Ice traps 400 Canadian Arctic whales

EDMONTON, Alberta, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- Canadian fishery officials gave Inuit hunters permission to kill as many as 400 narwhal whales trapped by Arctic ice miles from open water.

Hunters reported spotting the whales last week and began hacking breathing holes in the ice north of Baffin Island near the village of Pond Inlet, the Edmonton Journal reported.

Jayko Allooloo, president of the community's Hunters and Trappers Association, told the Journal open water is more than 35 miles away, and the whales would drown trying to reach it. He said fisheries officials also told him there is no icebreaker anywhere near.

"It looks to me like the narwhals have been trapped there for some time, because the ones we are pulling out have only about an inch and a half of fat on them," he said. "Normally at this time of year, you would see 3 inches. That means they haven't eaten for some time."

Allan Hawkes is a store manager in Pond Inlet who is selling the whale blubber and meat to other Arctic communities as well as the ivory tusks to international buyers.

"The one good thing about this is, nothing is getting wasted," he said to the Journal. "Virtually everything will find its way to someone's table."