Two-page guide explains marine mammal salvage rules
August 29, 2017
Paula Dobbyn
907-274-9698
It鈥檚 not uncommon for Alaskans strolling their state鈥檚 vast coastline to encounter a marine mammal, dead and washed up on shore. When a surprise encounter happens, questions often bubble up. A new guide sheet from Alaska Sea Grant provides answers.
鈥淚s it OK if I take a tusk? What about a tooth or a bone?鈥
鈥淚鈥檓 not Alaska Native, but I live here so doesn鈥檛 that make it OK to harvest whatever I want since the animal is dead?鈥
Alaska Natives are permitted to salvage all parts of dead marine mammals for subsistence. Non-Natives cannot. They are restricted to only collecting some parts, including bones, teeth and ivory, and only from some animals.
鈥淧eople don鈥檛 understand the legalities. It is so complex,鈥 said Gay Sheffield, Alaska Sea Grant鈥檚 Marine Advisory Program agent in Nome.
Sheffield, an associate professor at 性欲社' College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, decided to help make it easier to unravel the legal dos and don鈥檛s of harvesting marine mammal parts. She recently completed a two-page guide, published by Alaska Sea Grant, that aims to answer the public鈥檚 questions.
It鈥檚 called and it鈥檚 a free download on Alaska Sea Grant鈥檚 . Sheffield expects to keep it regularly updated.
The guide may be revised on Sept. 30 if the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decides to grant protections to the Pacific walrus under the Endangered Species Act.
鈥淭he ringed seal will get changed before too long. All these statuses will be in flux soon, mostly through litigation 鈥 not through population declines,鈥 Sheffield said.
on Alaska Sea Grant鈥檚