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Fisheries Pêchesand Oceans et Océans DFO Science

Central and Arctic Region Stock Status Report E5-38 (2000)

December 2000

Eastern Beaufort Sea BelugaWhales

BackgroundThe Eastern Beaufort Sea stock of beluga

whales congregates in the Mackenzie estuary in theearly summer, and ranges from the Alaska-Canadaborder north into the polar pack ice and theCanadian Arctic archipelago. The beluga, whitewhale or qilaluqag, Delphinapterus leucas, has longbeen a primary food resource for the Inuvialuit*living in the Mackenzie River delta (Friesen andArnold 1995) and coastal communities of theBeaufort Sea. Their whale harvests have occurred infour transportation-determined phases, beginningwith the pre-contact kayak hunting phase some 500years before present (B.P.) (McGhee 1988), throughthe whale boat, schooner and present modern huntingera (B. Day personal communication.).

Fisheries and Oceans Canada, under theOceans Act and with the support of the FisheriesJoint Management Committee (FJMC), InuvialuitGame Council, and the Inuvialuit RegionalCorporation, is undertaking research andconsultation leading to a Marine Protected Area insupport of the Beaufort Sea Beluga ManagementPlan (FJMC 1998, Mathias and Fast in press). Thework is part of an integrated marine managementproject in Canada's Western Arctic (Fast et al. 1998,Fast and Mathias in press). This status report wasinitiated in support of that process.

* Inuvialuit are the aboriginal peoples, now mainlyresiding in the communities of: Aklavik, Inuvik,Tuktoyaktuk, Sachs Harbour, Paulatuk, and Holman(Ulukhartok).

Summary

• The Eastern Beaufort Sea beluga whalestock congregates in the Mackenzieestuary in early summer, disperseseastward towards Amundsen Gulf andViscount Melville Sound in August andmigrates westward along the Alaskancoast and far offshore under the polarpack ice in the autumn.

• Samples obtained during the summerseason confirm that the Eastern BeaufortSea belugas are genetically distinct fromfour other stocks of beluga found inAlaskan waters.

• The Inuvialuit have long depended onthe belugas for their sustenance andsurvival, and belugas continue to be animportant element of diet, tradition andculture.

• The latest aerial surveys (1992) give anindex of abundance of 19,629. Thesesurveys did not sample the completerange of this population and aconsiderable, but yet undeterminednumber of whales were underwaterduring the aerial counts. Thus, this indexis a low number in comparison to the yetundetermined estimate of the total sizeof the Eastern Beaufort Sea stock.

• An average of 111 beluga (since 1990)are harvested annually by hunters fromthe Inuvialuit communities of Aklavik,Inuvik, Tuktoyaktuk, Sachs Harbour,Paulatuk and Holman (Ulukhartok). Thetotal removal from this stock (landed,struck and lost) for Alaska and Canadacombined is estimated at 186 annually.This is far below the level which mightnegatively affect the population.

• Major uncertainties remain relating topopulation vital rates for this stock, totalremovals through harvesting in otherparts of its range; the extent and annual

Central and Arctic Region Eastern Beaufort Sea Beluga Whale

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variability of the total summer range,and actual stock size.

• The index of abundance, estimatedremoval rates, and age/sex structure ofthe harvest indicate that the EasternBeaufort Sea stock of belugas is not indanger of overexploitation and remains ahealthy robust population.

• Temporal trends in the levels of organicpollutants and heavy metals are unclear.

• Infectious agents, such as bacteria orviruses, may be present in these whalesas evidenced by the presence ofantibodies.

Species BiologyThe beluga or qilaluqag is a toothed whale,lacks a dorsal fin, and is found throughout

the Arctic. Belugas are also called whitewhales because they lose all pigmentation intheir skin and become almost pure white atbetween seven and nine years of age.Newborn beluga calves, nalungiait, measure1.5 m in length, weigh 50 to 80 kg at birth,and are light to dark-mottled grey inappearance. Juveniles, tunguvyuit,consisting of ages 2-5 years of age, rangefrom 2.4 to 2.8 m in length (Caron andSmith 1990) and gradually become lightergray in colouration as they age. Adultfemales, nalungialiit, of the EasternBeaufort Sea stock average 3.8 m and adultmales, anguhalluit, 4.3 m in length(Harwood et al. 2000). Belugas can weighfrom 1500 to 2000 kg, and males aresignificantly heavier than females (Stewartand Stewart 1989).

