Atuagagdliutit - 16.12.1993, Blaðsíða 10

10
ICC
DECEMBER 1993
The NAMMCO Scientific Committee
discusses management
The Scientific Committee of
NAMMCO met in Reykja-
vik, Iceland in late novem-
ber to discuss progress in
the Working Groups on Ma-
nagement Procedures and
Northern Bottlenose and
Killer Whales.
When reviewing the re-
ports from the NAMMCO
Working Group on Manage-
ment Procedures it becomes
apparent that the initial dis-
cussions on management
procedures largely have be-
en based on the procedures
developed by the Internatio-
nal Whaling Commission
(IWC). The IWC procedures
are based on historie hun-
ting practices and stock as-
sessment. NAMMCO does
not specifically address the
integration of indigenous or
traditional knowledge in its
objectives as does the Cana-
da-Greenland Joint Com-
mission on Conservation
and Management of Beluga
and Narwhal.
The Working Group on
Management Procedures
agreed, at its last meeting,
that there is a need for fur-
ture work in defining objec-
tives and in developing pro-
cedures for marine mammal
stocks and species relevant
to NAMMCO. It was stres-
sed in the report that: »Cle-
ar management objectives
need to be expressed before
management procedures
can be developed and that no
single management proce-
dure would cover the variety
of management situations
that involve North Atlantic
marine mammals.« The re-
port also emphasizes the ne-
cessity to make manage-
ment principles case-speci-
fic, that is to develop specific
procedures for each species.
It was, among other
things, suggested that: »..
NAMMCO may prefer to as-
sume an advisory and evalu-
atory management role. In
this case management for
species and areas would be
developed on a national ba-
sis following national initia-
tives. The funetion of
NAMMCO’s Scientific Com-
mittee would then be to cri-
tically examine the proposed
management schemes and
to assure that the manage-
ment is based on sound sci-
entific principles. In this
context, the importance of
coordinating attitudes and
management schemes for
shared stocks was mentio-
ned.«
The Northern
Bottlenose and Killer
Whales
The Working Group on
Northern Bottlenose and
Killer Whales was establis-
hed at the request of the
NAMMCO Management
Committee at its meeting in
Tromsoe in January 1993.
The Working Group was
requested to undertake an
assessment of the status of
the northern bottlenose
whale stock in the North At-
lantic. And for killer whale
to advice on stock identity
for management purposes;
to assess abundance in each
stock area; and finally, to as-
sess effeets of recent envi-
ronmental changes, changes
in food supply and interac-
tions with other marine li-
ving resources in each stock
area.
The Working Group pro-
pose a bottlenose assess-
ment, but awaits a decision
from the Commission. Only
the Faroe Islands has a
small annual take of 5 - 6
bottlenose whales (stranded
whales). In Greenland, bott-
lenose is not subject to hun-
ting as it has a bad reputa-
tion for being laxative,
which is even refiected in its
Greenlandic name »anar-
naq«.
Killer whales are only
hunted in Greenland and to
a very limited extent.
A number of priorities for
future research was set for
both whale species. In addi-
tion, registration and sam-
pling of the catches was re-
commended.
Kalaallisuut unammissutigineqarnerannit kinguaariit pingasut peqataasut.
Three generations at a National Constumes Contest (Photo: AG photo archives)
Traditional Inuit fashion show
Nineteen ninety-four (1994)
marks the Tenths Anniver-
sary of PAUKTUUTIT, the
Inuit Women’s Association
representing the interests of
all Inuit Women in Canada
From February 21 - 25,
1994 PAUKTUUTIT will
hold its lOth Annual Gene-
ral Assembly in Iqaluit,
North West Territories in-
volving the participation of
over seventy Inuit women
from across the north. As in
the other years the member-
ship will turn its attention
to the vital concerns of fami-
ly life in their communities
including healing, family
violence, health and other
pressing social issues.
This year, however, will
be different. As Inuit wo-
men seek to heal themsel-
ves, their children and their
communities a renewed in-
terest in their unique cultu-
res, lifestyles and traditions
is emerging as fundamental
to the healing process. The
numbers of skilied and ta-
len ted Inuit women engaged
in the design and production
of traditional Inuit clothing
is growing. The pride these
women take in the produc-
tion of their clothing and
their determination to
maintain their material cul-
ture results in improved
self-esteem and the potenti-
al for economic opportunity.
