NOME, Alaska — The number of walrus harvested for subsistence is well below normal for the second straight year on St. Lawrence Island.
Jim MacKracken supervises the walrus program for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. He says the harvest is about half of what the average take has been over the last decade.
While some hunters are still out, KNOM-AM reported that the majority of walrus pods are past the island.
MacKracken says the total take so far is about 345 animals. He says the reason for the poor harvest is the same as last year, based on what he’s heard from hunters: weather, and ice conditions.
The state last year declared an economic disaster for the area because of the low harvest.
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