Walrus move north, leaving Alaska natives with fewer food sources

Anna Oxereok grew up eating walrus in thewestern Alaska village of Wales. Today it's such a rare treat shecan't bring herself to part with the plastic bag of meat in herfreezer.

"I have to save it for something special," she says.

It's become increasingly difficult to land a walrus. Remotecommunities at the edge of the Bering Sea are seeing asteep declinein walrus harvested the past several years as temperatures warm andthe ocean ice used by the animals to dive and rest recedes farthernorth.

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Walrus, described by some as having a taste between veal andbeef, is highly prized by Alaska Natives as a subsistence food tostore for winter. The sale of carved ivory from the tusks, legalonly for Alaska Natives, also brings in supplemental income tocommunities with high unemployment rates.

Hunters and scientists say walrus migration patterns are veeringfrom historical hunting grounds.

"I think one of the biggest issues is that things have gotten sovariable. It's hard to really predict what's going to happen," saidJim MacCracken, Alaska walrus program supervisor for the U.S. Fishand Wildlife Service.

Harvest dropped in half in 10 years

Iver Campbell and other Yup'ik Eskimo hunters from two St.Lawrence Island communities harvested more than 1,100 walrus in2003. But a decade later, hunters managed to take only 555 afraction of the ideal of one walrus per resident, per year.

In these communities, a subsistence lifestyle is a necessity.People rely on the region's resources for up to 80 per cent of theirdiets.

Costly store-bought food is not an affordable solution. Atvillage stores, pantry staples quickly add up nearly $7 for a
dozen eggs, $15 for milk and $6.25 for a loaf of basic white bread.

Local hunting practices are closely monitored by federalauthorities to ensure the animals that are killed are not going to
waste. Generally, such hunts don't cause a public outcry in Alaska.

"A decline in the subsistence harvest really creates an economicdisaster that threatens the health and welfare of the people in thecommunities," said Vera Metcalf, director of the Eskimo WalrusCommission. "So we are concerned about the impacts of climatechange and the ability for our hunters to harvest marine mammals."

Close to Russia, dramatic decline

Some Native communities can search for other animals, likedomestic reindeer or caribou. But opportunities aren't as bountifulfor Diomede on the western coast of Little Diomede Island, only afew miles from Russia. The community of 120 harvested one walrus in2014, prompting city and Native leaders to seek assistance from thestate.

This year, 10 walrus were harvested, according to Diomede hunterRobert Soolook. There's no shortage of walrus, he said, but they'remigrating sooner. No one has initiated any long-range planning toaddress the shift, but Soolook believes hunters eventually will needto change their practices, even going out earlier.

"Now that we've seen this, we have to start adapting," he said.

No federal assistance is available, and state aid is minimal, atbest. State Sen. Sen. Donny Olson, D-Golovin, said he mightintroduce legislation to allow failed subsistence hunts to qualifyfor state disaster funds.

Moving from her ancestral lands is not an option, according toOxereok, an Inupiat Eskimo. Relocating would mean displacingeverything she knows.

"It's not that simple because your roots are here," she said.