Wow-since whales in general appear to like humans, it might be a good idea to have some marine biologists get friendly with some whales-swim/hang out with them-collect some DNA, watch their habits, feed them treats, etc to learn what they are doing right to live so long and healthy. That would be some great research to do...
I don’t really think it is a good idea for anyone to be killing/eating an animal that lives so long-it almost made them extinct once already. Those Inupiak who are “still allowed to hunt for survival” are NOT doing it to survive-they hunt game with guns, cook and eat it just like the rest of us do most of the time-it is just a custom and no doubt a way to make extra money-they probably sell whale meat/oil/, etc to tourists as something to take photos of, eat, etc. Alaska is a big, beautiful place with lots of animal species-let them find some less-endangered animal to carve up as a custom and for tourist $$$$$...
Native Alaskan’s are held to quota
and hunt only for a subsistance
life style. They are not allowed
to profit from any meat or oil
derived from the taking of bowheads.
They can, however, profit from
art artifacts derived from the
skelatal remains, and often search
for whale and walrus carcases for
this reason.
Non-natives can be fined for
possesion of whale bones.
I wonder if the Inupiaks can deal in bones and teeth, say for scrimshaw purposes? Asking for a friend who hauled a pretty big whale bone off Sandy Neck back in the last century.