……objective science for conservation…….

The Pacific WildLife Foundation is a non-profit coastal and marine research and education society  that inspires an appreciation for objective scientific research and conservation of the ocean. We conduct original research, develop novel education programs, and inspire an appreciation for conservation of the ocean. 

Beluga Whale Conservation

Wilson and Ruff (1999) summarized the status of some belugas in North America. The North Pacific stocks they reviewed include Bristol Bay 1000-1500 and stable; Norton Sound to Yukon River 1000-2000 and stable; and Kotzebue Sound status unknown. 

The Cook Inlet beluga whale has suffered from over harvesting. The stock declined from 653 whales in 1994 to 347 whales in 1998. The US National Marine Fisheries Service proposed to designate the Cook Inlet stock of beluga whales as depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Subsistence hunting has been regulated since 1999 but annual surveys indicate no significant increase in abundance.