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NRLD - 94050 | Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus

Assessment ID
94050
Taxon name
Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus
Infrarank
Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus
Infratype
Subspecies (animalia)
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus
Common name(s)
Atlantic Walrus (English), Morse de l'Atlantique (Français)
Assessed taxon level
Subspecies
Infrarank
Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus
Infratype
Subspecies (animalia)
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Mammals
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
chordata
Class
mammalia
Order
carnivora
Family
odobenidae
Genus
Odobenus
Species
rosmarus rosmarus
Species authority
Location and scope
Specific locality or subnational name or regional name
Canada
Scope (of the Assessment)
National
Countries included within the scope of the assessment
Canada
Country ISO code(s)
CAN
Does the assessment cover a marine EEZ area(s)?
Not_assigned
Conservation Status
Assessed as
Threatened; Menacée
Criteria system used
Modified IUCN

(see Assessment details)

Assessment rationale/justification
Five populations ranging from Nova Scotia to the high Arctic are recognized for management purposes based on geographical distributions, genetics and lead isotope data. Some of the populations appear to be at greater risk than others due to over-hunting, and may be threatened. However, knowledge about population structure is insufficient to assess them separately. The Nova Scotia-Newfoundland-Gulf of St Lawrence population was hunted to extirpation by the late 18th century. Sporadic recent sightings of individuals and small groups in the Gulf of St Lawrence and off Nova Scotia are not considered evidence of re-establishment. The South and East Hudson Bay population is believed to number in the low hundreds, although population size and structure are poorly known. Observations from the late 1930s to the present suggest that numbers declined significantly, but the rate of decline cannot be quantified and it is not known whether the decline is continuing. The small population size suggests it may be vulnerable to disturbances and small increases in hunting effort. The total size of the Northern Hudson Bay-Davis Strait population could be as small as 4000-6000 individuals. Its ability to sustain minimum current removals is questionable. Some portion of this population is hunted in Greenland waters. The Foxe Basin population was estimated to be 5,500 in 1989. It is unknown if current exploitation rates are sustainable. Hunting is believed to have reduced the Baffin Bay (High Arctic) population to only a few percent of the number present in 1900. Limited information suggests the current population is small and that a portion of it continues to be hunted at unsustainable levels in the North Water area of Canada and northwest Greenland. However, satellite tracking and genetic information suggests that some animals in this population are resident in the Canadian Archipelago (west Jones Sound and Penny Strait / Lancaster Sound) and are not exposed to over-hunting. Better information is needed on population sizes and composition, seasonal movements, vital rates, and hunting mortality. The biggest threat is over-hunting, particularly on populations that inhabit the southern and northern ends of the species' current range. The species is near to qualifying for threatened status and requires an effective plan to manage hunting. No Management Plans are currently in place for the species. Although quotas have been set in few communities, it is not known if they are adequate to prevent over-hunting.
Assessment details
Year assessed
2006
Assessors/contributors/reviewers listed
Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Environment Canada.
Criteria system used
Modified IUCN
Reference for methods given
COSEWIC- Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (2006)
Further information
Endemism (according to assessment)
Endemic to region
Not assigned
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
Nunavut; Manitoba; Ontario; Quebec; New Brunswick; Prince Edward Island; Nova Scotia; Newfoundland; Arctic Ocean
Is there a map available in assessment?
Not_assigned
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Terrestrial
Not_assigned
Freshwater
Not_assigned
Marine
Not_assigned
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
No information available
History
The Atlantic Walrus in Canada was originally treated by COSEWIC as two separate populations: Eastern Arctic population (Not at Risk in April 1987 and May 2000) and Northwest Atlantic population (Extirpated in April 1987 and May 2000). In April 2006, COSEW; Au départ, le COSEPAC a traité le morse de l'Atlantique au Canada en tant que deux populations distinctes : la population de l'Est de l'Arctique (non en péril en avril 1987 et mai 2000) et la population de l'Atlantique Nord-Ouest (disparue du pays en avril 1987 et mai 2000). En avril 2006, le COSEPAC a inclus les deux populations dans une seule unité désignable pour le morse de l'Atlantique au Canada, laquelle espèce a été désignée ' préoccupante '.
Publication
COSEWIC. 2006. Canadian Wildlife Species at Risk. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Web site: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/wildlife-plants-species/species-risk.html