fish for future use. Families will use hundreds of pounds of this food. It is a great source of protein and even babies chew the dried fish. The same happens with caribou when the migration begins. Inuit will not hunt caribou during the calving season.
While I lived in the Arctic , Char was a staple in my diet but I preferred to freeze the fresh Char but I did dry some. The Inuit have a great way of freezing Char . I wondered how they froze the fish without having freezer burn. They dip the whole Char in water and let it freeze. They do this several times until the fish has a thin coating of Ice completely over its body. The secret is to freeze the whole uncut or ungutted fish. This really works.
This season of the year brings out whole families and before the rivers are open they will jig through the ice. This social behaviour is best shown when part of the catch is given to the elders and needy. This is true of all food gathering whether it be fish, berries, caribou or bear. Everyone gets a share of the bounty. This enabled this society to survive through the years. The fun of living in the Arctic for me was survival for the Inuit. Spring was fun in Ikaluktutiak for me but serious business for the Inuit.
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