Beaufort Sea Offshore Exploration and the Eskimo Whale Hunt, 1978-1991
Authors: Griffeth R.R. , Bremner D.L. , Hall J.D. , Savit M.N. 
Published: October 2008

Many geophysical and offshore drilling operations in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea must be conducted during the brief (September through October) ice free, open water season. This is the same timeframe in which the bowhead whale migrates from east to west and Alaskan Eskimo whaling communities conduct their annual fall hunts. Some senior whaling captains feel that industry OCS activities have caused the migration to be displaced further from shore making hunting more difficult and that on some occasions the migration has been temporarily "blocked." This paper tests these views by examining historical whale sighting data covering a fourteen year period (1978–1991). It concludes that the environmental factors of extent and coverage of sea ice plus weather conditions in any given year determine the parameters of the annual fall bowhead migration. These factors equally influence the extent and success of both Eskimo whaling and OCS operations.

INTRODUCTION

This paper is a survey of the historical data available to address the following questions:

One, for the years 1978 through 1991, where were bowhead whales observed during their annual fall (September and October) migration through the Alaskan Beaufort Sea in relation to the traditional Eskimo subsistence whale hunt and oil and gas industry offshore activities?

Two, days the historical data support the views of some very experienced Eskimo whaling captains that oil and gas exploratory operations have at various times either blocked the "normal" bowhead migration or caused the migration to take place further offshore thereby making the subsistence hunt more difficult to conduct from shore-based whaling camps.

Three, have scientific studies designed, in part, to address questions one and two produced sufficient evidence to either support or refute the views which hold that oil and gas exploratory activities in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea during the fall have disturbed the normal migratory patterns and behavior of bowhead whales?

Four, are there reasonable alternative explanations supported by adequate evidence that may be used to account for both regularities and annual differences from expected norms that have characterized the annual fall bowhead migration during the fourteen years (1978–1991) over which that evidence has been systematically collected?

Answers to these four questions are vitally important to both Eskimo whaling captains and to the offshore oil and gas industry since one factor remains constant: both parties must have access to the Beaufort Sea during the brief ice-free season that usually extends from August to mid-October if they are to conduct their respective activities successfully.

REGULATORY CONSTRAINTS ON BEAUFORT EA OFFSHORE EXPLORATION.

Both Alaskan and Federal regulatory bodies have long taken the position that--in the absence of definitive proof that no disturbance to the migration from industry activities occurs--Eskimo whale hunters must receive highest priority among Beaufort Sea user groups. From the early 1980's this was expressed through a set of regulations generically termed "Seasonal Drilling Restrictions (SDRS)" which severely confined the operating window for offshore exploration to a few weeks prior to the onset of the annual fall bowhead migration.