Figure 1. Distribution of eastern Beaufort Sea beluga during spring, summer and fall, showingconcentration areas and seasonal movements. Actual distribution of beluga ranges throughout the areadepicted, with the hatched regions defining the areas where densities of beluga are typically higher.

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Viscount MelvilleSound

Princeof Wales Strait

BanksIsland

VictoriaIslandHerschel

Island

TuktoyaktukInuvikAklavik

SachsHarbour

Holman

Paulatuk

StefanssonIsland

McClure Strait

Amundsen Gulf

Mackenzie River

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Chukchi Sea

Point HopePoint Lay

Norton Sd

Canada

Cook Inlet

Alaska

BeaufortSea

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Late summer concentration (males)Summer concentration

Spring movements

Fall movementsMid to late summer movements


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In the spring, belugas of the EasternBeaufort Sea stock are seen migratingeastward through leads offshore of PointHope, Alaska. They have been observed tomove into the southeast Beaufort Sea fromthe west, through leads far offshore, andarrive off the west coast of Banks Island andoffshore of Cape Bathurst in late spring(Fraker 1979). Inuvialuit have longreported the occurrence of beluga whales inwaters offshore of Banks Island during themonths of May and June, coinciding withthe onset of break-up. The beluga thenappear to move to the southwest, followingthe seaward edge of the land-fast ice alongthe Tuktoyaktuk Peninsula (Norton andHarwood 1986). Depending on iceconditions, they normally arrive inKugmallit Bay, Shallow Bay and eastMackenzie Bay in late June or early July(Byers and Roberts 1995). While belugasconcentrate in the Mackenzie estuary duringJuly, a proportion are also widely distributedthroughout the offshore at low densitiesduring this period (Norton and Harwood1985, 1986, Harwood et al. 1996). Somebelugas leave the estuary and begin movingtowards the east in late July and move intothe Amundsen Gulf.

During two years of satellite-linkedtelemetry studies, male belugas tagged in theMackenzie estuary were found to travelnorthward and eastward to distant ViscountMelville Sound, some as far east asStefansson Island (Fig 1). In 1993 and 1995eleven of fourteen male belugas, but none ofthe nine females, followed this route; of theeleven males, nine went north via M'ClureStrait, but two individuals used Prince ofWales Strait. In 1997, when 7 males and 3females were tagged later in the season,none traveled into the Viscount MelvilleSound area, but moved to the AmundsenGulf and remained there for 2-3 weeksbefore beginning the autumn westwardmigrations.

By mid-August to early September, belugasbegin their migrations to the west along theBeaufort Sea-Alaskan coastline. Studiesinvolving satellite tagged belugas have alsoshown that some animals travel far offshoreand sometimes under heavy pack ice.Satellite tagged Eastern Beaufort Seabelugas have been followed as far asWrangel Island and into the Bering Sea(Richard et al., In Press). They are thoughtto over-winter in the Bering and ChukchiSeas.

Females in other stocks are sexually maturebetween 4-7 years, while males mature at 6-7 years (Heide-Jørgensen and Teilmann1994). Belugas live to be 35 to 40 years ofage (Smith, 1999), although in the EasternBeaufort Sea stock, individuals older thanthis have been found (one 49 year oldfemale and one 57 year old, Harwood et al.2000), but no good estimate of average lifespan exists because of tooth wear in theolder age classes (Burns and Seaman 1985).

No estimates of population vital parametersare available for the Eastern Beaufort Seastock of belugas. Although age specific datahave been collected from the harvest since1980, the selection of older andpredominantly male belugas by the huntersmakes the sample unrepresentative of thepopulation. Measurements that mightprovide some index of change in theproductivity of the stock, such as age (orlength) at sexual maturity, calving intervalsand the calculated crude birth rate (percentof sexually mature females that arepregnant) have not been made for this stock.

Life history parameters are available for thefemale segment of seven other huntedbeluga populations (Smith 1999). Moststudies agree that belugas calve once everythree years, while age specific fecundity islacking for most stocks because of lowsample sizes. Burns and Seaman (1985)


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showed that females greater than 20 years ofage appear to calve less frequently.