In celebration of this re-
newal, PAUKTUUTIT is
hosting a fashion show on
February 24 as the major
event planned for the Gene-
ral Assembly in Iqaluit.
Inuit women from eveiy re-
gion of Canada are being in-
vited to participate inclu-
ding: Labrador, Northern
Quebec, Keewatin, Kiteme-
ot, Inuvialuit, and Baffin.
Skilied designers amd clot-
hing producers from Alaska,
Canada and Russia are also
being invited to model and
market their designs.
The traditional Inuit clot-
hing fashion show is expec-
ted to attract mueh media
attention and will feature
Inuit entertainment throug-
hout, presented in a profes-
sional sound and light for-
mat.
For more information,
piease contact Heather Le-
veque, Special Projects Co-
ordinator, Pauktuutit, 200
Elgin Street, Suite 804, Ot-
tawa, Ontario, K2P1L5, Ca-
nada. Tel: + 1 613 238-3977
Regional management of narwhal and
Narwhals and beluga wha-
les are culturally and econo-
mically the two most im-
portant species of small ce-
taceans in Greenland. The
management of narwhals
and belugas is the responsi-
bility of the Home Rule Go-
vernment.
The belugas and narwhals
in North and West Green-
land belong to the Baffin
Bay stocks which migrate
between Greenland and Ca-
nada and, hence, are shared
by Inuit hunters in both
countries. In 1990, Green-
land entered into an agree-
ment with Canada to coope-
rate on research and mana-
gement with respect to the-
se stocks of beluga and nar-
whal to ensure that the har-
vest is maintained at a su-
stainable level.
Joint recommendations
on management and rese-
arch of the two species are
developed by the Joint Com-
mission on Conservation
and Management of Beluga
and Narwhal. The Joint
Commission consists of a
Scientific Working Group
and a Commission of politi-
cally appointed representa-
tives, including hunter’s re-
presentatives, from both
countries. The Joint Com-
mission meet an nu ally to
prepare new recommenda-
tions concerning research
and management needs, ba-
sed on current results from
research, monitoring and
assessment, as provided by
the Scientific Working
Group.
Emphasis on inuit
knowledge
An important objective of
the Joint Commission is to
integrate the hunter’s
knowledge with western sci-
ence. The aim being to furt-
her the cooperation between
hunters, sdentists and ma-
nagers in all aspect of the
monitoring and assessment
procedures, as such coopera-
tion is vital to a sound ma-
nagement of the resources.
As a first step to actively
incorporate the hunters’
knowledge into the work of
the Joint Commission, it
was agreed to conduct sur-
veys among the hunters in
Canada and Greenland in
order to collect and to docu-
ment the local knowledge on
the distribution and biology
of beluga and narwhal.
In the spring of 1992, a
survey was conducted
among Inuit hunters in Baf-
fin Island to be followed by a
survey among hunters in
West and North Greenland
in the winter of 1992-93.
The survey reports were
presented to the national de-
legations at the third mee-
ting of the Joint Commis-
sion in Uummannaq, Au-
gust 1993, but have yet to be
reviewed by the participants
(A Greenlandic version is
now in print) and the Scien-
tific Working Group. It was
therefore agreed that dis-
cussions between the hun-
ters and scientists on the re-
sults and how to apply them
in future activities should
take place following the next
meeting of the Scientific
Working Group, tentatively
scheduled for June 1994.
Successful
doeumentation
Judging from the hunters’
enthusiastic approach to the
surveys and a preliminary
analysis of the results, the
method was a successful me-
ans to collect and to docu-
ment local knowledge.
Knowledge which both sup-
plement scientific data and
is useful in the identifica-
tion of data gaps.
The results of the surveys
reveal that Inuit hunters
possess considerable know-
ledge of the distribution and
aspects of the biology of be-
lugas and narwhals. The
hunters have excellent
knowledge of the distribu-
tion and migration of the
whales which readily sup-
plements and updates infor-
mation from other sources.
For example, did the hun-
ters in Greenland report
major changes in the migra-
tion patterns of belugas,
whereas only minor changes
in the distribution and mi-
gration of narwhals were re-
ported. With respect to the
hunters’ knowledge of the
reproductive parameters of
belugas and narwhals, on
the other hånd, it is more
difficult to obtain a clear pic-
ture of and to make any firm
conclusions based on the
survey results. In this area,
some discrepancies exist
between the hunters’ obser-
vations and the data collec-
ted through scientific rese-
arch.
