Gray Whale Distribution and Catch by Alaskan Eskimos: A Replacement for the Bowhead Whale?
The catch of gray whales, Eschrichtius robustus, by Alaskan Eskimos from 1925 to 1980 has been documented to the extent possible by a search of the literature and personal communications with knowledgeable sources. During the period 1950-1980, 47 gray whales were landed by hunters at 12 villages. Du...
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1982
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ftunivcalgaryojs:oai:journalhosting.ucalgary.ca:article/65392 2023-05-15T14:19:16+02:00 Gray Whale Distribution and Catch by Alaskan Eskimos: A Replacement for the Bowhead Whale? Marquette, William M. Braham, Howard W. 1982-01-01 application/pdf https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/65392 eng eng The Arctic Institute of North America https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/65392/49306 https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/65392 ARCTIC; Vol. 35 No. 3 (1982): September: 349–455; 386-394 1923-1245 0004-0843 Animal distribution Animal mortality Bowhead whales Gray whales Inuit Subsistence Whaling Alaska Northern Alaskan Beaufort Sea Bering Sea Chukchi Sea info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion research-article 1982 ftunivcalgaryojs 2022-03-22T21:22:31Z The catch of gray whales, Eschrichtius robustus, by Alaskan Eskimos from 1925 to 1980 has been documented to the extent possible by a search of the literature and personal communications with knowledgeable sources. During the period 1950-1980, 47 gray whales were landed by hunters at 12 villages. During this same period, 505 bowhead whales, Balaena mysticetus, were landed at nine coastal whaling villages. Alaskan Eskimos traditionally have been bowhead whalers, principally because of the predictive nature of the bowheads' migration. Gray whaling has never been an important subsistence activity. Because the bowhead population is thought to be depleted, gray whales have been suggested as a possible substitute for subsistence. The distribution of gray whales in Alaskan coastal waters is such that reliable annual whaling for this species is possible only at villages on the shores of the northern Bering Sea; it is unlikely for villages north of Bering Strait to Cape Lisburne, and more unlikely for villages north of Cape Lisburne and east of Point Barrow. Based on cultural and biological grounds, substituting gray whales for bowheads does not appear to be a reliable alternative for the residents of four to six of the nine Eskimo villages that currently participate in bowhead whaling.Key words: gray whale, Eschrichitus robustus; bowhead whale, Balaena mysticetus; Eskimos; subsistence whaling; Alaska Mots clés: baleine grise de Californie, Eschrichtius robustus; balaine boréale, Balaena mysticetus; Esquimaux, chasse à la baleine comme activité de subsistance, Alaska Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Balaena mysticetus Barrow Beaufort Sea Bering Sea Bering Strait bowhead whale Chukchi Chukchi Sea eskimo* esquimaux inuit Point Barrow Alaska University of Calgary Journal Hosting Bering Sea Chukchi Sea Bering Strait Baleine ENVELOPE(140.012,140.012,-66.649,-66.649) la Baleine ENVELOPE(140.012,140.012,-66.649,-66.649) ARCTIC 35 3 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Calgary Journal Hosting |
op_collection_id |
ftunivcalgaryojs |
language |
English |
topic |
Animal distribution Animal mortality Bowhead whales Gray whales Inuit Subsistence Whaling Alaska Northern Alaskan Beaufort Sea Bering Sea Chukchi Sea |
spellingShingle |
Animal distribution Animal mortality Bowhead whales Gray whales Inuit Subsistence Whaling Alaska Northern Alaskan Beaufort Sea Bering Sea Chukchi Sea Marquette, William M. Braham, Howard W. Gray Whale Distribution and Catch by Alaskan Eskimos: A Replacement for the Bowhead Whale? |
topic_facet |
Animal distribution Animal mortality Bowhead whales Gray whales Inuit Subsistence Whaling Alaska Northern Alaskan Beaufort Sea Bering Sea Chukchi Sea |
description |
The catch of gray whales, Eschrichtius robustus, by Alaskan Eskimos from 1925 to 1980 has been documented to the extent possible by a search of the literature and personal communications with knowledgeable sources. During the period 1950-1980, 47 gray whales were landed by hunters at 12 villages. During this same period, 505 bowhead whales, Balaena mysticetus, were landed at nine coastal whaling villages. Alaskan Eskimos traditionally have been bowhead whalers, principally because of the predictive nature of the bowheads' migration. Gray whaling has never been an important subsistence activity. Because the bowhead population is thought to be depleted, gray whales have been suggested as a possible substitute for subsistence. The distribution of gray whales in Alaskan coastal waters is such that reliable annual whaling for this species is possible only at villages on the shores of the northern Bering Sea; it is unlikely for villages north of Bering Strait to Cape Lisburne, and more unlikely for villages north of Cape Lisburne and east of Point Barrow. Based on cultural and biological grounds, substituting gray whales for bowheads does not appear to be a reliable alternative for the residents of four to six of the nine Eskimo villages that currently participate in bowhead whaling.Key words: gray whale, Eschrichitus robustus; bowhead whale, Balaena mysticetus; Eskimos; subsistence whaling; Alaska Mots clés: baleine grise de Californie, Eschrichtius robustus; balaine boréale, Balaena mysticetus; Esquimaux, chasse à la baleine comme activité de subsistance, Alaska |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Marquette, William M. Braham, Howard W. |
author_facet |
Marquette, William M. Braham, Howard W. |
author_sort |
Marquette, William M. |
title |
Gray Whale Distribution and Catch by Alaskan Eskimos: A Replacement for the Bowhead Whale? |
title_short |
Gray Whale Distribution and Catch by Alaskan Eskimos: A Replacement for the Bowhead Whale? |
title_full |
Gray Whale Distribution and Catch by Alaskan Eskimos: A Replacement for the Bowhead Whale? |
title_fullStr |
Gray Whale Distribution and Catch by Alaskan Eskimos: A Replacement for the Bowhead Whale? |
title_full_unstemmed |
Gray Whale Distribution and Catch by Alaskan Eskimos: A Replacement for the Bowhead Whale? |
title_sort |
gray whale distribution and catch by alaskan eskimos: a replacement for the bowhead whale? |
publisher |
The Arctic Institute of North America |
publishDate |
1982 |
url |
https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/65392 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(140.012,140.012,-66.649,-66.649) ENVELOPE(140.012,140.012,-66.649,-66.649) |
geographic |
Bering Sea Chukchi Sea Bering Strait Baleine la Baleine |
geographic_facet |
Bering Sea Chukchi Sea Bering Strait Baleine la Baleine |
genre |
Arctic Balaena mysticetus Barrow Beaufort Sea Bering Sea Bering Strait bowhead whale Chukchi Chukchi Sea eskimo* esquimaux inuit Point Barrow Alaska |
genre_facet |
Arctic Balaena mysticetus Barrow Beaufort Sea Bering Sea Bering Strait bowhead whale Chukchi Chukchi Sea eskimo* esquimaux inuit Point Barrow Alaska |
op_source |
ARCTIC; Vol. 35 No. 3 (1982): September: 349–455; 386-394 1923-1245 0004-0843 |
op_relation |
https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/65392/49306 https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/65392 |
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ARCTIC |
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35 |
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