By SUZANNE DOWNING
April 4, 2026 – The Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission is formally opposing the proposed Polar LNG project on Alaska’s North Slope, warning that increased Arctic vessel traffic could disrupt the subsistence hunt of bowhead whales.
In a statement responding to the March announcement of a proposed LNG export facility at Prudhoe Bay, the commission said the project would introduce large icebreaking vessels directly into the migration paths used by bowhead whales during both spring and fall seasons.
“The Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission has worked for over 40 years to minimize the adverse impacts of near-shore and offshore oil and gas activity, including but not limited to vessel traffic, on our subsistence hunt of bowhead whales,” the commission said. “The AEWC opposes the Polar LNG Project, which would do the exact opposite — it would increase vessel traffic that would pass directly through both the spring and fall migration of the bowhead whale.”
The commission said traffic associated with the project would include “large, loud icebreaking vessels” transiting in and out of West Dock at Prudhoe Bay and traveling through the Bering Strait, including routes near St. Lawrence Island.
“We oppose the increased vessel traffic caused by Russia’s Arctic oil and gas activities, and don’t want to see it happen in Alaska,” the statement said.
Created by 1977 after the International Whaling Commission announced a ban on whaling by Alaska Natives, the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission has been advocating for the subsistence rights of 11 whaling-based villages. The group’s opposition comes just days after Polar LNG announced a concept to liquefy natural gas on the North Slope and ship it by ocean-going LNG carriers to Asian markets, using Arctic routes as an alternative to the gasline proposed overland to Nikiski, on the Kenai Peninsula.
The proposal could be competition or simply another route to getting gas to market.
Polar LNG’s concept would rely on nearshore liquefaction infrastructure at Prudhoe Bay and expanded use of West Dock, with LNG carriers navigating Arctic waters to reach Asia. Supporters have described the approach as potentially faster to build and a way to begin monetizing Alaska’s vast stranded North Slope gas resources sooner.
But the whaling commission said vessel traffic, particularly icebreaking ships, presents risks to subsistence hunting that communities have worked for decades to mitigate through agreements with offshore oil and gas operators.
The group emphasized that bowhead whale migration routes pass directly through the areas that would see increased traffic under the Polar LNG concept, including nearshore waters used by subsistence hunters.
The statement signals that subsistence in the tight ice-bound waters of the Arctic concerns may become a central issue if the proposal advances, particularly given the long history of consultation requirements and mitigation agreements for North Slope offshore activity.
The Polar LNG concept remains in early stages, with no engineering or permitting schedules released publicly.
13 thoughts on “Whaling commission opposes Polar LNG project, citing bowhead migration concerns”
Whaling on the North Slope is really nothing “whaling” in a “fishing” sense. It’s more like fishing on the Russian River. Whalers go to the coast and wait for the whales to swim by during their treks to the feeding and breeding grounds. Whalers use speed boats and harpoon cannons. Since the ocean is only 100 feet deep the whales cannot dive deep to get away from the harpoons. Whaling is more like sport fishing. Yes, they call it subsistence. But as someone who’s seen the practice, I can say it’s really not.
Legitimate concerns. Non Natives have always under estimated the impacts of not having the natural foods and its adverse effect on Natives overall mental health, physical health, and spiritual health. Even Natives by a whole group had not yet recognized their staying balanced means weekly consuming natural Alaska edible plants (beyond just berries) and natural meats in to their system.
Alaska Natives never had a good working relationship with Alaska leadership and US leaders (whom are non native descendants and lack understanding what Native descendants truly need beside just jobs and money); they they don’t trust their their leaders. Natives have lost so much already and now they look at a new generation who doesn’t understand wants to either take away the whale or the caribou. They are operating out of generational fear.
Something realistic the Northern Inupiaq on the commission have to recognize is icebreakers will come across the Arctic as ice is breaking more and more.
This world is bigger and encompasses other people groups besides Alaskans and Americans. The Inupiaq regarding the whale they going to have to get adapative acceptance to increased traffic will come and come in force from others who are not just Americans.
***That goes for the caribou herds and the interior northern groups
Just realism. there are More people in the world who needs more oil and gas than a whale…
The icebreakers whether or not Inupiaq communities are ready
Including the renewable projects are needing oil and gas to be built and operated
Another thing Russia will not listen to a group of Natives when they don’t even treat their own Native groups as human. The Natives on the other side of the dateline, their lives are so improvised and bad that Alaska Natives lives look plump, happier, and living in luxury.
I Thank God! That Russia felt pressure to sell its international rights to Alaska and America through William Seward bought Alaska. Else life would look very different for all of us who are Alaska Native descendants if Russia never sold their rights of Alaska.
Show me the science.
Save natural gas, burn whale oil,instead
/s of course
As I recall, the Natives were against the TAPS too, because it crossed caribou migration routes. Turns out, the caribou like hanging out by the pipeline because the ground thaws faster there and the new growth shows up faster. Maybe if the Natives would show exactly why they don’t want progress, all while demanding we pay for their healthcare, their schools, and their “way of life” which is no longer “Native,” we would take them seriously. Instead, you can bet this is just a play for pay. Somebody has to pony up for gas for the snow machines, after all.
If ice breakers break ice for ships to travel through, wouldn’t that mean the whales would have a route to follow? If there were an ice free section or a lead to follow wouldn’t that make it easier to find the whales as they traveled or attempted to travel further north during whaling season? As mentiined previously modern convinces are being used to harvest these whales, perhaps having the whales in a specific spot would make it easier still. Or the whalers could go back to how their ancestors actually hunted whales with skin covered rowboats and sticks with sharpened rocks attached to skin buoys that tired the whales down while being pursued by the skin covered rowboat.
Perhaps they are inter eyed in the amount of money oil and gas pays them for the use of their land. Can’t have your cake and eat it also!
Just another example of the tail wagging the dog. Sadly, most Alaska Native’s world view is clouded in a thick resin of bong water these days. I realize there are examples of individual patriotism amon Alaska Natives, but ask yourself this, when has any Alaska Native group set aside their own self-interest for the greater good of America? The answer is never.. even though they were rescued from the Russians by America in 1867, They remain ungrateful and entitled to this day – they never agreed with JFK’s famous plea – “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country!”
Seems a little fishy and for too long the oil companies have resisted the thought of cheaper energy for the residents of Alaska. I am all in on developing and utilizing our abundant resources but time and again they shift gears away from “we the people” of Alaska to outside interests and their wants and needs.
First it was Walker reneging on a gas line to VDZ, which has ROW’s, an ice free port and space for the plant to compress and process the gas. Then it was send it down the Parks to Nikiski, which is longer, has more challenges and with more taxable real estate to pass over to collect fee’s from.
Now we hear about no gas line but distribution from West Dock in Prudhoe Bay, and if you’ve spent time in GPB you know what challenges that would bring.
So, and now that there is a market and a need in the East for “our resources” I suppose…
Lets not forget, these “resources” belong to Alaska. The oil companies are lease holders, not owners and the people of Alaska deserve to benefit from these resources in every way imaginable.
Sorry for the long post(rant).
Regards… RR