What are threats to belugas in the wild?
Belugas have been heavily hunted on a commercial basis for 200 years, beginning in the early 1700s and ending in the mid-1900s. Some populations were severely depleted by commercial hunting in the past and continue to be threatened or endangered to this day. Present threats to the recovery of these populations include uncontrolled native subsistence hunting, toxic chemical contamination (especially in the St. Lawrence River) and the presence of hydroelectric dams (James Bay). Other potential threats may include habitat loss due to development along shorelines, disturbance due to commercial shipping, oil exploration, tourism and contamination due to oil spills. Natural predators of the belugas include orca whales and polar bears.
