Eider exploitation by hunters and trappers on Svalbard during the 19th and early 20th centuries
Abstract Natural resources of Svalbard, notably seal, walrus, whale, reindeer, polar bear and Arctic fox, were exploited through the 19th and early 20th centuries by both overwintering and seasonal hunters and trappers. Hunters also collected eggs and down of eider ducks to supplement their catches....
Published in: | Polar Record |
---|---|
Main Author: | |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
1991
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0032247400019860 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0032247400019860 |
id |
crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s0032247400019860 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s0032247400019860 2024-03-03T08:40:22+00:00 Eider exploitation by hunters and trappers on Svalbard during the 19th and early 20th centuries Rossnes, Gustav 1991 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0032247400019860 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0032247400019860 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms Polar Record volume 27, issue 160, page 47-52 ISSN 0032-2474 1475-3057 General Earth and Planetary Sciences Ecology Geography, Planning and Development journal-article 1991 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s0032247400019860 2024-02-08T08:39:54Z Abstract Natural resources of Svalbard, notably seal, walrus, whale, reindeer, polar bear and Arctic fox, were exploited through the 19th and early 20th centuries by both overwintering and seasonal hunters and trappers. Hunters also collected eggs and down of eider ducks to supplement their catches. Amounts of uncleaned down officially registered as imported to Norway ranged from 300–2600 kg annually (mean 1300 kg). The accuracy of these figures is discussed. Eider down accounted for 7–10% of the annual income of the trappers who wintered on the islands. Competition between trappers spending the winter and the crews of the sealers and whalers often resulted in an unorganized free-for-all collection of down and eggs, causing a steady decline of the eider population. The population was protected by legislation in 1963 and the designation of several bird sanctuaries in 1973, in which it was hoped that eider numbers would recover. It is not clear whether these measures have been successful: historical records have too many lacunae for a reliable calculation of the original size of the eider population which the trappers and sealers exploited. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Fox Arctic Polar Record Svalbard walrus* Cambridge University Press Arctic Svalbard Norway Polar Record 27 160 47 52 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Cambridge University Press |
op_collection_id |
crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
topic |
General Earth and Planetary Sciences Ecology Geography, Planning and Development |
spellingShingle |
General Earth and Planetary Sciences Ecology Geography, Planning and Development Rossnes, Gustav Eider exploitation by hunters and trappers on Svalbard during the 19th and early 20th centuries |
topic_facet |
General Earth and Planetary Sciences Ecology Geography, Planning and Development |
description |
Abstract Natural resources of Svalbard, notably seal, walrus, whale, reindeer, polar bear and Arctic fox, were exploited through the 19th and early 20th centuries by both overwintering and seasonal hunters and trappers. Hunters also collected eggs and down of eider ducks to supplement their catches. Amounts of uncleaned down officially registered as imported to Norway ranged from 300–2600 kg annually (mean 1300 kg). The accuracy of these figures is discussed. Eider down accounted for 7–10% of the annual income of the trappers who wintered on the islands. Competition between trappers spending the winter and the crews of the sealers and whalers often resulted in an unorganized free-for-all collection of down and eggs, causing a steady decline of the eider population. The population was protected by legislation in 1963 and the designation of several bird sanctuaries in 1973, in which it was hoped that eider numbers would recover. It is not clear whether these measures have been successful: historical records have too many lacunae for a reliable calculation of the original size of the eider population which the trappers and sealers exploited. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Rossnes, Gustav |
author_facet |
Rossnes, Gustav |
author_sort |
Rossnes, Gustav |
title |
Eider exploitation by hunters and trappers on Svalbard during the 19th and early 20th centuries |
title_short |
Eider exploitation by hunters and trappers on Svalbard during the 19th and early 20th centuries |
title_full |
Eider exploitation by hunters and trappers on Svalbard during the 19th and early 20th centuries |
title_fullStr |
Eider exploitation by hunters and trappers on Svalbard during the 19th and early 20th centuries |
title_full_unstemmed |
Eider exploitation by hunters and trappers on Svalbard during the 19th and early 20th centuries |
title_sort |
eider exploitation by hunters and trappers on svalbard during the 19th and early 20th centuries |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
1991 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0032247400019860 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0032247400019860 |
geographic |
Arctic Svalbard Norway |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Svalbard Norway |
genre |
Arctic Fox Arctic Polar Record Svalbard walrus* |
genre_facet |
Arctic Fox Arctic Polar Record Svalbard walrus* |
op_source |
Polar Record volume 27, issue 160, page 47-52 ISSN 0032-2474 1475-3057 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0032247400019860 |
container_title |
Polar Record |
container_volume |
27 |
container_issue |
160 |
container_start_page |
47 |
op_container_end_page |
52 |
_version_ |
1792496074824351744 |