A survey of the annual subsistence harvest has been conducted in Alaska since 1985. In general, the subsistence harvest in Alaska is around one percent of the overall waterfowl harvest in North America. The sample frame consists of 26,000 households in the parts of Alaska in which subsistence is legal. Subsistence harvesters record how many birds and eggs of each species they take.
During the 1980's, restrictive harvest regulations linked to declines in mid-continent duck populations and restrictions on black duck harvest led to a shift in hunting pressure to lesser-utilized species, such as sea ducks. Concern among Atlantic coast waterfowl biologists about this increase in pressure on sea ducks led to a variety of surveys in different areas being conducted at different times, using a variety of techniques that were not compatible.
ARCTIC Vol. 57, No. 1 (March 2004) P. 27–36
ABSTRACT.—The ingestion of spent lead shot was known to cause mortality in wild waterfowl in the US a
century before the implementation of nontoxic shot regulations began in 1972. The biological foundation
for this transition was strongly supported by both field observations and structured scientific investigations.
Despite the overwhelming evidence, various societal factors forestalled the full transition to nontoxic shot
for waterfowl hunting until 1991. Now, nearly 20 years later, these same factors weigh heavily in current
Wildl. Biol. 12: 257-265.
“As the Eider is a bird very resistant to shot, often 2-3 birds are wounded for each that is shot dead…”
(Müller, South Greenland, 1906)
The large numbers of common eiders Somateria mollissima and king eiders S. spectabilis wintering
in southwest Greenland are subject to intensive hunting, and in addition to direct harvest an unknown
number of birds are wounded and become carriers of embedded lead shot. We conducted the first
assessment of the magnitude of this undesirable side effect of hunting in Greenland by X-raying 879
Mapping North America's shared Environment
The North American Environmental Atlas is an interactive mapping tool to research, analyze and manage
environmental issues in Canada, United States and Mexico. All signers of the Migratory Bird Treaty.
Maps are downloadable free of charge and available in an easy to use map viewer format.
The CEC uses maps in the Atlas to:
•Identify priority areas to conserve biodiversity
•Track cross-border transfers of pollutants
•Monitor CO2 emissions across major transportation routes
Eleven out of 15 species of sea ducks appear to have declining populations within some portion of their range (exceptions are common goldeneyes, buffleheads, red-breasted mergansers and common mergansers). Furthermore, two species (Steller's eider and spectacled eider) are listed as threatened. Thus, waterfowl managers need current, science-based models to establish sustainable harvest strategies for sea ducks, and they need it now.