World Whaling
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Caribbean
Athneal Ollivierre - Humpback whaler from St. Vincent and the Genadines.
Tribute
to Athneal Ollivierre
Short-finned pilot whales, pygmy killer whales and a variety of dolphin species (all small cetaceans) are harvested. In addition, the Carib people of Dominica opportunistically harvest the large sperm whales, which occasionally wash up on their shores. This number is small, averaging only 1 or 2 whales per year.
On the island of Bequia, in St.Vincent and the Grenadines, the traditional hunt for humpback whales continues, from a stock estimated at more than 10,000 whales. Although in recent years the number of people whaling was reduced to a single boat crew captained by an elderly harpooner, this respected whaler passed on his knowledge to the younger generation, assuring the local people of a continuing supply of healthy food. In recognition of this nutritional and cultural need, the IWC in 2002 increased the quota from two to four humpbacks per year.
Caribbean communities are dependent on the sea for their sustenance. Small-scale whaling is merely one facet of this overall dependence on the sea. However, given the amount of healthy, readily available meat it provides, it remains essential.
Whale meat is distributed throughout the communities, and is sold locally at markets. The most commonly hunted cetacean, the short-finned pilot whale (referred to locally as "blackfish") is widely consumed; still, the harvest is small, averaging 300-450 annually.
The small-scale, sustainable harvest of whales occurring in Caribbean waters represents no threat to any of the cetacean populations mentioned. In every case, the number of animals taken represents an extremely small fraction of the overall populations. In a region where people have depended on the sea for centuries, the limited harvest of some species of cetaceans is an essential aspect of the continued sustenance of individuals, families and communities