One Artic Whale Thriving

Research on the bowhead whale has helped preserve a primary food source for Alaskan Eskimos and may provide a useful tool for studying genetic variation in other migratory animals.

Due in part to findings by Purdue University professor John Bickham, the International Whaling Commission ruled last week to allow Eskimos to harvest 56 whales per year. Bickham said the bowhead’s population has been increasing by 3 percent a year and should be able to increase its 11,000 population under the quota.

The study, published last month in Molecular Ecology, measured genetic variation of bowhead whales in order to understand the animal’s population makeup. Researchers did detect an unexpected level of genetic variation but speculate it stems from the whale’s unusual age structure, as opposed to unique subpopulations. If there were distinct subpopulations, the quota would likely be lowered to protect these groups, Bickham added.

"This is an example of where science and management actually affect people’s lives," Bickham said. "In Indiana, for example, if people have to cut back on the number of white-tailed deer or other game species that can be hunted, there is little effect on people’s lives. In this case, if the bowhead hunt is stopped or the quota reduced significantly, it could really impact people’s lives in a major way, because the whale is an essential part of the Eskimo food and culture."

—LiveScience Staff

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