The Greenland survey re-
port strongly recommends
community workshops, at-
tended by hunters, scien-
tists, and managers, as po-
tential fora in which to add-
ress such discrepancies, as
well as means to extend the
communication and coope-
ration between the parties
within the actual research
and monitoring.
Concems about the
status of belugas
The active participation
of the hunters with respect
to management and conser-
vation is timely, as it has be-
come inereasingly urgent to
identify and to eliminate dif-
ferences of understanding
between hunters and scien-
tists on items central to the
determination of sustaina-
ble harvest levels.
Whereas only limited data
are available on the status of
the Baffin Bay narwhals,
which is now to be studied
more closely, the scientists
have expressed concern
about the present status of
the Baffin Bay belugas and
have recommended stricter
regulation of the hunt. They
are alarmed that aerial sur-
veys combined with other
observations have indicated
a considerable decline in the
beluga population over the
past 10 years. A decline
which is believed to be lin-
ked to the introduction of
new technology and the de-
velopment of new more effi-
cient hunting methods.
Such signals of warning
and subsequent recommen-
dations to reinforce restric-
tions are naturally not po-
pular with the hunters who
are both culturally, socially,
and economically dependent
on the hunting of belugas.
Furthermore, the hunters
may not experience any no-
ticeable changes in the pre-
sence of beluga within their
own hunting area, even
though changes are evident
elsewhere. Owing to the
hunter’s limited range of ac-
tivities and the seasonal
aggregations of animals, for
example during the spring
and fail migration, the hun-
ter may not perceive any
changes in the abundance of
belugas before it is too late.
National regulation of
hunting
The Home Rule Govern-
ment’s response to advice
from the Joint Commission
has been to introduce cer-
tain restriction on the hun-
ting of beluga and narwhal.
The restrictions have been
developed in close co-opera-
tion with the Organization
of Hunters and Fishermen
in Greenland (KNAPK) and
mainly focus on the hunting
from larger vessels. In addi-
tion to these, a former re-
porting system have been
revised and re-established to
help monitor the beluga and
narwhal populations along
with other wildlife species.
The reporting system,
which is compulsory and ad-
ditionally requires the hun-
ters to deliver the jaws of be-
luga and narwhal for scien-
tific research, was initially
subject to some debate, but
is gradually coming into
funetion throughout Green-
land. Not least, owing to the
support it has been given by
the hunters’ representati-
ves in both the Joint Com-
mission and the Greenland
Home Rule Management
Board.
Aerial surveys and
population trends
The hunters have been hesi-
tant to accept the popula-
tion trends doeumented by
aerial surveys. The hunters
are obviously alienated by
the highly mathematical ap-
proach and commonly argue
that the aerial surveys are
not covering the areas
known to have large seaso-
nal concentrations of wha-
les.
The aerial surveys, howe-
ver, are internationally re-
cognized as the most effici-
ent method to assess and
monitor whale populations.
beluga
Furthermore, the only figu-
res presently available on
for example the belugas are
based on aerial surveys. Ae-
rial surveys in West Green-
land will therefore be repea-
ted in March of 1994.
To ensure that the hun-
ters’ knowledge of the distri-
bution and migration of be-
luga and narwhal is taking
into account in the new sur-
vey programme, the scien-
tist invite the Organization
of Hunters and Fishermen
in Greenland (KNAPK) and
individual hunters from
West Greenland to propose
areas that they would like to
see covered by the surveys.
(Ed.: The survey among
Inuit hunters in North and
West Greenland was con-
ducted by ICC Greenland in
close cooperation with the
Organization of Hunters
and Fishermen in Green-
land (KNAPK) and the Gre-
enland Home Rule Depart-
ment of Fisheries, Hunting
and Agriculture (DFFL). It
was co-sponsored by the
DFFL and ICC through
funds made available from
the Danish Ministry for the
Environment.
ICC in Canada and Alaska
are currently preparing a pi-
lot mapping project under
the Conservation of Flora
and Fauna Program of the
Arctic Environmental Pro-
tection Strategy (AEPS).
The mapping project will
aim at doeumenting Inuit
knowledge of beluga in the
Beaufort and Chukchi Seas
region, in line with the Ca-
nadian and Greenland sur-
veys. The project will be co-
sponsored by Canada and
USA, and will be running
until the next AEPS Mini-
sters’ Meeting in Canada in
1995.)