Makah Tribe Seeks Permission To Hunt Gray Whales In Washington

SEATTLE, WA — Washington's Makah Tribe is seeking federal approval to resume hunting whales, a practice they have historically done in the past. The tribe is native to Neah Bay, located on the northwest corner of the Olympic Peninsula.

The Associated Press reports the Makah are the only indigenous people with a treaty guaranteeing their right to hunt whales, but the tribe largely ceased whaling in the 1920s after commercial harvesting severely diminished gray whale populations.

Upon receiving new federal approval in 1998, the tribe resumed whaling for a brief period amid protests from animal rights groups. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned approval in 1999, saying the tribe would also need a waiver from the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

NOAA Fisheries proposed rules that would allow the tribe to kill 20 whales over 10 years, with certain limits on timing. This week, the AP reports, a hearing will determine whether the tribe meets the requirements for a federal waiver. No matter the outcome, further legal challenges are expected, and animal rights groups have promised to block the practice.

Some conservation groups oppose the hunts, arguing an environmental review was inadequate and doesn't account for a recent die-off. The Eastern Pacific gray whale population is estimated to be around 27,000.