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Number 32 June 2006 ISSN 1192-3539 Number 32 June 2006 ISSN 1192-3539 EDITORIAL This month, the 58th Annual Meeting of the International soon as possible in accordance with advice from Norwegian Whaling Commission (IWC) convenes in St. Kitts and Nevis. It scientists. was during the 42nd IWC meeting held in Noordwijk, the Norwegian whalers will also be allowed to hunt minke whales Netherlands, in 1990 that a decision was taken to establish the in a larger part of the Jan Mayen area beginning in 2006, a International Network for Whaling Research. It was decided the measure requested by whalers following small catches in this network would produce a newsletter, organize conferences and region of the Greenland Sea in previous years; in 2005, only workshops on whaling topics, and seek to interest an academic five of the allowable catch of 145 animals in the Jan Mayen press in publishing books on whaling. The first INWR area were taken. Recent marketing campaigns and the conference was held in Winnipeg, Canada, on community- development of new products appear to have stimulated the based whaling in the northern regions, followed by others in demand for whale meat. Washington DC, Lake Tahoe (Nevada), Quebec City, Halifax (Canada), Bodø (Norway), and Berkeley (California). The Norway uses a model developed by the International Whaling INWR newsletter (INWR Digest No. 1) began publication in Commission (IWC) to calculate the annual minke quota. At October 1992, and continues to be mailed to individual present, Norwegian and international scientists are working to subscribers and libraries; it is also accessible on the INWR improve the model after preliminary analyses indicate that the website. In 1991, CCI Press in Edmonton, Canada, agreed to IWC model does not meet management objectives and is much publish a dedicated series of books and monographs as its more conservative than previously believed. Norwegian Studies in Whaling series (ISSN0838-133X). In this issue of whaling is subject to tight controls: whalers are required to INWR Digest, the latest book (No. 8) in this series is register all relevant information in a logbook and national announced: Scientific Uncertainty and the Politics of Whaling inspectors, international observers, and coast guard officials by Michael Heazle of Griffith University, Australia. Dr. perform random inspections. Next year, all vessels will be Heazle’s book focuses attention on the impasse within the IWC equipped with an electronic inspection system that records over the appropriateness (or not) of sustainably utilizing (i.e. how many whales are hunted at what exact location and at conserving) whales, and how considerations other than those of what time. Norwegian whalers are required to take a tissue a scientific nature affect many of the arguments and the sample from each whale for a DNA-registry; so far about decisions being taken in the IWC. This same theme was 5,000 samples have been collected since 1997. explored from a complementary (anthropological) perspective in the previous Studies in Whaling volume, titled Marine IWC ABORIGINAL WHALING QUOTAS Mammals and Northern Cultures (by Arne Kalland et al., Annual meetings of the IWC may review quotas set for announced in INWR Digest 31). aboriginal whale fisheries of its members. The fisheries in question are those of member countries Denmark, Russia, St. NORWAY WHALING QUOTA INCREASED Vincent and the Grenadines, and the U.S.A and for those Norway increased its annual whaling quota by a further 250 particular species subject to IWC management (namely animals to 1052 whales in 2006, the highest quota since the bowhead, fin, gray, humpback and minke). The IWC mid-1980s. 639 minke whales were taken during the 2005 Aboriginal-subsistence whaling regime sets the allowable summer hunting season from a quota of 796; the 2004 quota catch level (quota) based on the demonstrated nutritional, was 670. In announcing the 2006 quota, the Minister of subsistence and cultural needs of each whaling nation, Fisheries and Coastal Affairs referred to the unanimous although according to its Convention, the IWC may only set parliamentary request for a larger minke whale quota for the catch quotas for a specific whale stock, not a whaling nation. current season. The minister also referred to a 2004 White Thus, in those cases where more than one nation hunts any Paper on Norwegian whaling policy in which parliament particular stock of whales, the division of the quota is decided instructed the Government to significantly increase the quota as outside of the IWC. 1 The whaling catch limits are currently set for a five-year period. Representative of the European Union recommended that Thus the total allowable catch from the Bering-Chukchi- CITES undertake a trade review of narwhal product sales, Beaufort Seas stock of bowhead whales (taken by Alaskan and claiming that narwhal hunting