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Under the terms of the 1986 moratorium on whaling (see the main whaling article) the International Whaling Commission allows whaling carried out by aboriginal groups if it occurs on a subsistence basis.
The IWC says that "aboriginal subsistence whaling is of a different nature to commercial whaling. This is reflected in the different objectives for the two. For aboriginal subsistence whaling these are to:
In order for a country to carry out a hunt under the aboriginal group clause, the nation must provide the IWC with evidence of "the cultural and subsistence needs of their people." In particular the hunt is not intended for commercial purposes and the caught meat cannot be exported.
Greenland Inuit whalers kill around 170 whales per year, making them the third largest hunt in the world after Norway and Japan. The IWC treats the west and east coasts of Greenland as two separate population areas and sets separate quotas for each coast. The far more densely populated west coast accounts for over 90% of individuals caught. In a typical year around 150 Minke and 10 Fin Whales are taken from west coast waters and around 10 Minkes are from east coast waters.
Anti-whaling groups such as Greenpeace and the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society have remained neutral on the Greenlandic hunt. Greenpeace says "[we do not] oppose (but nor do we support) aboriginal subsistence whaling." This has led nations in favour of a commercial hunt such as Japan and members of the High North Alliance to accuse anti-whaling bodies of hypocrisy. Much of the Greenlandic hunt is carried out using modern explosive harpoons and substantial boats rather than the single man canoes and spears as in the past. Moreover the Greenlandic hunt has a commercial aspect - whale meat can be purchased in shops in northern Greenlandic towns such as Ilulissat. Japan has said that it regards this silent approval of the commercial Greenlandic hunt by the IWC but continued opposition to coastal hunting in Japan as "racist" and reeking of "cultural imperialism", particularly because the Japanese plans indicated that the local catch would be consumed locally. This apparent double standard has caused fury amongst the Japanese public more than even the prohibtion of commercial whaling.
In the United States whaling is carried out by Inuit from nine different communities in Alaska. The whaling programme is managed by the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission which reports to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The hunt takes around 50 Bowhead Whales a year from a population of about 8,000 in Alaskan waters. Conservationists fear this hunt is not sustainable. The hunt also took an average of one or two Gray Whales each year until 1996. The quote was reduced to zero in that year due to concerns about sustainability. A review set to take place in 2004 may result in the hunt being resumed.
Russians in the remote east Siberian province of Chukotka are permitted to take up to 140 Gray Whales from the North-East Pacific population each year.
Canada left the IWC in 1982 and as such is not bound the morartorium on whaling. Canadian whaling is carried out by various Inuit groups around the country in small numbers and is managed by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans . There is considerable consternation amongst conservationists about the hunt. The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society says "Canada has pursued a policy of marine mammal management which appears to be more to do with political expediency rather than conservation."