Fishing Communities and Traditional Fishing in the Cossack South of Russia

Abstract

Introducing the series of articles on the history and ethnography of traditional fishing, focusing principally on the Cossack population of lower Don, Volga, and Terek valley regions, the authors briefly overview the part played by this economic occupation at the stage of formation and later development of the Cossack south of Russia. The article further examines ecological, economic, and legal aspects in the organization of the fishing industry, drawing attention to the causes of the depletion of fish resources and conflicts between the fishing communities and the state in the domain of regulating fishing capacities and protecting fish.