Informal Land Use in Northern Baikal: Extraction of Bioresources in “Free Spaces”

Abstract

The article discusses spatial and temporal dimensions of the interaction between the local population and the state in Northern Baikal. The main analytical categories in this work are not the “presence” or “absence” of the state, but the uneven distribution and inconsistency in space and time of potential control actions of the state structures that give local people the opportunity to master resources inde pendently employing their skills and knowledge of the landscape. Despite the fact that there are official rules governing hunting and fishing, as well as the gathering of wild plants and logging, they are often violated, since the informal land use is an important source of income and food for local people. The exploitation and distribution of bioresources by the inhabitants of Siberian settlements remote from the centers are possible due to the presence of “free spaces” where people can act in accordance with their “own law” rather than official rules.