scholarly journals A catch history for Atlantic walruses (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) in the eastern Canadian Arctic

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 219 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Bruce Stewart ◽  
Jeff W Higdon ◽  
Randall R Reeves ◽  
Robert EA Stewart
Keyword(s):  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Bowhead Whale ◽  
Steady Increase ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus ◽  
Inuit Population ◽  
Minimum Numbers ◽  
Over Time ◽  
Eastern Canadian Arctic ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus Rosmarus

Knowledge of changes in abundance of Atlantic walruses (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) in Canada is important for assessing their current population status. This catch history collates available data and assesses their value for modelling historical populations to inform population recovery and management. Pre-historical (archaeological), historical (e.g., Hudson Bay Company journals) and modern catch records are reviewed over time by data source (whaler, land-based commercial, subsistence etc.) and biological population or management stock.Direct counts of walruses landed as well as estimates based on hunt products (e.g., hides, ivory) or descriptors (e.g., Peterhead boatloads) support a minimum landed catch of over 41,300 walruses in the eastern Canadian Arctic between 1820 and 2010. Little is known of Inuit catches prior to 1928, despite the importance of walruses to many Inuit groups for subsistence. Commercial hunting from the late 1500s to late 1700s extirpated the Atlantic walrus from Quebec and the Atlantic Provinces, but there was no commercial hunt for the species in the Canadian Arctic until ca. 1885. As the availability of bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) declined, whalers increasingly turned to hunting other species, including walruses. Modest numbers (max. 278/yr) were taken from the High Arctic population in the mid-1880s and large catches (up to 1400/yr) were often taken from the Central Arctic population from 1899 -1911, while the Foxe Basin stock (Central Arctic population) and Low Arctic population were largely ignored by commercial hunters. Land-based traders (ca. 1895-1928) continued the commercial hunt until regulatory changes in 1928 reserved walruses for Inuit use. Since 1950, reported walrus catches have been declining despite a steady increase in the Inuit population. Effort data are needed to assess whether lower catches stem from declining hunter effort or decreased walrus abundance. The recent take of walruses by sport hunting has been small (n=141, 1995-2010), sporadic and local.These landed catch estimates indicate the minimum numbers of walruses removed but do not account for under-reporting or lost animals that were killed but were not secured. Unreported and lost animals may represent a significant fraction of the total removals and must be considered in any modelling exercise. The sources, quality and completeness of the catch data vary widely over time and space and between the different hunt types. This variability confounds interpretation and contributes to the uncertainty that needs to be incorporated into any modelling. The data on Inuit subsistence catches before ca. 1928 are particularly fragmentary and uncertain. 

Stock discrimination of Atlantic walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) in the eastern Canadian Arctic using lead isotope and element signatures in teeth

1999 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
P M Outridge ◽  
R EA Stewart
Keyword(s):  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
Isotope Ratios ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Trace Element Composition ◽  
Pb Isotope ◽  
Foxe Basin ◽  
Stock Discrimination ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus Rosmarus ◽  
Atlantic Walrus

Atlantic walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) harvested from three regions of the Canadian Arctic, and by different communities within two of those regions, were distinguished using the stable Pb isotope or trace element composition of their tooth cementum. Walrus from Foxe Basin (Igloolik, Hall Beach), the High Arctic (Grise Fiord, Resolute Bay), and eastern Hudson Bay (Akulivik, Inukjuak) were each characterized by specific combinations of Pb isotope ratios and Co concentrations, and we conclude that they represent different regional stocks. Walrus landed at Akulivik and Inukjuak were further discriminated by significant differences in 208Pb/207Pb, even though the communities are only 250 km apart. There was more overlap between walrus from Igloolik and Hall Beach, which are 80 km apart, but significant differences between sites in Pb isotope ratios and in concentrations of V, Zn, and Mo suggested that more than one Foxe Basin stock was being harvested. Particularly at Hall Beach, the herds contained a few individuals with isotope ratios significantly different from the rest of the population. These "outliers" may represent either immigrants from other geological provinces or animals caught in other areas. Further investigation of the outliers could provide information regarding hunting patterns, walrus home ranges, and the rates and demographics of interstock migrations.

