The State of Circumpolar Walrus Populations

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Country Subspecies Hunt management Habitat Protection
reported).
Norway
(Svalbard)
Atlantic
Norway (Jan Mayen and Svalbard) does not
allow walrus hunting. Commercial hunting
was banned in 1952 in response to very
large catches by Norwegians in Northwest
Greenland. Denmark and Norway concluded
that walruses were so depleted that they
could not sustain the Norwegian harvest and
a Royal Decree gave complete protection to
walruses.
Walrus haulouts at Svalbard are well documented
and most are within protected areas. In 2008
regulations protecting the Northeast Svalbard and
Southeast Svalbard nature reserves in eastern
Svalbard were strengthened to reduce the impacts
of ship traffic. These protected areas serve as
reference areas for research. Access by tourist
ships with over 200 passengers was prohibited, as
was ship use and transport of fuels other than light
diesel fuel. The objectives were to reduce direct
disturbances and the risk of oil fouling at haulouts.
Russia Atlantic Commercial hunters took many walruses
from the KS-SBS-NZ population over many
centuries, and the population had declined
considerably by the 1930s.
Hunting was first regulated in 1921; followed
in 1935 by cessation of the state harvest
from sealing vessels; and in 1949 by the
prohibition of killing walruses by any fishing
and sealing industry.
In 1956, hunting was banned for all Soviet
Atlantic walruses are classified as Category II in
the Red Data Book of the Russian Federation
2001, Federal Law requires activities that alter
walrus habitat, breeding and feeding conditions,
and migration routes to meet requirements that
ensure walrus conservation.
Atlantic walrus habitats on land and at sea are
protected in the following specially protected areas:
Franz-Josef Land Federal State Zakaznik (Wildlife
Reserve), Russian Arctic National Park (northern
Novaya Zemlya), Nenetskiy Strict Nature Reserve
in the Pechora Sea, Great Arctic Reserve in the