has increased in West Chukotkan whalers in Russia) is currently set at 280 for the Greenland and Canada since CITES' last trade review in 1995 period 2003 - 2007, with no more than 67 whales to be struck in and that hunting is carried out at an unsustainable level in both any year and with a maximum of 15 unused strikes allowed to countries. While Canada has had narwhal quotas in place for be carried over to the following year. The Eastern North Pacific years, the report tabled at the CITES meeting takes issue with gray whale total allowable catch (taken by Chukotkan and how hunting limits are set. The report notes that Greenland Makah [USA] whalers) is set at 620 for the years 2003-2007, adopted its first narwhal-hunt regulations in 2004, yet its legal with a maximum of 140 in any one year. quota of 300 narwhal that year was still above the limit of 135 recommended by marine biologists. An annual catch of 19 West Greenland fin whales (taken by Greenlanders) has been set for each of the years 2003 through Greenland, in responding to the CITES call for a trade review 2007. West Greenlanders are also allocated 175 minke whale pointed out that CITES is mandated to control trade only when strikes for each of the years 2003- 2007. The annual catch of species are threatened by the trade itself, and pointed out that West Greenland minke whales (taken by West Greenlanders) international trade is not the main incentive for narwhal for the years 2003 through 2007 is set at 175 strikes, with up to hunting, consequently imposing a trade ban is unlikely to 15 unused strikes allowed to be carried over each year. An effect the level of exploitation. The Greenland narwhal hunt is annual catch of 12 East Greenland minke whales (taken by East a subsistence hunt with meat and skin [mattak] principally Greenlanders) is allowed for the years 2003-2007, with up to 3 used domestically as food, with the tusk a surplus product and unused strikes permitted to be carried over each year. the only part of the whale occasionally traded internationally. Greenland, while recognizing that the narwhal population has For the 2003 – 2007 period, the number of humpback whales declined, stated that narwhal hunting has not increased, but allowed to be taken by St Vincent and the Grenadines (taken by rather decreased in recent years, Greenland noted that it had Bequian whalers) is not to exceed 20 animals. taken action to conserve narwhal stocks and will improve its export system for narwhal, while pointing out that maintaining In each of these nations other cetacean species are hunted, a limited market for ivory encourages hunters to kill tusk- including beluga whales in Chukotka and Alaska, beluga, bearing males rather than females. A report prepared by Dr. narwhal and long-finned pilot whales in Greenland, and short- Mads Peter Heide-Jørgensen from the Greenlandic Institute of finned pilot whales in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Natural Resources, argues that there is no need for a trade review of narwhal because Greenland has taken moves to CARIBBEAN HUMPBACK WHALING reduce the narwhal harvest. On April 9 2006 a 13.9 m (46.4 ft) humpback whale was landed Greenland says that the appearance of increased trade results by two Bequian whaling boats hunting co-operatively. St. from the greater ease with which craftspeople can obtain Vincent and the Grenadines has a quota not exceeding 20 export permits today, also noting that craft products can be humpbacks for the 2003 – 2007 seasons. North Atlantic made from pieces of narwhal tusk, teeth or bones obtained humpbacks, now numbering ca. 11,500, are believed to have many years after the narwhal was hunted. Since 1995, Canada recovered to their pre-exploitation numbers. In 2005, Bequian and Greenland have exported 2,082 tusks, 5,379 kilos of meat, whalers landed one humpback, measuring 10.5 m (35 ft). A 1,716 narwhal teeth or tusks and 3,342 narwhal ivory, or bone small number of short-finned pilot whales (in the range 50- carvings. Canada's average annual export of tusks rose from 79 60/year) are also taken each year in St. Vincent and the tusks to 122 by 2002. Narwhal meat, blubber and mattak is Grenadines, one of four Eastern Caribbean nations engaging in sold locally in Greenland or sent to ca.12,000 Greenlanders this particular small-boat fishery. living in Denmark as patients, students, and (mostly temporary) residents. CITES EYES NARWHAL IVORY CRITICALLY-ENDANGERED CETACEANS CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered The current issue of Upwellings (Volume 11, No. 1, the Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an intergovernmental body newsletter of the Pacific Cetacean Group, Moss Landing, that sets controls on the international sale of threatened species California), identifies the top 10 critically endangered cetacean or the products made from such animal or plant parts.
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