Estimates of survival rates are not availablefor Eastern Beaufort Sea beluga or for mostother beluga stocks. However annualsurvival of beluga is high, ranging from anestimate of 90.6% per year for a huntedstock (Burns and Seaman 1985) to 97% peryear for a stock which is not hunted (Belandet al. 1988). Kingsley et al. (unpublished)estimated that with such high survival ratesand documented fertility rates, beluga couldsustain a catch of between 2.5 to 3.0 %depending on the age structure of theharvest.

Natural mortality can occur from polar bears(Smith 1985, Lowry et al. 1987, Smith andSjare 1990), killer whale predation (Byersand Roberts 1995), ice entrapments (Porsild1918, Freeman 1968), and diseases (O.Nielsen, personal communication).

Belugas in the nearshore areas of theMackenzie River estuary have been foundwith arctic cisco, burbot and whitefish intheir stomachs. They probably also feed onother species that are present, includingPacific herring, qaaktak, the Least cisco,piqoaqtitaq, Rainbow smelt, qiqotiliqaoraq,and Inconnu, siqaq. Belugas are recognizedto feed on a great variety of prey species,which also includes many invertebrates(Vladikov 1947, Kleinenberg et al. 1969).

Recent results from satellite-tagged belugasfrom this stock suggest that they are alsofeeding near the ocean floor, at depths to600 meters in areas they visit after they haveleft the estuaries (Richard et al. 1997). Sofar we do not know what prey species arebeing eaten in those deep water areas.

The Hunt

Inuvialuit from Aklavik, Inuvik andTuktoyaktuk regularly harvest belugas fromthe Mackenzie River estuary each summer.Residents of Paulatuk began an annual huntin 1989, with results varying from year toyear depending on hunting conditions (Table1). Residents of Holman (Ulukhartok) andSachs Harbour may occasionally harvestbeluga as the opportunity arises (FJMC1998).

Table 1. Number of beluga whales struck, landed andlost by Inuvialuit harvesters, 1990-1999.Year No. of beluga landed 1

AK IN TK PA Total 2

1990 31 29 27 0 87 (19)1991 17 34 49 16 116 (28)1992 17 38 48 18 121 (9)1993 20 42 45 3 110 (10)1994 26 50 57 8 141 (8)1995 26 46 46 11 129 (14)1996 19 35 41 25 120 (19)1997 12 44 51 7 114 (9)1998 13 31 40 2 86 (7)1999 8 36 41 1 86 (16)

1 AK = Aklavik; IN = Inuvik; TK = Tuktoyaktuk; PA= Paulatuk.2 Numbers in brackets are additional number ofwhales struck but lost, pooled for all communities.

The present average annual landed catch ofbelugas in Canada from the Eastern BeaufortSea stock is 111 per year (1990-1999). Thelanded catch sex ratio consists of 2.3 adultmales to 1 adult female, with an average ageof 23 years (Harwood et al. 2000). Whenstruck and lost data from the Canadianharvest (Table 1) and the estimated Alaskalanded harvest (Hill and DeMaster 1999) areadded, there is a combined known removalfrom this stock of 186 belugas per year.This is an underestimate of total removalsince the loss rate is not known for thespring and fall hunts off the Alaskan NorthSlope, and neither are the landings nor


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losses known for hunts in Russian waters(Harwood et al. 2000).

Hunts today are commonly carried out from18' long aluminum boats, using fewerhunters than in the past. Often only one or afew boats work together in a beluga harvest.It is common practice to harpoon a whalebefore killing it, so that retrieval is easier.In deeper water hunting situations, belugasare sometimes wounded to slow them downbefore a harpoon line is attached. Inuvialuitbeluga hunters have used nets successfullyin the past, and continue to do sooccasionally in the present; however, theymust be tended continuously to preventwasting animals should they die and remaintoo long in the net before retrieval andprocessing. The Hunters and TrappersCommittees in each of the communities ofthe Inuvialuit Settlement Region havedeveloped beluga hunting by-laws andwhale-watching guidelines for tourism(FJMC 1998).

