The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is reviewing catch limits for 11 Alaskan native communities permitted to catch bowhead whales for subsistence hunting. The new quota would cover a six-year period starting in 2018.
While the final limit will have to be approved by the International Whaling Commission, the environmental impact statement being prepared by NOAA will help it decide how Alaska’s share of the catch will be allocated among native groups. “In 2012, the International Whaling Commission extended bowhead catch limits, allowing Alaska and some Russia Native hunters to land as many as 336 whales through 2018,” says The Seattle Times.
For many Alaska natives, whale meat is an important food source. “[H]arvesting bowheads is considered a sacred accomplishment. … The hunts are blessed through ceremonial dances. Successful harvests prompt celebrations where tons of meat are cut up and distributed,” says the Times.