Bowhead Whale (Balaena mysticetus) 
Over-exploitation by commercial whalers reduced the 
bowhead whale to extremely low levels throughout its range. 
It has been totally protected from commercial whaling for 
more than 40 years, and it is listed as both "endangered" 
under the Endangered Species Act and "depleted" under the 
Marine Mammal Protection Act. 
Although commercial exploitation of the Bering Sea 
population of bowheads did not begin until the mid-19th 
century, they have been hunted for subsistence purposes by 
Eskimos for centuries. Reported increases in the numbers of 
bowhead whales landed, killed but lost, and struck but lost 
by Alaskan Eskimos during the mid-1970's, however, led to 
increasing concern about the adverse impact of unregulated 
Eskimo hunting on the endangered bowhead population. This 
concern led to a decision by the International Whaling 
Commission (IWC) in June 1977 to ban the taking of bowhead 
whales for subsistence by all its member nations' people, 
including Alaskan Eskimos. Subsequently, in December 1977 
and thereafter, the IWC modified the total ban in recognition 
of the subsistence and cultural dependence of Alaskan Eskimos 
upon bowheads, and established limited quotas for subsistence 
hunting during 1978, 1979, and 1980. Detailed discussions 
of the activities of the Commission and others with respect 
to this matter during 1977, 1978, and 1979 are presented in 
the Commission's Annual Reports for those calendar years. 
During 1980, the bowhead whale issue continued to be 
the subject of international and domestic efforts to meet 
the subsistence and cultural needs of Alaskan Eskimos while 
protecting this endangered population. These efforts, 
including actions by the IWC, research on the status and 
trends of the bowhead population, and determinations of the 
needs of Alaskan Eskimos for bowhead whales, are discussed 
below. The Commission's efforts relating to research on the 
potential adverse impacts of offshore oil and gas activities 
on bowhead whales are discussed in Chapter xX. 
Eskimo Whaling During 1980 
As discussed in the Commission's previous Annual Report, 
the IWC at its meeting in July 1979 established a limited 
quota for bowhead whales that allowed Alaskan Eskimos to 
either land up to 18 whales or strike up to 26 whales 
(including those landed), whichever comes first, during the 
spring and fall hunts in 1980. By the end of the spring 
hunt, 15 whales had been landed and 31 (including the 15 
landed) had been struck. An additional whale was landed and 
a total of 3 whales (including the one landed) were struck 
in the fall after the quota of 26 strikes had been reached 
in the spring and further whaling prohibited by regulations. 
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