The Pacific walrus, a critically important resource for Alaska and Chukotka Native communities, is subject to rapid habitat loss associated with climate change and increasing human activity in the Arctic. New research published in the Journal of Wildlife Management assessed the sustainability of varying degrees of Pacific walrus harvest to the end of the 21st century under different climate and human disturbance scenarios.
These scenarios ranged from optimistic to pessimistic, based largely on sea ice projections from general circulation models.
The study's results indicated that current rates of Pacific walrus harvest are within a sustainable range and will continue to be under all scenarios considered—provided that the population abundance is assessed at regular intervals and that changes in harvest levels match changes in population dynamics. An annually consistent harvest level that doesn't consider these population dynamics would not be sustainable.
"This modeling framework can be used by managers and stakeholders to explore future scenarios and promote the continued sustainability of the Pacific walrus population," said corresponding author Devin L. Johnson, PhD, of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
URL upon publication: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jwmg.22686
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