The State of Circumpolar Walrus Populations

28
Franz Josef Land was discovered in 1865 by Norwegian sealers who kept news of its rich
resources to themselves, so it was not until 1873 that the archipelago was officially discovered
(Horn 1930). Walrus hunting was limited to subsistence hunts by expeditions exploring the
archipelago until ca. 1887, when the Scots whaling vessels Balaena, Active, and Diana visited to
hunt marine mammals (Southwell 1898, 1899). Commercial hunting of walruses, mostly by
Norwegian vessels, continued regularly until 1929 when the archipelago was annexed by the
Soviet Union (Southwell 1898, 1899; Horn 1930; Lønø 1972; Gjertz et al. 1992). Walruses were
also hunted on Victoria Island from 1924 to 1950 (Lønø 1972). The combined overall harvest
from Franz Josef Land-Victoria Island has been estimated at over 8,465 walruses (Gjertz et al.
1992). When hunting losses are included, at least 10,000 walruses were killed on Franz Josef
Land in the 40 years up to 1931.
The original population size of walruses in Franz Josef Land in 1897 has been estimated at
6,000–12,000 (Gjertz et al. 1998). By 1934, it may have been reduced to less than 700 animals
(Gjertz et al. 1998). Local surveys for walruses in the 1990s found as few as several hundred
animals during a given season (Gjertz et al. 1998). Walrus numbers have been increasing since
1994, when the archipelago and surrounding waters were declared a nature reserve (M. Gavrilo,
pers. comm.). Walruses continue to use traditional land-based haulouts and establish new ones.
Commercial hunting of Pacific walruses in Russian waters that accounted for up to 45% of the
total Russian harvest in the 1980s ended in 1991 due to the economic collapse of the industry
(Garlich-Miller and Pungowiyi 1999). Russian legislation still allows commercial hunting but to
resume it would require an annual decree from the Russian Fisheries Ministry (Anatoli Kochnev,
Chukot TINRO, 2010, pers. comm. in Garlich-Miller et al. 2011:43).
Indigenous people inhabiting Chukotka are permitted to hunt Pacific walruses for subsistence
purposes. There are no restrictions on possession or sale of Pacific walrus parts and derivatives,
provided the harvest was legal and there is proper documentation to confirm legal origin
(Vaisman et al. 2009 cited in Shadbolt et al. 2014). Export of Pacific Walrus products out of
Russia requires CITES documentation (e.g., certificate of origin), unless it remains within the
Eurasian Customs Union (see below: International Agreements).
Habitat Protection
In 1971 the Novaya Zemlya population of Atlantic walrus was included in the list of rare animals
of the USSR (Bychkov 1973a). The Atlantic walrus is classified as Category II in the Red Data
Book of the Russian Federation 2001 (Red Data Book 2001; Boltunov et al. 2010). As such,
Federal Law of April 24, 1995 (No. 52 “On the Wildlife”) requires activities that alter its habitat,