Hunting

Bowhead whales were commercially hunted to near extinction from the 17th to 20th century. Since 1935, the species has been protected under international law. Bowheads are valuable to commercial hunters because they produce large amounts of oil and meat. They are fairly easy to hunt because they are by nature slow and passive, and float when they are killed. Bowhead whales are still-hunted legally, for sustenance, by aboriginal groups.