Posted on March, 07 2007

In Greenland, narwhal hunting continues at levels significantly higher than the recommended sustainable level set by the North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission (NAMMCO) of 135 whales annually.

NAMMCO has previously expressed grave concern on the apparent decline of stocks of narwhals and belugas in West Greenland, and while they commended Greenland for the recent introduction of quotas, they are still very concerned that present takes of narwhals and belugas in West Greenland will lead to further depletion of the stocks.

WWF previously reported on the increase of the Greenland hunting quota for the 2005-06 hunting season from 260 to 310 narwhals following two illegal hunting events in West Greenland.

For the 2006-07 hunting season, the quota was further increased, to a record 385 narwhals – almost three times the sustainable hunting level.

Back in 2004, when the quota system was introduced, the Greenland government promised a reduction of the hunting pressure.

Greenland enforced a voluntarily ban in 2006 on export of all products of narwhal including tourist souvenirs. This came after an Eureopean Union import ban of narwhal products and after increasing pressure from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

By Thor Hjarsen, EcoAdvise.dk

END NOTES:

• In 2005, WWF Denmark published “The Big Four”, a report on the status of polar bear, beluga, narwhal and walrus in Greenland. The report is available for download  [pdf, 1.62 MB].

• NAMMCO is a joint management board established by Greenland, The Faeroe Island, Iceland, Norway. NAMMCO gives scientific advice in relation to management of seals, walrus and whales in the North Atlantic. The recommendations are non-binding to the member states. Find out more: www.nammco.no.

• Quotas recommended by NAMMCO for narhwal and beluga in Greenland are based on advice from the NAMMCO Scientific Committee and the Canada/Greenland Joint Commission on Narwhal and Beluga Scientific Working Group.