Walrus in Greenland
Greenland hosts three populations of walrus:
1) The North Water population: All year in the polynia of the Baffin Bay and Smith Sound. These walruses are absent from coastal areas during the open water season in August-September. At this time the population summers in Canada along Ellesmere Island.
It is estimated (2005), that this population consists of about 1,500 animals (www.natur.gl).
2) The West Greenland population: Occurs from fall to spring at the edge of the Baffin Bay pack ice, between 66°30’N and 70°30’N, that is from somewhere south of Sisimiut to the Disco Island in the north. In addition a few animals are assumed to spend the winter in open water areas around Uummannaq and Upernavik. It is estimated (2005), that this population consists of about 1,000 animals.
3) The East Greenland population: Resident in the shallow waters along the east coast and is mainly confined to the National Park (see map page 6). It is assumed that interaction with other populations is only very limited. It is estimated (2005), that this population consists of about 1,000 animals.
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Table: The Atlantic walrus populations [3]
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Populations
1) Foxe Basin (CA)
2) Southern and Eastern Hudson Bay (CA)
3) Northern Hudson Bay to SE Baffin Island (CA and GL?)
4) West Greenland (GL)
5) North Water (GL and CA)
6) East Greenland (GL)
7) Svalbard and Franz Josephs Land (NO and RU)
8) Kara Sea to Novaya Zemlaya (RU) |
Estimate and certainty
5,500 (2,700-11,200 95% CI)
Unknown
Unknown
1,000 (estimate[4])
1,500 (estimate)
1,000 (estimate)
2,000
Unknown |
Trend
Stable?
Unknown
Unknown
Declining
Declining
Stable/increasing
Increasing
Increasing |
Genetic studies and information on migration supports the view that the three Greenlandic walrus populations represent separate units and should be managed accordingly [5].
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Table 7: International conservation efforts
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Red list category (IUCN):
Not listed. Only the walrus populations named as the Laptev walrus in Russia is listed: Data Deficient (1994)
CITES:
Walrus has been listed on CITES Appendix III by Canada in 1975. In 1987 CITES concluded that the international trade level did not warrant an increased level of protection [6].
EU wildlife trade regulations:
Annex B.
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NAMMCO:
This is a regional multi-lateral agreement, which focuses on the management of marine mammals in the North Atlantic, the member states Greenland, the Faeroe Islands, Norway and Iceland. NAMMCO has issued research and management recommendations for the walrus, e.g.:
In 1995 the Management Committee recommended that Greenland take appropriate steps to arrest the decline of the walrus along its west coast, and encouraged Canada toconsider working co-operatively with Greenland, to assist in achieving this objective.
In 2004 a workshop on walrus hunting methods was held in Copenhagen. |
Historically the walrus was much more abundant in Greenland. In a new study [7], abundance estimates for a period approximately 100 years ago, are calculated by extrapolating historical hunting statistics and recent abundance estimates. The study suggests the following historical pre-harvest populations:
The North Water: About 15,000 animals in year 1900 (CI 90%: 7,800-22,300)
West Greenland: About 16,000 animals in year 1900 (CI 90%: 10,500-21,500)
East Greenland: About 1,600 animals in year 1889 (CI 90%: 941-2,860)
Although, the data is uncertain, it indicates much higher walrus abundance in western and north-western Greenland for the period roughly 100 years ago. The current populations are fragments of such previously abundant populations. Historical and current hunting is the main cause for this decline.
Opposite, the eastern Greenland population is today very close to its pre-harvest abundance probably, due to the absence of hunters in eastern Greenland since the mid-20th century. In 1956 the walrus was also declared totally protected north of Ittoqqortoormiit. Today the hunt in eastern Greenland is limited and is assumed to be well below sustainable harvest levels.
This trend is also reflected by the walrus’ retreat further and further north along the western Greenlandic coast over the last century. Today the walrus has left all haul-out sites on the west coast and only come ashore in north eastern Greenland, in the remote and un-inhabited National Park (see Figure below).
Greenland has not yet published an official Red list using the IUCN criteria for identifying species in need of conservation.
The Greenlandic Institute for Natural Resources has, in 2000, instead published a report “Status 2000”, listing “the important living resources”. In the status report the walrus, along with the polar bear, is classified as an:
Important species with possible problems (due to hunting or other), and were current scientific knowledge to some extend is lacking but sufficient for management initiatives in Greenland
Figure 1: Historical and current walrus haul-out sites in Greenland. Since the early part of the 20th century, walruses have, due to human disturbance, abandoned all of the west coast (crosses). They are now found only at two sites in the National Park (dots) (From: Hansen 2002. Used with permission).
Figure 2: Historical and current walrus population trends in Greenlandic according to Erik Born in the books "Walrus in Greenland" published by Ilinniusiorfik in 2005. Top: North West Greenlandic population. Middle: North Water population. Bottom: East Greenlandic population.
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