In Alaska, a Mystery Over Disappearing Whales

 

At the age of 8, Roswell Schaeffer Sr. began learning to hunt beluga whales in Kotzebue, Alaska, a tradition deeply ingrained in the Iñupiaq community. Belugas were not just a vital food source; their skin and blubber held cultural and spiritual significance. However, over the past seven decades, the beluga population in Kotzebue Sound has sharply declined. In the 1980s, thousands dwindled to mere dozens, and today, the community faces a dilemma: continuing to hunt belugas may further harm the species, but abandoning the practice risks losing ancestral knowledge crucial for survival.

As climate change, increased ship traffic, and pollutants threaten belugas, scientists emphasize the importance of understanding how these whales, like many animals, pass on knowledge and customs across generations. Belugas, like killer whales, exhibit cultural traits, such as unique vocalizations and feeding techniques, which are essential for survival. Cultural adaptations can occur faster than genetic changes and play a crucial role in helping species like belugas cope with environmental challenges.

However, the rapid pace of environmental change poses a dilemma. While cultural practices are essential for adapting to new circumstances, traditional practices may hinder a group's ability to adjust quickly. Indigenous communities, like Schaeffer's, face the challenge of balancing cultural preservation with the urgent need for adaptation. The loss of cultural knowledge about migration routes, feeding techniques, and coping mechanisms could severely impact belugas' chances of survival.

Conservation efforts often focus on genetic diversity, but recent research suggests that cultural diversity is equally vital. Maintaining a variety of knowledge and practices optimizes opportunities for animals to address new challenges. As beluga populations continue to decline in places like Cook Inlet, Alaska, and Svalbard, Norway, scientists observe signs of belugas developing new cultural practices. Whether these innovations will be sufficient for survival remains uncertain.

In Alaska, the Cook Inlet belugas, listed as endangered since 2008, face numerous threats beyond hunting, including noise pollution, chemical pollution, climate change, and prey declines. Despite conservation efforts and public engagement events like the annual beluga count, their numbers continue to decline. Some scientists, like Verena Gill of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries, suspect that cultural fragmentation may contribute to the decline as belugas lose knowledge about tides and feeding grounds.

Indigenous communities and scientists grapple with complex decisions about whether to continue hunting belugas, balancing cultural heritage with conservation needs. A voluntary plan in Kotzebue aims to limit hunting during critical times, but adherence is a challenge. The cultural identity tied to beluga hunting complicates the decision, especially when rebuilding populations may take decades and result in a genetically different group.

As beluga hunting opportunities diminish, the loss of interest among younger generations signals the rapid erosion of ancestral knowledge. For Schaeffer, this loss is deeply troubling, emphasizing the urgency of finding solutions that preserve both cultural heritage and beluga survival in a changing world.