IWC/67/ASW/X WHITE PAPER ON MANAGEMENT AND UTILIZATION OF LARGE WHALES IN GREENLAND THE GOVERNMENT OF GREENLAND MINISTRY OF FISHERIES, HUNTING & AGRICULTURE JUNE 2018 IWC/67/ASW/X Table of content: TABLE OF CONTENT: ...................................................................................................................................... 2 1. SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................................. 4 2. INTRODUCTION TO WHALING IN GREENLAND .......................................................................................... 15 3. HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF WHALING ACTIVITIES AND CATCHES UP TO PRESENT TIME ............................. 17 HUNTING OF LARGE WHALES BY EARLY GREENLANDERS ................................................................................................. 17 PELAGIC WHALERS (1922 – 1958) .......................................................................................................................... 18 COASTAL WHALING IN THE 20TH CENTURY ................................................................................................................. 18 BOWHEAD WHALE ................................................................................................................................................. 19 HUMPBACK WHALE ................................................................................................................................................ 20 FIN WHALE ........................................................................................................................................................... 20 COMMON MINKE WHALE, WEST GREENLAND ............................................................................................................. 22 COMMON MINKE WHALE, EAST GREENLAND .............................................................................................................. 23 MODERNISATION OF THE WHALING FLEET .................................................................................................................. 23 4. STATUS OF LARGE WHALES AROUND GREENLAND ................................................................................... 24 SURVEYS .............................................................................................................................................................. 25 COMMON MINKE WHALE ........................................................................................................................................ 26 FIN WHALE ........................................................................................................................................................... 26 HUMPBACK WHALE ................................................................................................................................................ 27 BOWHEAD WHALE ................................................................................................................................................. 27 5. REGULATIONS AND MONITORING ........................................................................................................... 28 LEGISLATION RELATED TO THE HUNTING OF LARGE WHALES ............................................................................................ 28 THE EXECUTIVE ORDER ON HUNTING OF LARGE WHALES ................................................................................................ 30 QUOTA SYSTEM .................................................................................................................................................... 31 MONITORING AND DATA COLLECTION ........................................................................................................................ 32 6. ANIMAL WELFARE: HUNTING METHODS, TIME TO DEATH AND LOSS RATES ............................................. 35 VESSELS WITH HARPOON CANNON ............................................................................................................................ 35 FIN WHALES WITH HARPOON CANNON ....................................................................................................................... 36 BOWHEAD WHALE WITH HARPOON CANNON .............................................................................................................. 37 HUMPBACK WHALE WITH HARPOON CANNON ............................................................................................................. 37 MINKE WHALES WITH HARPOON CANNON .................................................................................................................. 37 COLLECTIVE MINKE WHALE HUNT .............................................................................................................................. 39 DISTRIBUTION OF WHALE PRODUCTS ......................................................................................................................... 41 TIME TO DEATH, INSTANTANEOUS DEATH AND LOSS RATES ............................................................................................. 41 MEASURES TO REDUCE ANIMAL SUFFERING ................................................................................................................ 45 7. ABORIGINAL SUBSISTENCE WHALING (ASW) IN THE IWC .......................................................................... 49 WITHIN THE IWC CONTEXT ..................................................................................................................................... 49 IN A GREENLANDIC CONTEXT ................................................................................................................................... 51 FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS ....................................................................................................................................... 54 A CONSISTENT AND LONG‐TERM APPROACH FOR ABORIGINAL SUBSISTENCE WHALING ...................................................... 54 8. GREENLAND’S NEED OF WHALE MEAT ..................................................................................................... 55 EAST GREENLAND NEED FROM LARGE WHALES, PRIOR TO 1985 AND 1986‐2018 ............................................................. 56 EAST GREENLAND NEED FROM LARGE WHALES 2019‐2025 .......................................................................................... 57 WEST GREENLAND NEED FROM LARGE WHALES, PRIOR TO 1985 AND 2019‐2025 ........................................................... 58 ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH REASONS FOR CONSUMING WHALE MEAT IN GREENLAND ..................................................... 64 2 IWC/67/ASW/X 9. BIOLOGICAL ADVICE ON CATCHES OF LARGE WHALES IN GREENLAND ...................................................... 66 10. CONCLUDING REMARKS ......................................................................................................................... 67 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................................ 69 APPENDIX I .................................................................................................................................................. 73 SUMMARY OF THE POINTS RELEVANT TO LIMITATIONS OF CATCH, MONITORING OF QUOTA AND HUMAN KILLING METHODS, FROM THE “THE GOVERNMENT OF GREENLAND’S EXECUTIVE ORDER NR. 12 OF 22 OF DECEMBER 2014 ON THE HUNT OF LARGE WHALES” ............................................................................................................................................................. 73 APPENDIX II ................................................................................................................................................. 76 THE IMPORTANCE OF WHALE MEAT AND BLUBBER TO THE DIET OF GREENLANDERS ............................................................. 76 APPENDIX III ................................................................................................................................................ 82 DOCUMENTATION ON GREENLAND WHALING SUBMITTED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF GREENLAND TO THE IWC, 1979 – 2018 .. 82 APPENDIX IV ............................................................................................................................................... 91 WEST GREENLANDIC CATCHES 2013‐2017 SUBMITTED TO THE IWC DATABASE ............................................................... 91 WEST GREENLANDIC CATCHES 2008‐2012 SUBMITTED TO THE IWC DATABASE ............................................................... 92 WEST GREENLANDIC CATCHES 2003‐2007 SUBMITTED TO THE IWC DATABASE ............................................................... 92 APPENDIX V ................................................................................................................................................ 93 THE 63. ANNUAL MEETING OF THE INTERNATIONAL WHALING COMMISSION: ................................................................... 93 RANGE STATE CONSULTATION ‐ ADDRESSING GREENLAND’S ABORIGINAL SUBSISTENCE QUOTA ON HUMPBACK WHALE, 2011 .... 93 RANGE STATE ....................................................................................................................................................... 93 III) HUMPBACK WHALES IN GREENLAND .................................................................................................................... 95 V) OTHER HUMAN INDUCES