STATUS OF THE BAFFIN-BAY POPULATION OF BELUGA, DELPHINAPTERUS-LEUCAS

In summer, Belugas of the Canadian eastern high arctic are found in the waters of the central archipelago. Large numbers, up to 5000, frequent the estuaries of Somerset Island. Belugas migrate through Lancaster Sound in the fall to over-winter in Baffin Bay and Davis Strait. Estuaries are considered critical habitat for Belugas because of their repeated seasonal occupation. Disturbance by man is caused by vessel traffic, in particular ice-breakers evoke a fleeing response at distances greater than 35 km. Development of hydrocarbon resources carries the inherent risk of oil spills to which Belugas are moderately susceptible. Belugas are hunted for subsistence purposes by the Inuit of Canada and Greenland. No quotas regulate catch size in either country. Migration patterns indicate a single stock, but differences in contaminant levels of Canadian and Greenlandic Belugas suggest stock separation. From a population of approximately 12 000, on average 50 Belugas are harvested in the Canadian high acetic and 700 in Greenlandic waters annually, which raises concern that exploitation exceeds production. Current population levels indicate that Baffin Bay Belugas are not rare or endangered, but management issues need to be addressed through co-operation between native hunters and government authorities. Because demographic parameters are poorly known (especially catch sizes in West Greenland) and Belugas are susceptible to over-harvesting, the Baffin Bay stock of Belugas should be considered vulnerable until better information on population trends is available.