Bowhead Whales in the Eastern Arctic, 1611-1911: Population Reconstruction with Historical Whaling
Abstract As early as 1611 Bowhead whales resident between the east coast of Greenland and the island of Spitzbergen were the subject of intensive commercial hunting effort by Dutch, German and British whalers. By 1911 there was no significant, permanent population of Bowhead whales living in these w...
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.3197/096734006776026791 https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/whp/eh/2006/00000012/00000001/art00004 |
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crliverpoolup:10.3197/096734006776026791 2024-09-15T18:08:40+00:00 Bowhead Whales in the Eastern Arctic, 1611-1911: Population Reconstruction with Historical Whaling Allen, Robert C. Keay, Ian 2006 http://dx.doi.org/10.3197/096734006776026791 https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/whp/eh/2006/00000012/00000001/art00004 en eng Liverpool University Press Environment and History volume 12, issue 1, page 89-113 ISSN 0967-3407 1752-7023 journal-article 2006 crliverpoolup https://doi.org/10.3197/096734006776026791 2024-08-29T04:10:40Z Abstract As early as 1611 Bowhead whales resident between the east coast of Greenland and the island of Spitzbergen were the subject of intensive commercial hunting effort by Dutch, German and British whalers. By 1911 there was no significant, permanent population of Bowhead whales living in these waters. To understand the relationship between the commercial exploitation of the Bowhead and their eventual extinction we must determine the chronology of their decline, starting with an estimate of the initial, pristine stock size. In this paper we compare and contrast four methodological approaches that can be used to estimate the Greenland-Spitzbergen Bowhead stock size prior to, and during, commercial exploitation. Using species-specific biological parameters, a delayed-difference recruitment model, and historical whaling records, we reconstruct the Greenland-Spitzbergen Bowhead population throughout the period of human predation. We estimate that there were approximately 52,500 adult Bowhead whales resident in the waters between the east coast of Greenland and the island of Spitzbergen in 1611. Article in Journal/Newspaper Greenland Spitzbergen Liverpool University Press Environment and History 12 1 89 113 |
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Liverpool University Press |
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language |
English |
description |
Abstract As early as 1611 Bowhead whales resident between the east coast of Greenland and the island of Spitzbergen were the subject of intensive commercial hunting effort by Dutch, German and British whalers. By 1911 there was no significant, permanent population of Bowhead whales living in these waters. To understand the relationship between the commercial exploitation of the Bowhead and their eventual extinction we must determine the chronology of their decline, starting with an estimate of the initial, pristine stock size. In this paper we compare and contrast four methodological approaches that can be used to estimate the Greenland-Spitzbergen Bowhead stock size prior to, and during, commercial exploitation. Using species-specific biological parameters, a delayed-difference recruitment model, and historical whaling records, we reconstruct the Greenland-Spitzbergen Bowhead population throughout the period of human predation. We estimate that there were approximately 52,500 adult Bowhead whales resident in the waters between the east coast of Greenland and the island of Spitzbergen in 1611. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Allen, Robert C. Keay, Ian |
spellingShingle |
Allen, Robert C. Keay, Ian Bowhead Whales in the Eastern Arctic, 1611-1911: Population Reconstruction with Historical Whaling |
author_facet |
Allen, Robert C. Keay, Ian |
author_sort |
Allen, Robert C. |
title |
Bowhead Whales in the Eastern Arctic, 1611-1911: Population Reconstruction with Historical Whaling |
title_short |
Bowhead Whales in the Eastern Arctic, 1611-1911: Population Reconstruction with Historical Whaling |
title_full |
Bowhead Whales in the Eastern Arctic, 1611-1911: Population Reconstruction with Historical Whaling |
title_fullStr |
Bowhead Whales in the Eastern Arctic, 1611-1911: Population Reconstruction with Historical Whaling |
title_full_unstemmed |
Bowhead Whales in the Eastern Arctic, 1611-1911: Population Reconstruction with Historical Whaling |
title_sort |
bowhead whales in the eastern arctic, 1611-1911: population reconstruction with historical whaling |
publisher |
Liverpool University Press |
publishDate |
2006 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.3197/096734006776026791 https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/whp/eh/2006/00000012/00000001/art00004 |
genre |
Greenland Spitzbergen |
genre_facet |
Greenland Spitzbergen |
op_source |
Environment and History volume 12, issue 1, page 89-113 ISSN 0967-3407 1752-7023 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3197/096734006776026791 |
container_title |
Environment and History |
container_volume |
12 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
89 |
op_container_end_page |
113 |
_version_ |
1810446034740969472 |