A hunter-based sampling program, currentlyfunded through the Fisheries JointManagement Committee, has been ongoingsince 1980. Data on the number, sex andsize of the whales landed is recorded, aswell as estimates of the numbers of whalesthat are struck and lost. Standard length andflipper width are measured, and lowermandibles (with teeth, for agedetermination) are collected from as manyof the harvested whales as possible(Harwood et al. 2000), as are tissue samplesfor genetic, contaminant levels and studiesof diseases.

Resource User Perspective

For 500 or more years, the aboriginal peopleof the Western Arctic have harvested thebeluga whale in the Mackenzie Estuary(McGhee 1988). Belugas were the primary

and most reliable of resources for theInuvialuit, essential to their survival andimportant for the development of theInuvialuit culture. Belugas were used as asource of human and dog food. There islimited information on the size of the belugaharvest during the pre-contact (prior to1888) and bowhead commercial whaling(1888-1907) periods (Bockstoce 1986), andfrom the end of that commercial whaling eraup until the 1950s. Available data suggestthat the harvests in earlier times were likelyhigher than present day takes (Nuligak 1966,Smith and Taylor 1977, McGhee 1988,Strong 1989, Friesen and Arnold 1995; B.Day, personal communication). The harvestof belugas has always been self-regulatedand limited to that required for subsistenceneeds (FJMC 1998).

Each summer, present day hunters and theirfamilies from Inuvik, Aklavik, andTuktoyaktuk, NT (Fig. 1) travel totraditional whaling camps along theBeaufort Sea coast. The hunt has alwaysbeen conducted largely during the month ofJuly, lasts for four to six weeks, and takesplace while the beluga are aggregated nearand within the warm waters of theMackenzie River estuary (Fraker et al. 1979,Norton and Harwood 1986).

The Inuvialuit of Holman and Paulatuk, NT(Fig. 1) also have a history of huntingbelugas. This takes place when belugastravel close to shore near these communities,after they have left the Mackenzie estuary,usually in late July and August (Norton andHarwood 1985, Richard et al. 1997).

Because of the importance of belugas as aprinciple food source, there is communityconcern regarding contaminants and diseaseagents that could affect the health of belugasor their human consumers. Other globalissues, such as climate change and theresultant changes in sea ice, which mighteventually change animal movements,


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feeding, and hunter access to the resource,are also a subject of concern to theInuvialuit.

Resource Status

Stock delineation

Two genetic techniques have been used forstock delineation. Maternally inheritedmitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) markersclearly differentiate between samples fromthe Eastern Beaufort Sea and Point Lay,Alaska (Brown Gladden et al. 1997,O’Corry-Crowe et al. 1997). MitochondrialDNA markers show that there are at least 5different stocks in Alaska, and that belugasmigrating past Point Hope, Alaska in thespring are from the eastern Beaufort Seastock (O’Corry-Crowe et al. 1997). Thefive stocks, namely Bristol Bay, NortonSound, Chukchi (Point Lay, Alaska), easternBeaufort Sea, and Cook Inlet are knowncollectively as the Bering Sea population.Recent analyses of nuclear DNA markersalso clearly differentiate Beaufort Sea andChukchi stocks (Brown Gladden et al. 1999,de March et al. 1999). Using both types ofmarkers, it is possible to correctly identify abeluga from either stock in 95% of all cases.

Stock Size

The most comprehensive scientific index ofabundance for Eastern Beaufort Sea beluga,based on an aerial survey in 1992, is 19,629belugas within the visible depth-range of thesurface (95% CI 15,134 - 24,125). This doesnot account for whales under water beyondvisible depth-range during the counts, nordoes it factor in belugas now known fromtelemetry studies (Richard et al. 1997) tooccupy areas to the north and east of thesurvey area during the summer months. Theindex of abundance is therefore a lownumber in comparison to the yet

undetermined estimate of the total size ofthe Eastern Beaufort Sea stock. Traditionalknowledge also holds that there are morewhales present than can be estimated byaerial surveys.

