Makah tribe wins federal approval to hunt gray whales

The Makah tribe, which has long sought approval to resume whaling off the coast of Washington state, won approval from federal regulators Thursday to harvest up to 25 gray whales over the next decade.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s decision is a decisive victory for the tribe in its decades-long effort to resume its whaling traditions, which were enshrined as a right in an 1855 treaty. Tribal leaders have said whaling is necessary for the tribe’s culture and well-being at a time when everyone is under threat.

The United States largely outlawed whaling more than 50 years ago because many species had been hunted to the brink of extinction. Since then, the Eastern North Pacific gray whales that the tribe plans to hunt have repopulated and were removed from the endangered species list in 1994.

However, conservation groups and others have fought hard against the hunt, arguing that the whales need continued protection, that the intelligent and social mammals will suffer from the hunt, and that some species with smaller populations could be endangered.

Makah, with about 3,000 registered members, is based on a reservation in the far northwest corner of Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula, where the timber industry suffered major declines in the late 20th century and salmon have also become more little. The tribe has sought to diversify its marine fisheries, some of which have been in decline, and to restore its whaling past.

Long ago, whaling was at the heart of Makah culture and was surrounded by rituals and ceremonies, while serving as inspiration for songs, dances and basketry. Tribal leaders said resuming the hunt could reconnect a new generation with the tribe’s maritime past.

Declining livelihoods over the years led tribal members to rely on outside food sources and modern diets, leading to concerns about diabetes and heart disease. Tribal leaders said they hoped the whaling could help members return to healthier ways.

The tribe’s treaty rights, unlike any other in the country, explicitly allow the taking of whales (Alaska Natives are also allowed to conduct limited whaling). Makah’s efforts to enforce the treaty provision have been hampered by court challenges and political setbacks.

After decades without hunting, the tribe briefly won legal approval a quarter-century ago and successfully hunted a gray whale in 1999. Conservationists tried to halt the effort, using motorized boats to block the tribe’s hunting canoes from to reach the whales or to scare the whales away from the area. Hackers took control of the tribe’s website. The whalers received death threats. Protesters in downtown Seattle carried placards that included a slogan: “Save a whale, kill a Makah.”

The following year, a federal appeals court determined that the environmental impact of the hunt had not been properly considered and ordered a ban on further hunting.

Makah will not be allowed to resume whaling immediately; instead, the tribe will have to complete a series of preparatory steps outlined by federal authorities.

Tribal leaders have said they also need time to train hunters.

During the 1999 whaling, tribesmen paddled wooden canoes over several days before using a traditional harpoon to capture a 30-meter whale. A high-powered rifle was used to kill the whale before crews towed it to shore. Meat was consumed as part of tribal ceremonies.

The tribe has proposed following a similar method for future hunts.