Dozens of boxes of blubber shipped from Hudson Strait

KUUJJUAQ – This past weekend, Kuujjuamiut savoured the rich taste of beluga maktak, which their hunters had taken from the Hudson Strait near the community of Quaqtaq.

Dozens of boxes filled with maktak were shipped to Kuujjuaq where the blubber was distributed first to elders and then to other residents.

But for much of Nunavik the annual beluga hunt is already over.

The federal department of fisheries and oceans recently sent letters to the mayors of Aupaluk, Kangirsuk, Quaqtaq, Salluit and Umiujaq, where hunters have already reached their quotas, asking them to end all beluga hunting.

"Since you have reached your quota, it is understood that all [beluga] hunting activities (for your community) should cease immediately for the remainder of the 2008 hunting season."

The DFO also sent letters to communities, which had exceeded their quotas, telling their hunters to stop beluga hunting and warning them that their 2009 quotas will be reduced to make up for this over-hunting.

This means hunters in Kangiqsujuaq, Ivujivik and Akulivik will have fewer beluga to hunt in 2009.

Kaniqsujuaq and Ivujivik which both had community quotas of 14 belugas, hunted 15 whales each, so these two communities will both see their quotas cut by one whale in 2009, the DFO said.

Akulivik, which has a community quota of nine, hunted 12 belugas this year, and will have its quota reduced by three whales in 2009.

DFO statistics on beluga landings show about 20 belugas remain in the Hudson Strait quota.

But hunters in the Hudson Strait communities may no longer hunt beluga because they have reached or exceeded their community quotas.

The 2008 quota for Hudson Strait was cut from 121 to 94, after hunters in the Hudson Strait exceeded their 2007 quota by 45 animals.

The recovery of this over-harvest is being staggered over two years, with the 2009 hunt in the Hudson Strait already reduced by 19 belugas.

The DFO also closed the eastern Hudson Bay to all beluga hunting Oct. 31 because this zone's quota of 23 had been topped by two.

Ungava Bay was closed to all beluga hunting at the end of August.