Are belugas endangered?
• Yes… and no…. Of the seven Canadian beluga populations: two are listed as endangered, inhabiting eastern Hudson Bay and Ungava Bay; two as threatened, inhabiting Cumberland Bay and the St. Lawrence River estuary, and two as “of special concern”, inhabiting the eastern high Arctic including Baffin Bay and western Hudson Bay. Only the eastern Beaufort Sea population is not at risk. • The main human threats faced by belugas are hunting, and in the case of the St. Lawrence population, contaminants. The total number in Canadian waters is estimated at 86,500.