Multipliers to correct for whales underwaterduring aerial surveys, ranging from 1.41(Martin and Smith 1992) to 5.0 (Heide-Jørgensen et al. 1998), have been estimatedfor beluga whales (see Table 3 in Smith1999). However, these correction factors,derived from satellite tagged belugas, mustbe used with caution since they are notdirectly applicable to the 1992 aerialsurveys. Factors such as whale behaviour,water depth and water clarity all must betaken into account when deriving acorrection factor for aerial survey resultsfrom satellite tag data. The actual proportionof belugas beyond visible depth-rangewould be expected to vary in relation to thedepth of the water of their prey species ifthey are foraging, whether they aretravelling in a directed manner, andprobably also with the particular time of theyear and daylight regimes (Heidi-Jørgensenet al. 1998, Martin and Smith 1999).Interpretation of diving data obtained duringthe Eastern Beaufort Sea beluga satellite-tagging programs (1993, 1995, and 1997), inthe context of producing at least a broadcorrection for the 1992 survey results, isconsidered possible, but still in thepreliminary stages.

Stock Trend

Data on age, size and the sex ratio ofbelugas reveal no trend indicating changesin the age-size characteristics of the stock inthe period since 1980 (Harwood et al. 2000).The landed catch continues to be largely ofolder adult belugas which is typical of alightly harvested and healthy population.

There are limited biological data, no catchper unit effort statistics, and no series of


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comparable indices of abundance availableto comment on trends in stock size of theEastern Beaufort Sea belugas. Given thebroad confidence limits associated withabundance indices for a widely dispersedand highly clumped distribution, it would beextremely difficult to ascertain trends. Thelatest index from aerial surveys is the largestobtained to date simply because of greatercoverage and the use of the bestmethodology available.

Sustainable Hunting Rate

The known removal of 186 belugas per yearis less than 1% of the most recent index ofabundance (19,629). This is well below the2.5-3% safe level of exploitation for belugapopulations (Kingsley et al. unpublished).Since the actual stock size is certainly largerthan the index of abundance, the sustainableyield is undoubtedly much greater thanpresent estimates of total removals.

Sources of Uncertainty

Data from the 1993 and 1995 satellite tagstudies indicates that some belugas werepresent outside the areas surveyed in 1992 infar offshore deepwater areas. Theproportion of the stock that was outside thesurvey area and the importance of thishabitat are not known. The far ranging mid-summer movements of belugas intoViscount Melville Sound was documentedin two of three years of satellite tagging andinvolved 11 of 14 males and 0 of 6 females.In the third year, 7 male and 3 femalebelugas were tagged, 10 to16 days later inthe summer than in the first two years(Richard et al. in press); none of thesebelugas traveled into Viscount MelvilleSound. There appears to be a repeatablepattern to the seasonal movements, but it isnot clear whether it is confined to males

only or what factors influence the timing ofthese movements.

Age specific mortality and reproductiverates are not available for the Beaufort Seastock. Because of hunter selections for adultwhales, it is not likely that newborn andjuvenile mortality rates will ever beavailable. Overall estimates of mortality orsurvivorship will not likely be derived forthis stock from hunter collected specimens.Calving intervals and adult femalereproductive rates, although obtainable, arenot yet available. It is uncertain whetherreproductive rates from other stocks aresimilar to those of the Eastern Beaufort Seabeluga.

The annual removal calculated by Harwoodet al. (2000) is 186, but errs on the low sidebecause mortality of a small number ofdependent calves accompanying huntedfemales could not be accounted for, andbecause hunting losses in Alaska andlandings and losses in Russia are notincluded. Sources of natural mortality frompredation, ice entrapment and/or strandingare impossible or difficult to quantify. Theimpact of these events or the potential ofindustrial activities or changes in climateand ice regimes to cause increases in thefrequency and magnitude of these, is notknown.

Outlook

Although we do not have an estimate ofstock size, current data show that thepopulation is large in comparison to catches.The Eastern Beaufort Sea beluga has a widegeographic range, much of which liesoutside normal hunting areas. These factssuggest that the population is not at riskfrom present or projected future harvestingdemands. Other anthropogenic factors, suchas offshore oil and gas activities or year


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round shipping, do not at present pose anyserious concerns. Climatic warming doesnot appear to have resulted in a measurablechange in the seasonal distribution ornumbers of belugas. The ongoing harvest-based studies and scientific studies arepositioned to monitor significant changeswhich might occur in the future.

