Makah Tribe's request to hunt gray whales moving forward

The Makah Tribe of Washington is getting closer to being allowed to hunt gray whales again.

The tribe has a legal right to hunt whales based on an 1855 treaty and last legally hunted a whale for ceremonial purposes in 1999.

Under a proposal that NOAA Fisheries’ West Coast Region announced Thursday, the tribe could hunt and land up to two gray whales on average per year over a 10-year period for ceremonial and subsistence purposes.

So far, it’s only a proposal, but it does move the tribe closer to its goal.

NOAA Fisheries says an administrative law judge must first conduct a hearing to review the proposal and make a recommendation to NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator Chris Oliver.  Oliver will then make a decision on whether the tribe will be allowed to conduct a hunt.

Anyone who is interested may request to participate in the August 12 hearing.

If the tribe gets authorization to hunt gray whales, it would then need to apply for a permit, which would be subject to public notice and comment.

Cox Media Group