Mission Statement
To Maintain healthy populations of beluga whales in Alaskan waters and provide for adequate subsistence harvest of beluga whales and protect hunting privileges for Alaskan subsistence hunters.
Background
The Alaska Beluga Whale Committee (ABWC) was formed in 1988 to conserve beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) and manage beluga subsistence hunting in western and northern Alaska in cooperation with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). When the ABWC was formed, there was no consistently funded research or management program for belugas in Alaska, and co-management was a new concept. With funding from NMFS and others, the ABWC collects data necessary for the successful management of beluga whales, including harvest data, stock structure and distribution, estimates of population abundance, beluga health, and general biology. ABWC also develops management plans for stocks (populations) of belugas and works in partnership with the National Marine Fisheries Service to manage belugas.
More information: Adams et al. 1993; Frost et al. 2021
ABWC goals:
- Maintain a healthy beluga whale resource for subsistence use and public enjoyment by future generations.
- Encourage the safe and efficient harvest, processing, and use of beluga whales.
- Reduce the number of struck and lost whales through regional management plans.
- Ensure that belugas are used as fully as possible in a non-wasteful manner.
- Obtain accurate harvest information and biological samples from each region.
- Educate and promote understanding about beluga issues among users, resource managers, and other interested groups.
- Obtain biological information and traditional knowledge necessary for sound management and conservation of beluga whales.
- Oversee enforcement of regional management plans and hunting guidelines, and promote enforcement of habitat protection laws.
ABWC Membership
The membership of the ABWC is made up of representatives (Link to delegates) from approximately 30 communities (Link to Communities) that harvest belugas in the following regions: North Slope, Chukchi Sea, Kotzebue Sound, Norton Sound, Yukon Delta, Kuskokwim, and Bristol Bay. The North Slope Borough (NSB), the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) and NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA-NMFS) are also members (Link to Partnerships). The ABWC does not include Cook Inlet.
The ABWC Executive Committee currently consists of:
Tom Gray, Chairman (Council/Nome)
Marvin Okitkun, Vice Chairman (Kotlik)
Lori Quakenbush, Secretary
Billy Adams, Member-at-Large (Utqiagvik)
Cyrus Harris, Member-at-Large (Kotzebue)
Past Executive Committee members: Link to past members
ABWC By-Laws
ABWC Management Plan
ABWC/NMFS Co-management Agreement
- Co-Management Agreement between the Alaska Beluga Whale Committee and NMFS for the Western Alaska Beluga Whale Population
- ABWC-NMFS Co-Management Agreement (User friendly version)
Banner photo credit: Leslie Pierce
