Residents of Commander Islands Protest Against Expanding Reserve

PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY. March 20. VOSTOK MEDIA – Residents of Bering Island – the only inhabited island in the group of Commander Islands (Komandorski Islands) – protest against including the northern part of the island into the State Natural Reserve “Komandorski”.
If the reserve area is expanded the indigenous Aleut people living on the island will not be able to live their traditional life that includes hunting sea and island animals and fishing.
The ethnic-ecological information center Lach reports, the indigenous people were allowed to use the northern part of Bering Island till recent time but it’s “closed” now. A letter with a protest signed by 150 representatives of the Aleut people was addressed to the Russian government and Kamchatsky Krai Administration.
The northern part of Bering Island was a territory provided for the use and traditional life of the Aleut people. It was stipulated in a provision of 1994. All the commercial activities on the island have been prohibited since 2004.