Management Considerations

Beluga management initiatives in theBeaufort Sea have been implemented undera variety of federal acts and regulations and,most importantly, under the Inuvialuit FinalAgreement (INAC 1984). With specificmanagement and conservation goals inmind, the Beaufort Sea Beluga ManagementPlan (FJMC 1998) was prepared by both theInuvialuit hunters and the Department ofFisheries and Oceans Canada. TheInuvialuit Inupiat Beaufort Sea BelugaWhale Agreement (2000) was formalizedbetween the North Slope Borough, theInuvialuit Game Council and the KivalinaWhaling Captains Association in March2000. This aims at sharing information,managing and conserving the EasternBeaufort Sea stock which is harvested byboth the Alaskan Inupiat and the CanadianInuvialuit.

The human population has increased by26.4% between 1981 and 1996, but there hasbeen no increase in the average landed catchof belugas (Harwood et al. 2000). Thehunters of Paulatuk have recently (1989)formalized their beluga hunting, althoughprior to that elders recount the occasionalbeluga whale was taken. Their landed catchhas been quite variable over the last decade(0-25 per year, average 9.3 per year),thought to be due to annual differences inthe distribution of the whales, huntingconditions (availability of good weather andfavourable ice conditions), and the number

of hunters available to participate. Becauseof these factors, the long term averageharvests levels for Paulatuk are difficult topredict.

There are no indications to date showingincreased harvesting pressures related totrade, barter or sale of edible belugaproducts among beneficiaries of theInuvialuit Final Agreement or adjacent landclaims.

In other more populated areas, such as theSt. Lawrence Estuary, disturbance frommaritime traffic, but more importantlyspecific harassment by tourist whale-watching activities, has become amanagement concern. The existing tourism(whale watching) guidelines, prepared bythe HTCs as part of the Beaufort Sea BelugaManagement Plan (FJMC 1998), provideinformation on how whale hunting andwhale-watching can coexist, from acommunity-based perspective. However,no legal framework exists to enforce theseguidelines. The creation of a marineprotected area in the Mackenzie estuary inthe future (Fast et al. 1998) might enablesuch protection, providing a legal basis tothese aspects of the Beaufort Sea belugamanagement plan.

Other Considerations

Contaminants

Arctic marine predators, such as beluga,which are near the top of the Arctic marinefood chain, accumulate relatively high levelsof persistent organic pollutants. Temporaltrends in the levels of organic contaminants(OCs) are not obvious. Beluga oil samplesfrom Churchill, Manitoba taken in 1966/67had lower OC concentrations than belugablubber samples from several differentcommunities taken in the 1980s (Muir et al.


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1990). Concentrations ranged from 1/2 to1/6 of values in the 1980s, but differences inmethods and sample types leavecomparisons less than certain. Studiescomparing OC concentrations in the 1980sto those in the 1990s generally show notemporal trends (de March et al. 1998).

Mercury and other heavy metals have beenmeasured in tissues of Eastern Beaufort Seabelugas (Wageman et al. 1990). To date,there is no evidence that marine mammals orhuman consumers in the Beaufort Sea regionhave shown any clinical signs or symptomsof mercury or other heavy metalcontamination.

Diseases

Recently, signs of infectious diseases,notably the presence of antibodies to virusesand the bacterium Brucella, have beenidentified in marine mammals. The presenceof Brucella in foods consumed by humansis considered a health hazard. The risks tohumans of the presence of Brucellaantibodies in the tissues of belugas has notbeen evaluated. Several large-scale die-offsof seals (Geraci et al. 1982, Harwood 1990)and toothed whales, (Hinshaw et al. 1984,Lipscomb et al. 1994) have been directlycaused by viruses in other parts of the world.Any indications of mortality of belugasassociated with disease organisms in theeastern Beaufort Sea stock would require arapid response in order to determine the riskto human health and to re-evaluate theharvest level.

Industrial development

Increased interest in building gas pipelinesand exploiting the proven offshorepetroleum reserves under the Beaufort Seahave the potential for future impacts onbelugas. Experimental work on the shortterm effects of oil spills on seals (Geraci andSmith 1976) and toothed whales (Geraci et

al. 1983, St. Aubin et al. 1985) showed thatmarine mammals could survive and in somecases avoid short term exposure to oil(Smith et al. 1983). Less clear are theimpacts of oil spills on the food chain andhow whales would react to large scaledisasters such as the Valdez super tankeraccident. Even more difficult is the task ofmeasuring the effect of disturbance of shiptraffic offshore construction and otheracoustic interference (Ford 1977, Fraker1977, Fraker and Fraker 1979, Finley et al1990). Such disturbance might be expectedto increase in the future as whale watchingand other traffic increases in the Arctic.

