Mammoth tusk and the economics of traditional resource management: How can the extraction of mammoth bone help the people of the Arctic?

The article discusses the extraction of mammoth tusks in the system of traditional crafts of the indigenous peoples of the North and the development of the Arctic economy. It identifies the contribution of this type of traditional crafts of the indigenous peoples to improving the quality of life of the local population, promoting employment, and generating income. The article substantiates the need to consider the extraction of mammoth bone as an element of the green economy in the Arctic territories and as a substitute for natural resources. Thus, in the context of the ban on the trade in ivory and the continued global demand for ivory products, it is proposed to consider the tusks of the fossil mammoth as a substitute resource for the preservation of living elephants. The article shows the dynamics of mammoth bone extraction in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) from 2003 to 2024, with a total extraction of 165 tons in 2024. Based on sociological surveys conducted among the local population in the mammoth bone mining areas of Yakutia in January-May 2025, which involved 360 participants from the indigenous peoples of the North, the main factors and challenges faced by mammoth tusk collectors were identified. These included high costs for purchasing machinery and equipment, the lack of transportation access to the mammoth tusk collection areas, difficulties in obtaining a license to collect mammoth tusk, challenges in selling the collected mammoth tusk, and the presence of illegal miners in the industry who create competition. To support the indigenous peoples in terms of the sale of mammoth bone, it is proposed to establish trading posts for the purchase of such products from the local population, as well as measures to develop its export. Recommendations are given on supporting the traditional crafts of the indigenous peoples of the North, including economic incentives for the extraction of mammoth bone, as well as support for socio-economic development projects in the Arctic territories by mining companies.

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