A. Species
Scientific name: Monodon monoceros
Common name(s): Narwhal
Global IUCN Red List Threat Status: Least Concern
B. Location of use
Geographic location(s):
- Nunavut
Country/Region: Canada / Nunavut Territory - Hudson Bay
C. Scale of assessment
Scale of assessment: Sub-national / Sub-region / Sub-State
Name/Details of location: Hudson Bay / Repulse Bay, Rankin Inlet, and Whale Cove
D. Timescale of use
Start Year: 2007
End Year: 2007
E. Information about the use
How is the wild species sourced?: Wild species sourced from its natural habitat
Type of use: Extractive
Practice of use: Targeted fishing harvesting/exploiting or collecting wild aquatic resources
Lethal or non-lethal: Lethal
Does this use involve take/extraction of: The whole entire organism
Purpose(s) of end use: Food and feed and Decorative and aesthetic
Motivation of use: Basic subsistence and Income generation from trade (individual/household/community)
Is this use legal or illegal?: Legal under national law
F. Information about the Users
Which stakeholder(s) does the record primarily focus on?: Local people
G. Information about the sustainability of use
Is there evidence that the use is having an impact on the target species?: Wild species sourced from its natural habitat
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an ecological perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered unsustainable
Details of assessment carried out: The study refers to, aerial surveys of the northern Hudson Bay narwhal population in 2008.
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: The survey suggested a possible decline in narwhal abundance; however, these results were not conclusive because poor weather conditions during the 2008 surveys may have resulted in an underestimate of the population.
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an economic perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable
Details of assessment carried out: This study
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: The study performed a detailed economic analysis and found that for the communities participating in each hunt, the average economic use value was positive ($133 278) for narwhal. The corresponding per capita value estimate was $44 for narwhal. Including the effects of cost sharing with one other hunting activity in the model increased the economic use value to $321500 for narwhal. Narwhals provide a higher value per whale, in addition to a higher per capita total economic value to the community, compared to belugas because resources are shared among fewer communities. However, the beluga hunt overall provides greater revenue because more belugas are harvested. Study Results indicate that the value of whales to communities is largely due to their food value. However, simultaneously, increasing human populations, combined with declines in marine mammal populations in Hudson Bay, reveals that although hunting is important to this region. it is likely unsustainable for Inuit society: the projected increase of community populations in Nunavut from 32416 in 2010 to 44581 in 2036 (Nunavut Bureau of Statistics, 2010) has the potential to increase [unsustainable] pressure on marine mammal stocks in the area. The study concludes that if the harvesting of whales is not possible in the future (because of biological limitations), the economic ramifications will affect not only Hudson Bay communities, but also those in other areas of Nunavut and Nunavik. The ban on trading narwhal products outside of Canada has likely affected Hudson Bay communities, yet this lost revenue appears small compared to the costs associated with hunting.
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a social perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered unsustainable
Details of assessment carried out: This study
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Increasing human populations, combined with declines in marine mammal populations in Hudson Bay, reveal that although hunting is important to this region it is likely unsustainable for Inuit society: the projected increase of community populations in Nunavut from 32416 in 2010 to 44581 in 2036 (Nunavut Bureau of Statistics, 2010) has the potential to increase [unsustainable] pressure on marine mammal stocks in the area. The study concludes that if the harvesting of whales is not possible in the future (because of biological limitations), the economic ramifications will affect not only Hudson Bay communities, but also those in other areas of Nunavut and Nunavik. The ban on trading narwhal products outside of Canada has likely affected Hudson Bay communities, yet this lost revenue appears small compared to the costs associated with hunting.
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a human health perspective been recorded?: No, sustainability not determined
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an animal health/welfare perspective been recorded?: No, sustainability not determined
Recommendations provided in the record to maintain or enhance the sustainability of the use of the target species
While values in this study are derived from hunting, it would be possible to generate revenue through other avenues, such as whale watching. It was estimated that in 2003, more than 13 million people globally participated in whale watching, spending over $1.6 billion USD. Locations where tourism infrastructure already exists have the greatest potential for revenue from whale watching activities. More research is needed to identify the scope of these possibilities, including the potential desire of north-ern communities to participate. Polar bear hunting activities combine sport-based “trophy hunts” for non-Natives with traditional hunts, indicating that some communities may be willing to participate in multiple activities to generate revenue.
Record source
Information about the record source: scientific_pub
Date of publication/issue/production: 2013-01-01T00:00:00+0000
Source Reference(s):
Date of record entry: 2022-12-02