Abandoning Fish: The Vulnerability of Salmon as a Cultural Resource in a Post‐ S oviet Commons

Following the dramatic transformations ofSoviet collectivization and the ongoing transition to post‐Soviet markets, institutions, and regulatory regimes, salmon fisheries of theKamchatkaPeninsula in theRussianFarEast have become a vulnerable natural and economic resource. Although government authorities and environmentalists working inKamchatka recognize salmon as an important part of local indigenous people's lives and cultural identities, the formal system for managing salmon fisheries does not directly address the vulnerability of cultural resources tied to salmon. In the mixed economy of rural villages, salmon fishing not only produces food that meets economic needs, it also generates cultural value. I examine how cultural resources are created as people harvest salmon, circulate it within their communities, and construct common identities from this work. Focusing on theobshchina, an institution that has emerged in the post‐Soviet era to coordinate salmon fishing and other traditional economic activities, I explore dilemmas that arise as people strive to preserve the economic and cultural value of salmon while ensuring that their ways of life develop and remain viable in changing and challenging environments.