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Alaska whaling boats prepare for new seasonBack during the April bowhead season, Barrow whaling captain Crawford Patkotak and his crew were fortunate enough to land a whale for their community. Of the 35 registered whaling boats and 24 allowed strikes, Barrow hunters struck seven whales and landed five. As the fall opening nears, the Patkotak crew, along with many others, will prepare their boats and equipment in an effort toward the 13 remaining allotted strikes. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the federal National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) plans to evaluate the number of bowhead whales that it will allow Alaska Eskimos to harvest during their annual hunts. The current quota permits up to 75 bowhead whale strikes per harvest, which is estimated to be less than 1 percent of the entire population of bowhead whales in the Western Arctic. Whaling is an integral aspect of Arctic coastal communities. "I have been hunting bowheads, along with my brother and father for as long as I can remember," said co-captain Josiah Patkotak.
The first captain of this hunting crew, established in 1972, was Josiah Patkotak’s grandfather, who recently passed down the captainship to his son. Unlike many Alaska Native traditions, which are in decline, Patkotak said whaling is different. "The hunters are mainly young guys," he said, adding that five of the crew of Crawford's boat are less than 25 years of age. Scientists will conduct an environmental review of the bowhead harvest quota allocated to 11 Arctic Alaska communities. The results of the study will provide an Environmental Impact Statement and resultant harvest guidelines for the NMFS for the next four years, updating the federal subsistence guidelines between 2013 and 2017. The results of the study will not be released until April, after which the public will be invited to comment on the findings. Seasoned whalers, more new issuesOf the great many safety concerns and hunting strategies whalers face while out on the water, changes in sea ice conditions and potential impacts from off-shore oil development are new factors that cannot be overlooked. "I personally have noticed little, if any, change in the sea ice during my time, but I've heard stories of the ice being thick enough to harvest the largest bowheads as late as June 14," Patkotak said. "Nowadays, most hunters don’t go after the biggest whales, but pick smaller ones, small enough for the ice to support. Ice matters for whale size." That means less whale is available per landing and less whale for the community to subsist on. Concerning oil development Patkotak said he hopes Native ways will be respected. "I hope that oil companies will communicate with the community and think rationally and make rules that benefit the people of Barrow," he said. "I also hope that they will abide by the rules that are established if drilling production begins. Whaling is our identity."
mrsmassebfagbeau - Your post is so ignorant about not only the way we live. We hunt whales to eat (survive). Just as your people go to wal-marts and safeways to get food to eat; No different! Do you know how cows, chicken and pork are killed? Cows are herded in a pen where they can't move side to side and shot point blank between the eyes witha .22 caliber just so you can eat your t-bone steak. Your fried chicken and boiled eggs come from chicken who spend their entire sad lives in a 1 X 1 cage. Pigs - I'm sure you get the picture. Ever eat veal? Want to know how they are killed? The poor baby cow's leg are broken soon after birth so the poor baby doesn't develop muscle in order for you to enjoy soft meat. So in essence, your people are not hunting wild free roaming animals, but abused animals. Stay thirsty for more information my step-child and keep eating tofu. Yeah; I support the whale hunt and most everything else Native, and I think that mrsmassebeau kinda stuck her foot in it. But that's no reason to wing off into an attack against all of Developed society. They raise animals in 'factory farms', sure, but it's no more 'vicious' than an Eskimo staking out a seal's breathing hole waiting to kill it when it comes to breath. That's just how it's done. "mrsmassebfagbeau"? Are you cleverly calling this person a fag? I'm happy that the whale hunt is going well, and that subsistence in general is working out. I have high hopes for the Native and the white rural cultures, particularly but not exclusively in Alaska. Those who are fortunate enough to live close to nature, and not in a human version of a calf crate or factory-farm, do have special responsibilities. Because they are so few, and so different in the modern world, they are highly visible. It is worth the effort to make a good impression. This is a good place to gain practice being a good ambassador for your people. Broke a calf's legs after birth ? Get serious. My father raised veal for years and he most certainly never broke the calves legs to do it. Calves are raised in a pen about 6x8 feet and fed mainly milk. My father used to let the calves run while their pens were cleaned and he sometimes gave them a bit of alfalfa or grain as well as the twice a day feeding of milk. The small size of the pen is what stops the development of muscle. Breaking legs really . I doubt there is a place in North America that would stand for such cruelty. The success of the Alaska (and other) Native communities in maintaining their traditional whale hunts, is a success for all who look past the end of the pavement, and away from the TV. May they meet their harvest goals this fall, and stay safe. No matter how you try to package whaling their just isn't one thing right about it. The year is 2011, a time when we know that whales and dolphins are highly intelligent, socially evolved ocean mammals and yet whaling is allowed to continue. What they are doing in Alaska is no better than the dolphin drives of the Faroe Islands. These tribes are not rowing in canoes, they are driving high powered motor boats and using high technology. Surely, with all of that at there disposal they could figure out a way to live without killing whales. Part of the response lies in "diversity". With the acceptance of the importance of diversity, comes a priority to recognize & accommodate both individuals & communities who see & interpret the world around themselves in ways that will contrast, and even conflict, with the ways other individuals & communities see things. I reject the suggestion that whales & dolphins have something all that different between the ears, than other 'higher mammals'. Many animals are similarly endowed. Your philosophy will be better-honored, by living it for yourself ... without feeling like you have to (or have the right to) project it onto all other humans. |
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