MARINE MAMMAL COMMISSION — Annual Report for 1991 



Table 5. Estimated Annual Harvests of Pacif- 

 ic Walruses in Alaska and the Soviet 

 Union, 1970 to 1989" 



This table is based on data collected through harvest monitoring 

 programs carried out by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game 

 from 1970 to 1979 and by the Fish and Wildlife Service from 

 1980 to 1989. Alaska harvest estimates for 1978-1989 are 

 extrapolated from a subsample of catches at selected villages. 



Interactions between Walruses 

 and Commercial Fisheries 



As the Pacific walrus recovered from over-exploi- 

 tation in the first half of the 1900s, walruses reoccu- 

 pied certain previously abandoned haulouts in Bristol 

 Bay. Two of the largest haulouts in this area are at 

 Round Island and Cape Peirce in northern Bristol Bay. 

 In the early 1950s, walruses returned to Round Island, 

 which appears to be the best-suited terrestrial walrus 



haulout in Bristol Bay. In 1960, the State of Alaska 

 designated Round Island as part of the Walrus Islands 

 State Game Sanctuary and, by 1978, counts at Round 

 Island reached 15,000 animals. 



Between 1978 and 1984, however, counts declined 

 to about 6,000 animals. The decline was attributed to 

 disturbance caused by the development of a herring 

 fishery in nearshore waters around the island and an 

 increasing number of people visiting the island to 

 view the wildlife. The State of Alaska therefore 

 expanded the restricted access area around the island 

 from one-half mile to two miles. The measure 

 appeared to be effective and the peak count increased 

 to 12,378 in 1986. 



In 1981, walruses began hauling out regularly in 

 large numbers at Cape Peirce, which, with its adjacent 

 waters, is within the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge. 

 Although counts by refuge staff have fluctuated, the 

 peak count at Cape Peirce in 1986 was 9,494. 

 Reciprocal ttends in counts at Round Island and Cape 

 Peirce suggest that walruses move back and forth 

 between the two sites, which are about 60 miles apart. 

 Because peak counts at the two locations have been 

 obtained on different days, they cannot be added to 

 obtain a regional population estimate. 



Between 1986 and 1988, walrus counts at Round 

 Island and Cape Peirce declined significantly. By 

 1988, there were 4,424 animals at Round Island and 

 6,938 animals at Cape Peirce. The declines coincided 

 with the introduction in 1987 of yellowfin sole fishing 

 in northern parts of Bristol Bay, particularly around 

 Round Island. Noise from trawlers and processing 

 vessels was clearly heard on Round Island and this 

 was thought to be the likely cause of the decline. At 

 times, more than 180 fishing vessels were visible from 

 the island. Also, several walruses were caught and 

 killed in fishing nets. 



In response, the Eskimo Walrus Commission and 

 the Fish and Wildlife Service asked the North Pacific 

 Fishery Management Council to consider actions to 

 close areas around the walrus haulouts to yellowfin 

 sole fishing. The Council did so and, in 1989, it 

 recommended that the National Marine Fisheries 

 Service adopt a two-year seasonal (April-September) 



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