Whaling. Gray whale of the Pacific Northwest Whaling, past and present. Whaling

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1 Gray whale of the Pacific Northwest Whaling, past and present Whaling Independently evolved around the world - Japan - Scandanavia - Pacific Northwest - New England, Pilgrim Fathers William Bradford and Edward Winslow in 1620 wrote: "Cape Cod was like to be a place of good fishing, for we saw daily great whales, of the best kind for oil and bone." Whaling Oil from blubber (10 tons oil/whale) - Fuel for lamps or candle wax - Food - Commercial products (lipstick) - For oiling wood Northern Right Whale Eubalaena Glacialis (Endangered) Meat for people, pets Tennis racket strings Perfume nationalgeographic.com Southern Right Whale E. Australis ~100 to 10,000 since 1900 nationalgeographic.com Blue Whale Balaenoptera musculus 1

2 Bowhead Whale Balaena mysticetus Photo: Dave Rugh, NOAA Sperm Whale Physeter macrocephalus Qwiqwidicciat "people who live by the rocks and seagulls 530 members today Northernmost Nootkan speaking people Gray Whale Eschrichtius robustus MSY: year whaling, seal, sea otter hunting tradition Nutrition, raw materials, spiritual strength Hand crafted canoes Fixed reference navigation system Trade in whale meat and oil (30,000 ga/yr) 3-4 whales/yr supported the village 1931, first paved road to Neah Bay 23,000 acre reservation, mountain forests 1600 acre prairie, with tidal overflow Only vegetables grown, no grains 2

3 1850 s competition for natural resources Native American reservations established Policy makers finance push to agrarian lifestyle - Native Americans encouraged/forced to abandon subsistence practices held onto native culture, continuing to whale, seal, fish despite no economic support "I think the business is a detriment to these Indians. They neglect all other avocations during sealing season... and the money they receive... is either gambled away or is spent for flour, bread, sugar [which are] distributed to their friends." 1859 U.S. Treaty of Neah Bay Superintendent of Indian Affairs Only tribe with treaty-protected right to whale commercially or for subsistence! The right of taking fish and of whaling or sealing at usual and accustomed grounds! Sealing remained major source of income -5,000 skins for worldwide market in ,000 skins, , US bans seal hunts in the Bering Sea except by native hunters with traditional weapons , North Pacific Fur Seal Convention Britain, Japan, Russia, US ban seal hunts slow whaling to 10 whales/yr After 1850 s, whale populations declined - Century of assimilationist pressures Struggle for economic independence 50% of live below poverty line 50% unemployment Subsistence fish and shellfish at all time lows Cultural renaissance, 1970 s Governance Tribal Council five elected members International Whaling Commission, 1946 To provide for the conservation, development and optimum utilization of the whale resources Sole international body to regulate whaling - Any country can leave the IWC at any time and make their own regulations - Any country can opt out of the IWC regulations Marine environment is a common resource International Whaling Commission Antigua, Barbuda Argentina Australia Austria Belgium Belize Benin Brazil Cambodia Cameroon Chile China Congo Costa Rica Côte d'ivoire Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Dominica Ecuador Finland France Gabon Gambia Germany Greece Grenada Guatemala Guinea-Bissau Guinea Hungary Iceland India Ireland Israel Italy Japan Kenya Kiribati Korea Laos Luxembourg Mali Marshall Islands Mauritania Mexico Monaco Mongolia Morocco Nauru Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Norway Oman Palau Panama Peru Portugal Romania Russia San Marino St. Kitts & Nevis St. Lucia St. Vincent Senegal Slovak Republic Slovenia Solomon Isl. South Africa Spain Suriname Sweden Switzerland Tanzania Togo Tuvalu UK Uruguay USA 3

4 International Whaling Commission: 1986 Moratorium 1849, kerosene was first distilled from crude oil Whale oil ($/ga) Crude oil ($/ga) , Gray whales go on endangered species list 1972, US creates Marine Mammal Protection Act NOAA Fisheries no take of marine mammals MMPA written (with no mention of NA treaties) 1986, Self imposed commercial whaling moratorium Moratorium is not US law but a recommendation Catch limits, : Greenland -19 fin whales minke whales (west) - 12 minke whales (east) - 2 bowhead whales Siberia & Alaksa bowhead whales, max. 67/yr gray whales, max. 140/yr St Vincent & The Grenadines - 20 humpback whales 250 Total Subsistence Catch Total Subsistence Catch All species, Whales caught Whales Exception - Scientific Whaling Special Permit Catches Goals to increase understanding of the biology and feeding ecology of important cetacean species in Icelandic waters for improved management of living marine resources based on an ecosystem approach 4

5 Exception - Scientific Whaling Scientific Whaling Catches Exception - Scientific Whaling Scientific Catches by Country Japan Norway 289 Whales 600 Korea Iceland Catches Sanctuaries Antarctic, 1995 Indian Ocean, 1979 Southern Ocean, 1994 Opposition: Japan: 2003 proposes (unsuccessful) interim relief allocation of 50 minke whales Norway: rejects moratorium and sets national catch limits for minke whales Iceland: rejects moratorium, permits for 9 fin, 30 minke return to whaling Whaling Commission - 23 traditional whaling families 1995, Tribal Council holds referendum on whaling - 73 for, 26 against agree to: - Non-commercial whaling - Environmental Impact Statements - Methods for most humane catches Whaling crew practicing return to whaling First whaling season (since 1926) held in 1998 Protest vessels/confrontation prevent any takes Protest headed by Sea Shephard Conservation Society Rejected substantial funds that were offered in exchange to abandon whaling rights Reasons to return to whaling Health and nutrition Cultural tradition Tribal pride and discipline Promised to their nation 5

6 return to whaling May, 1999, one whale caught with domestic permit return to whaling - glitch 2002, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decided that tribe must obtain a waiver before it can exercise Treaty whaling rights 2005, application for waiver under National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and creation of an Environmental Impact Statement May, 2008, EIS under public comment return to whaling - glitch 2002, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decided that tribe must obtain a waiver before it can exercise Treaty whaling rights 2005, application for waiver under National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and creation of an Environmental Impact Statement May, 2008, EIS under public comment 9/07, 5 tribal members kill a gray whale in a hunt unauthorized by federal or tribal law Whaling controversies Is it subsistence after 70 years without whale hunting? Will the expansion of subsistence hunting lead to an overturn on the moratorium on commercial hunting? Will we manage whales like we manage salmon or cod, which are both still fished and on the endangered species list? The have logged their lands extensively. Will they treat marine mammals as a similar resource to be exploited? How should scientific whaling be treated? Are scientific whaling and aboriginal whaling ethically different? Who should implement IWC sanctuary and moratorium recommendations? 6