STATUS OF THE BELUGA, DELPHINAPTERUS-LEUCAS, IN WESTERN AND SOUTHERN HUDSON-BAY

In mid-July, the western Hudson Bay Beluga stock ranges in coastal waters from Eskimo Point to the Ontario border with concentrations at the estuaries of the Seal, Churchill and Nelson rivers. At the same time, another population of Belugas occupies southern Hudson Bay coastal waters with concentrations at the estuaries of the Severn and Winisk rivers. The relationships between the western Hudson Bay stack and other Hudson Bay summer populations are unclear. It is not known how many separate genetic stocks there are. Current annual removals from hunting and live-captures can be sustained by the western Hudson Bay stock; it is thought to be stable. The effect of hydro-electric development on the estuarine habitat of the stock is unknown.