. The Canadian field-naturalist. 1985 Pippard: Status of St. Lawrence River Beluga 441. Figure 3. Former distribution of the Beluga, Delphinapterus leucas, in the St. Lawrence River and Gulf (from Vladykov 1944). winter and spring when the St. Lawrence Belugas occur down the estuary as far as the Gaspe coast. In summer, the lack of sightings of Beluga off the eastern coast of Labrador, the rarity of their occur- rence in the Strait of Belle Isle, and the fact that the St. Lawrence population is severely depleted from his- toric levels, represent the best evidence that this stock is geographica
. The Canadian field-naturalist. 1985 Pippard: Status of St. Lawrence River Beluga 441. Figure 3. Former distribution of the Beluga, Delphinapterus leucas, in the St. Lawrence River and Gulf (from Vladykov 1944). winter and spring when the St. Lawrence Belugas occur down the estuary as far as the Gaspe coast. In summer, the lack of sightings of Beluga off the eastern coast of Labrador, the rarity of their occur- rence in the Strait of Belle Isle, and the fact that the St. Lawrence population is severely depleted from his- toric levels, represent the best evidence that this stock is geographically isolated. Protection Belugas are protected and managed under the Fisheries Act of Canada of 1867. The amendment of 1976 provides for habitat protection for all species of fish and whales. Further protection was afforded the species in 1979, under the Beluga Protection Regula- tions of the Fisheries Act. Prohibition of Interna- tional trade has been ensured by the listing of all cetacea on Appendix I of the Convention on Interna- tional Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Belugas are now hunted in Can- ada only by the Inuit for subsistence purposes. Prior to 1979, no government regulations covered the St. Lawrence white whale stock. Consecutive low population counts by Sergeant (1973) and Pippard and Malcom (1977), plus the latter authors' knowl- edge that the population was being sporadically hunted and harrassed, led the Department of Fisher- ies and Oceans in March 1979 to add the St. Lawrence Beluga to the Beluga Protection Regulations of the Fisheries Act. Amended in December 1980, this act presently outlaws all forms of hunting and killing, chasing and willful disturbance of this population. Population Size and Trend Historic anecdotes and records of past catches sup- port the assertions of hunters, fishermen and coastal residents that there were once some thousands of white whales in the St. Lawrence River. A white whale. Please note that thes
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