Washington state’s Makah tribe allowed to hunt gray whales again – B.C.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has approved Maca Tribe Washington state authorizes the capture of up to 25 gray whales over the next 10 years.

This exemption is consistent with the 1855 Treaty of Neah Bay and international whaling Committee (IWC).

Before any hunt can begin, NOAA Fisheries and the tribe must agree on the hunt under the Whaling Convention Act, and the tribe must apply for and receive a hunting permit.

NOAA said the final rule includes time and area restrictions, catch limits, low population thresholds, limitations on the use of gray whale parts, and reporting and monitoring requirements.

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“This final rule represents an important milestone in the process of returning ceremonial and subsistence hunting of northeastern Pacific gray whales to the Makah Tribe,” Janet Coit, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries, said in a statement.

“The measures taken today respect the treaty rights of the Makah Nation and their more than 1,000-year-old cultural tradition of whaling, which is central to their identity and traditions.”

Under the final rule, a maximum of two to three whales can be taken each year in U.S. waters.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the latest gray whale population estimate is about 17,400 to 21,300, based on the number of whales that move south during the 2023-2024 winter.

“Given that the gray whale population is currently around 18,000 or 19,000, that’s a very small percentage of the population, so it’s not going to have an impact on the population as a whole,” Michael Milstein of NOAA Fisheries told Global News.

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However, not everyone agrees with the ruling.

“If they were in a situation where they were starving, I don’t think any of us would have a say, but that’s not the case in this case,” said Janine Wray, CEO of the North Coast Cetacean Society and Whale Society of BC.

“I think to go out and harpoon a whale that is connected to so many people is heartbreaking and unnecessary.”

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