The breeding behavior of Atlantic walruses, Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus, in the Canadian High Arctic

1996 ◽  
Vol 74 (5) ◽  
pp. 897-911 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Sjare ◽  
I. Stirling
Keyword(s):  
Mating System ◽  
Open Water ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
Breeding Behavior ◽  
Canadian High Arctic ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus ◽  
Ice Conditions ◽  
Female Defense Polygyny ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus Rosmarus

The breeding behavior of Atlantic walruses, Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus, overwintering at the Dundas Island polynya (76 °09′N, 94 °52′W) in the Canadian High Arctic was studied from 1981 to 1990. Approximately 25–65 walruses frequented the polynya area each winter; their distribution was determined by sea-ice features (e.g., thin annual ice, cracks) that ensured easy access to open water. The mating system of walruses breeding in the area is best described as female-defense polygyny. A large mature male had exclusive access to a herd of walruses containing several females for 1–5 days at a time. Although there were numerous males in the polynya capable of attending a herd during the breeding season, one or two males spent significantly more time with a herd. It was not evident that female preference was important in determining which male became the attending male. When attending a herd, a male continuously repeated a complex, stereotyped underwater song. Other sexually mature males in the area behaved as silent herd members, vocal satellite males, or, in some cases, both. The small number of walruses at the polynya, the sedentary nature of the population due to ice conditions, and the inherent gregariousness of female walruses appear to be important factors influencing the evolution of social behavior and the mating system in walruses

Marine reservoir corrections for bowhead whale radiocarbon age determinations

1996 ◽  
Vol 33 (12) ◽  
pp. 1628-1637 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur S. Dyke ◽  
Roger N. McNeely ◽  
James Hooper
Keyword(s):  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
Bowhead Whale ◽  
Bone Collagen ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
Marine Molluscs ◽  
Terrestrial Plant ◽  
Radiocarbon Age ◽  
Raised Beaches ◽  
Eastern Canadian Arctic ◽  
Age Determinations

Twenty-two pairs of radiocarbon dates on driftwood and bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) bones from raised beaches, dates on whale bone and terrestrial plant detritus from a stratigraphie section, and 25 additional dates on whale bones from the lowest (≤1 ka BP) raised beaches in the eastern Canadian Arctic suggest that a marine reservoir correction of about −200 years is appropriate for normalized age determinations on bone collagen from the bowhead whale in this region. This is less than the correction (−400 years) normally applied to carbonate shells of marine molluscs from this region. The carbon in bowhead collagen appears to be derived from the whales' zooplankton food rather than from marine bicarbonate.

Intercolony differences in the summer diet of Thick-billed Murres in the eastern Canadian Arctic

1993 ◽  
Vol 71 (9) ◽  
pp. 1831-1840 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony J. Gaston ◽  
Michael S. W. Bradstreet
Keyword(s):  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Baffin Bay ◽  
Number Of Species ◽  
Davis Strait ◽  
Similarity Indices ◽  
Low Arctic ◽  
Eastern Canadian Arctic

The diet of Thick-billed Murres collected near six colonies in the eastern Canadian Arctic comprised invertebrates (84% of 23 462 items) and fish (16%). Adult diets differed significantly among colonies, both within the Low Arctic (Hudson Strait), between Low and High Arctic (Lancaster Sound – Baffin Bay), and between Low-Arctic colonies and a colony close to the High/Low Arctic boundary (Davis Strait). Murres from the High Arctic took more invertebrates, fewer fish, and a smaller number of species overall than those from the Low Arctic. Diets were more diverse in the Low Arctic than in the High Arctic, in keeping with the greater number of prey taxa available at lower latitudes. Similarity indices show that diets at High-Arctic colonies were more similar to one another than was true for other colonies. Differences among Low-Arctic colonies suggest variation in the relative abundance of different nekton components within Hudson Strait.

scholarly journals Three recent ice entrapments of Arctic cetaceans in West Greenland and the eastern Canadian High Arctic

2002 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 143 ◽  
Author(s):  
MP Heide-Jørgensen ◽  
P Richard ◽  
M Ramsay ◽  
S Akeeagok
Keyword(s):  
North Atlantic ◽  
Polar Bear ◽  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Bowhead Whale ◽  
Delphinapterus Leucas ◽  
Polar Bears ◽  
Canadian High Arctic ◽  
West Greenland ◽  
The One

