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Annual Assessment of Subsistence Bowhead Whaling Near Cross Island, 2001-2007 Final Report

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Annual Assessment of Subsistence Bowhead Whaling Near Cross Island, 2001-2007 Final Report cANIMIDA Task 7 /OCS Study MMS 2009-038 Annual Assessment of Subsistence Bowhead Whaling Near Cross Island, 2001-2007 Final Report Contract Numbers 1435-01-04-CT-32149 and M04PC00032 Prepared for: U.S. Department of the Interior Minerals Management Service Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Region Anchorage, AK Prepared by: Applied Sociocultural Research Anchorage, AK U.S. Department of the Interior Minerals Management Service Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Region cANIMIDA Task 7 Annual Assessment of Subsistence Bowhead Whaling Near Cross Island, 2001-2007 Final Report for: U.S. Department of the Interior Minerals Management Service Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Region Anchorage, AK by: Michael Galginaitis Applied Sociocultural Research 519 West Eighth Avenue, Suite 204 Post Office Box 99510 Anchorage, AK 99510-1352 This study was funded by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service (MMS), Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Region, Anchorage, Alaska under Contracts No. 1435- 01-04-CT-32149 and M04PC00032, as part of the MMS Alaska Environmental Studies Program The opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of the Interior, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the Federal Government. July 2009 Back of Title Page Intentionally left blank (except for this notice) for purposes of pagination Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS ......................................................................................................... V LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................................. VI LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................... VI ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS USED IN TABLES, TEXT, AND APPENDICES ............................................................................................................................................... VII NOTE ON ORGANIZATION OF THE REPORT............................................................ VIII ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ...................................................................................................... IX EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................. XIII INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH ............................................1 AN OVERVIEW OF CONTEMPORARY SUBSISTENCE WHALING IN ALASKA ........3 THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF CROSS ISLAND WHALING .................................... 10 TRENDS IN NUIQSUT SUBSISTENCE BOWHEAD WHALE HARVEST ...................... 21 METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................................. 24 HYPOTHESES GUIDING DATA COLLECTION .............................................................................. 24 DESCRIPTIVE DATA CATEGORIES ............................................................................................ 25 METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION ............................................................................................ 27 GPS Data ........................................................................................................................... 28 Systematic Daily Protocols ................................................................................................. 34 Whalers’ Observations........................................................................................................ 37 CONSULTATION ...................................................................................................................... 37 RESULTS ................................................................................................................................ 39 QUANTITATIVE MEASURES ..................................................................................................... 39 Whales Landed in Relation to Quota ................................................................................... 43 Timing and Length of Season .............................................................................................. 44 GPS Information ................................................................................................................. 51 Whaling Effort – Number of Whaling Crews, Number of Boats, Boat Crew Size ................. 73 Whaling Effort – Boat Days, Boat Hours, and Effort Per Unit Catch (EPUC) ..................... 76 MONITORING INDICATOR MATRIX FOR DECISION MAKING ...................................................... 81 ―NON-WHALING‖ BOAT ACTIVITY .......................................................................................... 85 OTHER SUBSISTENCE ACTIVITIES ............................................................................................ 86 REFERENCES CITED .......................................................................................................... 89 ELECTRONIC APPENDICES .............................................................................................. 93 Annual Assessment of Cross Island Whaling, Final Report 2001-2007 Page v List of Tables Table 1: Documented Harvest of Bowhead Whales Near Cross IslandIsland ............................. 15 Table 2: Percentage of Boat Trips with GPS Track Documentation ........................................... 29 Table 3: Example Daily Boat Report Form ................................................................................ 31 Table 4: Daily Boat Report Form for Boats Not Out Scouting ................................................... 35 Table 5: Selected Measures of Cross Island Whaling, 2001-2007 .............................................. 41 Table 6: Timing and Duration of Cross Island Subsistence Whaling Seasons, 2001-2007 ......... 45 Table 7: Cross Island Strikes, 2001-2007 – Selected Measures by Year ..................................... 47 Table 8: Measures Related to Weather and Whale Distribution, Cross Island 2001-2007 ........... 47 Table 9: Boat and Boat Crew Measures, Cross Island 2001-2007 .............................................. 75 Table 10: Measures of Subsistence Whaling Effort, Cross Island 2001-2007 ............................. 77 List of Figures Figure 1: Bowhead Whale Map – Generalized Bowhead Migration Route and Location of Alaskan Subsistence Whaling Communities .........................................................................4 Figure 2: Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort Seas Bowhead Whale Population by Year, 1978-Present .....6 Figure 3: Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort Seas Stock Bowhead Whales Struck By Year, Country, Landed, and Struck & Lost ...................................................................................................6 Figure 4: Whaling Weapons and Equipment ................................................................................8 Figure 5: Representative Nuiqsut Subsistence Whaling Boat Crew ..............................................9 Figure 6: Nuiqsut/Cross Island Location and GPS Tracks Map, with Landmarks....................... 11 Figure 7: Pictures of Nuiqsut and Cross Island .......................................................................... 12 Figure 8: Historic Cross Island Subsistence Whales Landed – Length by Year .......................... 22 Figure 9: Historic Cross Island Subsistence Whales Landed – Length by Day of Year .............. 23 Figure 10: Historic Cross Island Subsistence Whales Landed – Day of Year by Year ................ 23 Figure 11: Composite Scouting Tracks for a Single Day – 9/07/07 ............................................ 32 Figure 12: Butchering Pictures from 2004 ................................................................................. 42 Figure 13: Historic Bowhead Whale Strike Locations in the Cross Island/Prudhoe Bay Area (through 1992) .................................................................................................................... 53 Figure 14: Cross Island GPS Boat Tracks, All Boats and All Days, by Year (2001-2007) .......... 54 Figure 15: Cross Island Whale Sighting Locations, by Year (2001-2007) .................................. 57 Figure 16: Cross Island Whale Strike Locations, by Year (2001-2007) ...................................... 58 Figure 17: Graphical Summary of the 2001 Cross Island Subsistence Whaling Season .............. 62 Figure 18: Graphical Summary of the 2002 Cross Island Subsistence Whaling Season .............. 63 Figure 19: Graphical Summary of the 2003 Cross Island Subsistence Whaling Season .............. 65 Figure 20: Graphical Summary of the 2004 Cross Island Subsistence Whaling Season .............. 66 Figure 21: Graphical Summary of the 2005 Cross Island Subsistence Whaling Season .............. 69 Figure 22: Graphical Summary of the 2006 Cross Island Subsistence Whaling Season .............. 70 Figure 23: Graphical Summary of the 2007 Cross Island Subsistence Whaling Season .............. 72 Annual Assessment of Cross Island Whaling, Final Report 2001-2007 Page vi Acronyms and Abbreviations Used in Tables, Text, and Appendices Acronym or Abbreviation Expanded Term or Reference UA1 Ahkiviana Whaling Crew BO1 Oyagak Whaling Crew IAN Aqargiun Whaling Crew NAP1 Napageak Whaling Crew NUK1 Nukapigak Whaling Crew # Number ACS Alaska Clean Seas AEWC Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission ANCSA Alaska Native
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