Notice2026-06366
Whaling Provisions; Aboriginal Subsistence Whaling Quotas
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
April 2, 2026
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
NMFS notifies the public of the aboriginal subsistence whaling quota for bowhead whales assigned to the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission (AEWC), and of limitations on the use of the quota deriving from regulations of the International Whaling Commission (IWC). For 2026, the AEWC quota is 93 bowhead whales struck. This quota and other applicable limitations govern the harvest of bowhead whales by licensed whaling captains of the AEWC.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 63 (Thursday, April 2, 2026)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 63 (Thursday, April 2, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16645-16646]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-06366]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XF562]
Whaling Provisions; Aboriginal Subsistence Whaling Quotas
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; notification of quota for bowhead whales.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NMFS notifies the public of the aboriginal subsistence whaling
quota for bowhead whales assigned to the Alaska Eskimo Whaling
Commission (AEWC), and of limitations on the use of the quota deriving
from regulations of the International Whaling Commission (IWC). For
2026, the AEWC quota is 93 bowhead whales struck. This quota and other
applicable limitations govern the harvest of bowhead whales by licensed
whaling captains of the AEWC.
DATES: Applicable April 2, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Office of International Affairs, Trade, and Commerce,
National Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver
Spring, MD 20910.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Madison Harris, (202) 480-4592.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Aboriginal subsistence whaling (ASW) in the
United States is governed by the Whaling Convention Act (WCA; 16 U.S.C.
916 et seq.). Under the WCA, IWC regulations shall become effective
with respect to all persons and vessels subject to the jurisdiction of
the United States within 90 days of notification from the IWC
Secretariat of an amendment to the IWC Schedule (16 U.S.C. 916k).
Regulations that implement the WCA, found at 50 CFR part 230, require
the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries to publish, at least
annually, aboriginal subsistence whaling quotas and any other
limitations on aboriginal subsistence whaling deriving from regulations
of the IWC.
At the 69th meeting of the IWC in 2024, the Commission extended
existing ASW strike/catch limits, including those for the bowhead
whales from the Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort Seas stock, for the 6-year
period 2026-2031. The new IWC quota block maintains that the number of
bowhead whales struck each year shall not exceed 67, with the total
quota block for the 6-year period at 336 bowhead whales landed. Unused
strikes from the three prior quota blocks shall be carried forward and
added to the annual strike quota of subsequent years, provided that no
more than 50 percent of the annual strike limit is added to the strike
quota for any 1 year. For the 2026 harvest, there are 33 strikes
available for carry-forward, so the combined bowhead whale strike quota
set by the IWC for 2026 is 100 (67 + 33).
The extension of existing ASW strike/catch limits at the 2024
meeting of the IWC was carried out following a process agreed to by the
Commission in 2018 that would extend ASW strike/catch limits under
certain circumstances. Under this process, commencing in 2026, bowhead
whale strike/catch limits shall be extended every 6 years provided: (a)
the IWC Scientific Committee advises in 2024, and every 6 years
thereafter, that such limits will not harm the stock; (b) the IWC does
not receive a request from the United States or the Russian Federation
for a change in the bowhead whale catch limits based on need; and (c)
the IWC determines that the United States and the Russian Federation
have complied with the IWC's approved timeline and that the information
provided represents a status quo continuation of the hunts. In 2024,
the Commission reviewed the above ASW extension criteria and determined
by consensus that all of the conditions had been met, and thus extended
the ASW strike/catch limits for 6 years, for the period from 2026
through 2031.
Both Alaska and Russian Natives hunt the bowhead whale, thus the
IWC quota for the bowhead whale is shared between the two Native
groups. To account for the shared quota, the United States and Russia
have an understanding that the two countries share the bowhead whale
quota. To facilitate the management of the bowhead quota, NOAA entered
into a cooperative agreement with the AEWC. NOAA has assigned 93
strikes to the AEWC through its cooperative agreement with the AEWC,
accounting for bowhead whales that may be hunted by Russian Natives.
The AEWC will in turn allocate these strikes among the 11 villages
whose cultural and subsistence needs have been documented and will
[[Page 16646]]
ensure that AEWC whaling captains use no more than 93 strikes.
Other Limitations
The IWC regulations, as well as the NOAA regulation at 50 CFR
230.4(c), forbid the taking of calves or any whale accompanied by a
calf.
NOAA regulations (50 CFR 230.4) also contain other prohibitions
relating to aboriginal subsistence whaling, some of which are
summarized here:
<bullet> No person, other than licensed whaling captains or crew
under the control of those captains, shall engage in aboriginal
subsistence whaling;
<bullet> No whaling captain shall engage in whaling that is not in
accordance with the regulations of the IWC, NOAA, and the relevant
cooperative agreement;
<bullet> No whaling captain shall engage in whaling without an
adequate crew or without adequate supplies and equipment;
<bullet> No person may receive money for participating in the hunt;
<bullet> No person may sell or offer for sale whale products from
whales taken in the hunt, except for authentic articles of Native
handicrafts;
<bullet> Captains cannot continue to whale after the relevant quota
is reached, after the season has been closed, or if their licenses have
been suspended; and
<bullet> No captain shall engage in whaling in a wasteful manner.
Dated: March 30, 2026.
Alexa Cole,
Director, Office of International Affairs, Trade, and Commerce,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-06366 Filed 4-1-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
</pre></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on April 2, 2026.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.