Three ice entrapments of Monodontids have been reported in the western North Atlantic since 1993. Hunters in Disko Bay, West Greenland, discovered one in March 1994 that included about 150 narwhals (Monodon monoceros). The entrapment occurred during a sudden cold period which caused ice to form rapidly. The trapped whales were subject to hunting, but about 50 of the killed whales could not be retrieved in the ice. The whales were trapped in a small opening in the ice and because of that they would probably have succumbed even if not discovered by hunters. Two entrapments involving white whales or belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) occurred in the eastern Canadian Arctic in May 1999; one in Lancaster Sound discovered by polar bear (Ursus maritimus) researchers and one in Jones Sound discovered by hunters. The first included one bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) and about 40 belugas that were being preyed upon by polar bears. The second involved at least 170 belugas, of which about 100 were killed by polar bears and 17 were taken by hunters. The entrapments in Disko Bay and Jones Sound both occurred in areas where entrapments have previously been reported, whereas the one in Lancaster Sound was in a new area.

scholarly journals Use of Multiple Methods to Estimate Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) Abundance in the Penny Strait-Lancaster Sound and West Jones Sound Stocks, Canada

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 95 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert EA Stewart ◽  
Erik W Born ◽  
J Blair Dunn ◽  
William R Koski ◽  
Anna K Ryan
Keyword(s):  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Population Estimation ◽  
Multiple Methods ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus ◽  
Trends Over Time ◽  
Good Coverage ◽  
Total Stock ◽  
Over Time ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus Rosmarus ◽  
Broad Scale

Surveys to estimate walrus abundance at terrestrial haulout sites in the Penny Strait-Lancaster Sound (PS-LS) and West Jones Sound (WJS) stocks were conducted in 1977 and 1998-2009. The Minimum Counted Population (MCP) was similar in 1977 (565) to recent years (557) for the PS-LS stock. The MCP for the WJS stock was higher in recent surveys (404) than in 1977 (290). Regression analysis of MCP and density (number of walrus divided by number of haulouts surveyed) showed no significant trends over time. We also calculated bounded count estimates for comparison. Finally, we used broad-scale behavioural data to estimate the proportion of the total stock that could be considered countable, to produce two adjusted estimates. We selected recent surveys with good coverage and ignored adjusted estimates that were lower than MCP. For the PS-LS stock, the adjusted MCP (with 95% CL) was 672 (575-768) and 727 (623-831) walrus in 2007 and 2009, respectively. For WJS, the best estimates were the adjusted MCP of 503 (473-534) in 2008 and the adjusted bounded count of 470 (297-1732) in 2009. While both stocks appear to have remained stable over three decades, differences in survey coverage and possible differences in walrus distribution make precise population estimation difficult.

scholarly journals Bowhead whale Balaena mysticetus diving and movement patterns in the eastern Canadian Arctic: implications for foraging ecology

2011 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Pomerleau ◽  
TA Patterson ◽  
S Luque ◽  
V Lesage ◽  
MP Heide-Jørgensen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Foraging Ecology ◽  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
Movement Patterns ◽  
Bowhead Whale ◽  
Balaena Mysticetus ◽  
Eastern Canadian Arctic

The Migration-Crime Nexus and the Press in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-181
Author(s):  
Alexander A Caviedes
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Human Trafficking ◽  
Organized Crime ◽  
Steady Increase ◽  
Press Coverage ◽  
Individual Country ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
The Press ◽  
And Migration ◽  
Over Time

This article explores the link between migrants and crime as portrayed in the European press. Examining conservative newspapers from France, Germany, and the United Kingdom from 2007 to 2016, the study situates the press coverage in each individual country within a comparative perspective that contrasts the frequency of the crime narrative to that of other prominent narratives, as well as to that in the other countries. The article also charts the prevalence of this narrative over time, followed by a discussion of which particular aspects of crime are most commonly referenced in each country. The findings suggest that while there has been no steady increase in the coverage of crime and migration, the press securitizes migration by focusing on crime through a shared emphasis on human trafficking and the non-European background of the perpetrators. However, other frames advanced in these newspapers, such as fraud or organized crime, comprise nationally distinctive characteristics.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document