The Makah indigenous tribe in Washington state has been granted an exemption by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to continue hunting whales, despite humanitarian controversies surrounding the practice. This exemption allows the Makah tribe to resume whaling activities, which had been banned since 1999. The tribe will be permitted to hunt 25 Northeast Pacific gray whales over a 10-year period, with a maximum of 2-3 whales per year. The Makah people, numbering around 1,500 and residing northwest of the Olympic Peninsula, are the only indigenous tribe with a treaty granting them whaling rights, signed in 1855.
Despite legal victories in the past, the Makah tribe has faced challenges in implementing their whaling rights due to court and political obstacles. After being granted the exemption, many Makah people celebrated, although they expressed frustration at the lengthy process. The tribe will need to sign an agreement with NOAA and apply for a hunting license, with the process taking about a month. The hunts will be carefully timed to avoid harming the Pacific Northwest gray whale population, which is at risk of extinction.
Animal rights advocates have opposed traditional whaling, citing cruelty to the animals involved. The Northeast Pacific gray whale population, while not currently threatened, has seen a decrease in numbers due to climate-related factors. Meanwhile, eleven Alaska Native communities are also exempt from subsistence hunting bans, allowing them to hunt bowhead whales despite their highly endangered status. The exemption granted to the Makah tribe reopens a longstanding debate over the ethics and sustainability of traditional whaling practices.