For more Information:

Contact: Lois HarwoodDepartment of Fisheries andOceansBox 1871Inuvik, NT CanadaX0E 0T0

Tel: 867-777-7505Fax: 867-777-7501E-Mail: [email protected]

References

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Addison, R.F., and P.F. Brodie. 1973.Occurrence of DDT residues in belugawhales (Delphinapterus leucas) from theMackenzie Delta. N.W.T. Journal of theFisheries Board of Canada 30: 1733-1736.


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Addison, R.F., and T.G. Smith. 1998.Trends in organochloride residueconcentrations in blubber of ringed seal(Phoca hispida) from Holman, N.W.T.,1972-1989. Arctic 51: 253-261.

Beland, P., A. Vezina, and D. Martineau.1988. Potential for growth of the St-Lawrence (Quebec, Canada) belugawhale (Delphinapterus leucas)population based on modelling. Journaldu Conseil International pourl’Exploration de la Mer. 45: 22-32.

Bockstoce, J.R. 1986. Whales, ice andmen. University of Washington Press,Seattle.

Brown Gladden, J. G., M. M. Ferguson andJ. W. Clayton. 1997. Matriarchalgenetic population structure of NorthAmerican beluga whales Delphinapterusleucas (Cetacea: Monodontidae).Molecular Ecology 6: 1033-1046.

Brown Gladden, J. G., M. M. Ferguson, M.K. Friesen, and J. W. Clayton. 1999.Population structure of North Americanbeluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas)based on nuclear DNA microsatellitevariation and contrasted with thepopulation structure revealed bymitochondrial DNA variation. MolecularEcology 8: 347-363.

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and traditions of Inuvialuit regarding thebeluga (qilalugaq) in the MackenzieRiver estuary. Unpublished Report tothe Department of Indian and NorthernAffairs (Arctic Environmental Strategy)and the Fisheries Joint ManagementCommittee, Inuvik. 76 p.

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de March, B.G.E., L.D. Maiers, and M.K.Freisen. 1999. Genetic differencesamong Canadian and adjacent belugawhale stocks as determined bymitochrondrial DNA and 15 nuclearDNA microsatellite loci. PaperSC/7/BN/4, NAMMCO ScientificCommittee, Oslo, Norway.

de March, B.G.E., C.A. de Wit, and D.C.G.Muir & 34 other authors andcontributors. 1998. pp. 183-372 inAMAP Assessment Group: ArcticPollution Issues. Arctic Monitoring andAssessment Programme (AMAP), Oslo,Norway. xii + 859 p.

Ewalt, D.R., J.B. Payeur, B.M. Martin, D.R.Cummins, and W.G. Miller. 1994.Characteristics of a Brucella speciesfrom a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiopstruncatus). Journal of VeterinaryDiagnostic Investigation 6: 448-452.

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Finley, K.J, G.W. Miller, R.A. Davis, andC.R. Greene. 1990. Reactions ofbelugas, Delphinapterus leucas , andnarwhals, Monodon monoceros, to ice-breaking ships in the Canadian HighArctic. Pg. 97 to 117. In Advances inResearch on the beluga whale,Delphinapterus leucas. edited by Smith,T.G., D.J. St. Aubin, and J.R. Geraci.Canadian Bulletin of Fisheries anAquatic Sciences. 224: 206 p.

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Personal Communications

Day, B., Fisheries Joint ManagementCommittee, Inuvik, N.T.

Nielsen, O., Department of Fisheries andOceans Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

This report is available:

Freshwater Institutec/o Larry DueckCentral and Arctic Region501 University CrescentWinnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N6

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Correct Citation for this Publication

DFO, 2000. Eastern Beaufort Sea Beluga.DFO Science Stock Status Report E5-38(2000).

eastern beaufort sea beluga whalesdfo-mpo.gc.ca/csas/csas/status/2000/e5-38e.pdf · eastern...

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