People of the Makah, a Washington state Indigenous tribe (pictured, 1998) based in Neah Bay, have subsisted on Eastern North Pacific gray whales for generations. File Photo by H. Ruckerman/UPI | License Photo
June 13 (UPI) -- The Makah, a Washington state Indigenous tribe, has been given a waiver from federal rules so that it can hunt as many as 25 Eastern North Pacific gray whales over 10 years in U.S. waters, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Thursday.
The tribe, based in Neah Bay, Wash., has received a waiver from the Marine Mammal Protection Act to hunt the whale, of which the Makah have subsisted on for generations.
The waiver issued Thursday aligns with the Treaty of Neah Bay of 1855 and the quotas established by the International Whaling Commission.
"This final rule represents a major milestone in the process to return ceremonial and subsistence hunting of Eastern North Pacific gray whales to the Makah Tribe," said Janet Coit, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries. "The measures adopted today honor the Makah Tribe's treaty rights and their cultural whaling tradition that dates back well over 1,000 years, and is fundamental to their identity and heritage."
Related
- Washington state's Makah Tribe might resume whale hunts soon
- Washington's Makah Indian tribe could soon hunt gray whales
- 2 from Wash. tribe get jail for whale kill
Prior to any hunt, any tribe has to enter a cooperative agreement with NOAA Fisheries Under the Whaling Convention Act and has to receive a hunt permit.
Under terms of the rule, the tribe can't hunt more than three whales each year in U.S. waters. In past years, the quota has been transferred to Russia. The International Whaling Commission is shared between the Makah Tribe and the Chukotkan Natives in Russia.
NOAA Fisheries said it will continue to work to protect endangered Western North Pacific gray whales and the Pacific Coast Feeding Group of Eastern North Pacific gray whales.
Earlier this year, NOAA Fisheries canceled the Unusual Mortality Event it had issued for the Eastern North Pacific gray whale population. Between December 17, 2018, and November 9, 2023, 690 gray whales were stranded, and scientists found changes in food, malnutrition, decreased birth rates, and increased mortality.
"It involved hundreds of dead gray whales that stranded along the Pacific coast from Mexico to Alaska, including in gray whale wintering, migratory, and feeding areas. Scientists estimate the UME led to a roughly 40 percent decline in the population of eastern North Pacific gray whales," NOAA said in a statement announcing the closure of the Unusual Mortality Event.
U.S. News // 1 hour agoEducation Dept. reaches resolutions with CUNY, University of Michigan over campus discrimination June 18 (UPI) -- The Education Department announced that it has reached resolutions with the University of Michigan and City University of New York.
U.S. News // 3 hours agoBiden administration announces protection for undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens June 18 (UPI) -- The Biden administration announced on Tuesday that it would allow certain undocumented immigrants who are married to U.S. citizens to stay and work in the United States legally, expanding rules previously reserved for im
U.S. News // 5 hours agoPolice clear pro-Palestine encampment at CSULA June 18 (UPI) -- Authorities have cleared a pro-Palestine encampment that has been protesting for more than 40 days on the campus of California State University, Los Angeles, after demonstrators last week occupied a school building.
U.S. News // 6 hours agoMaserati driver gets more than 32 years for shooting mother in road rage incident June 18 (UPI) -- The driver of a Maserati who shot a mother in her car following a road rage incident in 2021 has been sentenced to more than 32 years' imprisonment, federal prosecutors said.
U.S. News // 8 hours agoU.S. designates Iran-aligned Ansar Allah al-Awfiya as terrorist organization June 18 (UPI) -- The United States has designated Iraq-based Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya as a terrorist organization as the Biden administration cracks down Iran proxy militias amid Israel's war in Gaza.
U.S. News // 11 hours agoU.S. sanctions Houthi procurement, revenue-generating networks June 17 (UPI) -- The Biden administration sanctioned Houthi procurement and revenue-generating networks on Monday as the United States continues to target the Iran proxy militia's weapon supplies and funds.
U.S. News // 1 day agoIndian national accused of murder-for-hire plot pleads not guilty in New York court June 17 (UPI) -- An Indian man accused of being involved in a failed $100,000 murder-for-hire plot in June 2023 to assassinate a Sikh separatist living in New York pleaded not guilty Monday in a Manhattan courtroom.
U.S. News // 12 hours agoU.S. Postal Service trots out new 'Horses' stamps at Pony Express re-enactment June 17 (UPI) -- The U.S. Postal Service trotted out its new "Horses" stamps Monday at a ceremony where the 164th annual Pony Express re-enactment got underway in Missouri.
U.S. News // 13 hours ago23 NATO allies on track to meet defense spending target June 17 (UPI) -- President Joe Biden met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Monday at the White House, where he announced a record number of allies are on track this year to reach NATO's 2% spending threshold.
U.S. News // 15 hours agoSecret Service agent robbed at gunpoint during Joe Biden's trip to California June 17 (UPI) -- A Secret Service agent was robbed at gunpoint over the weekend in Southern California and fired his gun during the incident, according to the agency and Tustin police.
