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Aboriginal Subsistence Whaling. Yay or Nay? By Anne Castiglioni. Aboriginal Subsistence Whaling. Of a different nature than commercial whaling Satisfies subsistence needs of aboriginal peoples from all over the globe
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Aboriginal Subsistence Whaling Yay or Nay? By Anne Castiglioni
Aboriginal Subsistence Whaling • Of a different nature than commercial whaling • Satisfies subsistence needs of aboriginal peoples from all over the globe • Important ancient ritual that dates back thousands of years; central to the survival of populations of aboriginal coastal peoples
Objectives of Subsistence Whaling • To ensure that risks of extinction are not seriously increased by whaling • To enable native people to hunt whales at levels appropriate to their cultural and nutritional requirements (also called ‘need’) • To move populations towards and then maintain them at healthy levels
The IWC • International Whaling Commission-global intergovernmental body • Charged with the conservation of whales and the management of whaling • Set up under the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling signed in 1946 • Has a current membership of 89 Governments from countries around the World.
IWC Policy • Introduced zero catch limits for commercial whaling • Sets catch limits for aboriginal subsistence whaling • Responsibility of national governments to provide the Commission with evidence of the cultural and subsistence needs of their people • Scientific advice on the sustainability of proposed hunts is provided by the IWC’s Scientific Committee
Strike/Catch Limits • ‘Need statements’ • The Commission • ‘Carry over’ • Examples of strike and catch limits
Types of Whales Subsistence Hunted • Bowhead whales-taken by native people of Alaska and Chukotka • Gray whales- taken by native people of Chukotka and Washington State • Minke whales- taken by Greenlanders • Bowhead whales- taken by Greenlanders • Fin whales-taken by Greenlanders • Common Minke whales- taken by Greenlanders • Humpback whales-taken by Greenlanders, St Vincent and The Grenadines
Where Subsistence Hunting Occurs • Denmark- (Greenland, fin, bowhead, humpback and minke whales) • Russian Federation- (Siberia, gray and bowhead whales) • St Vincent and The Grenadines-(Bequia, humpback whales) • Alaska-(Alaska, bowhead whales; Washington State, gray whales)
Example of Subsistence Hunting • http://youtu.be/4vz2k1jAhIE
Aboriginals that Subsistence Hunt • Inupiat Eskimos-live in Alaska's Northwest Arctic region, rely heavily on subsistence hunting and fishing • Makah people- live in Washington State, Native American people Their diet consists of whale, seal, fish, and a wide variety of shellfish
Pros/Cons of Subsistence Whaling • Pros • Preservation of aboriginal way of life • Strike and catch limits allow protection against overkill of whales • Provides many resources for native peoples living in subsistence whaling areas • Cons • Very controversial • Double standard? • Animal welfare issues