Gray whale hunting could be permitted for Native Americans in Washington.
For many years, the indigenous people in the state of Washington, USA, have shown their respect for the Gray Whales. However, due to commercial whaling putting the whales in danger, animal rights activists obtained a hunting ban in 1999. Now, over two decades later, the Makah Tribe has been granted a unique license by the animal welfare agency.
The Native Americans of the Makah Tribe in the US state of Washington can now resume their long-standing Gray Whale hunt, which had been suspended for centuries. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has approved this permission for the indigenous people from the Pacific Coast village of Neah Bay. The tribe is now allowed to hunt up to 25 Gray Whales over a span of ten years for ceremonial purposes and self-sufficiency.
To be eligible for this hunting permit, the tribe must adhere to specific requirements. For instance, only two or three whales can be killed annually. The Gray Whale population in the region is supposedly around 17,000 to 21,000 individuals, according to the NOAA's recent surveys.
A Rich Cultural Tradition
The Native Americans of the Makah Tribe had relied on Gray Whale hunting for generations. A treaty from 1855 gave the Natives the right to whaling. Unfortunately, non-native whalers decimated the whale population at the turn of the century, leading to the species being endangered and placed under protective measures.
With a special permit from the International Whaling Commission (IWC), the tribe resumed hunting in 1999 and secured one Gray Whale. They hunted the whale in a traditional Red Cedar canoe and used harpoons to initially harm the whale, followed by a fatal shot from a rifle. This hunt was met with outrage from animal rights activists, who also took legal action to prevent the hunt.
Since then, the tribe and several human rights organizations have continued their fight to obtain a hunting license. They have navigated through the legal system to achieve this goal. The latest decision by the Ocean and Climate Administration allows the Makahs to be exempt from the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), which is a law designed to protect marine mammals.
