Nearly 90 different marine mammal species consumed by people in 114 countries

DINNER: Narwhals are regularly caught for food

Porpoises and dolphins are being deliberately harvested

January 2012: A new and exhaustive study into the deliberate and accidental harvesting of the world's marine mammals has shown that nearly 90 different species are eaten in more than 100 different countries.

The fate of the world's great whale species has long commaned global attention, but the fate of smaller marine mammals has been less understood, specifically because the deliberate and accidental harvesting of dolphins, porpoises, manatees and other warm-blooded aquatic denizens had not been studied or monitored.

Netted, trapped and hunted – with no idea about sustainability
In an attempt to reverse this, researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society and Okapi Wildlife Associates have conducted the global study of human consumption of marine mammals using approximately 900 sources of information. The main finding was that, since 1990, people in at least 114 countries have consumed one or more of at least 87 marine mammal species. In addition to this global review, Wildlife Conservation Society scientists work in remote countries around the world to assess and actively address the threat to dolphin populations with localized, applied conservation efforts.

‘International bodies such as the International Whaling Commission were formed specifically to gauge the status of whale populations and regulate the hunting of these giants,' said Wildlife Conservation Society's Dr Martin Robards, lead author of the new study. ‘These species, however, represent only a fraction of the world's diversity of marine mammals, many of which are being accidentally netted, trapped, and - in some instances - directly hunted without any means of tracking as to whether these harvests are sustainable.'

Even the narwhal appears on people's plates
In order to build a statistically robust picture of human consumption rates of marine mammals around the world, Dr Robards and co-author Dr Randall Reeves of Okapi Wildlife Associates, started with records on small fisheries focused on small whales, dolphins, and porpoises from 1975 and records of global marine mammal catches between 1966 and 1975. From there, the authors consulted some 900 other sources and consulted with numerous researchers and environmental managers, an exhaustive investigation that took three years to complete. The team counted the information only if it contained actual evidence of human consumption of marine mammals, omitting instances where marine mammals were caught (either intentionally or not) for fishing bait, feed for other animals, medicines, and other uses.

Unusual species - Narwhal, manatee, sea lion & many more
The list of marine mammals killed for human consumption includes obscure species such as the pygmy beaked whale, the South Asian river dolphin, the narwhal, the Chilean dolphin, the long-finned pilot whale and Burmeister's porpoise. Seals and sea lions also make the list, including species such as the California sea lion and lesser known species such as the Baikal seal, as does the polar bear. Three species of manatee and its close relative the dugong, considered a delicacy in some parts of the world, are also widespread targets of human consumption.

Overall, the historical review reveals an escalation in the utilization of smaller cetaceans, particularly coastal and estuarine species since 1970, often caught as bycatch in nets meant for fish and other species. Once caught, these small cetaceans are being increasingly utilized as food, particularly in poor areas, in what the report's authors call ‘fishing up the food chain'.

‘Obviously, there is a need for improved monitoring of species such as the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins and other species,' said Dr Howard Rosenbaum, director of WCS's Ocean Giants programme. ‘In more remote areas and a number of countries, a greater immediate need is to understand the motivations behind the consumption of marine mammals and use these insights to develop solutions to protect these iconic species that lead to more effective management and conservation.'