13 May 2025: New study examines narwhals’ role in East Greenland’s meat supply

A new study by Heide-Jørgensen, titled “Are narwhals critical for the meat supply in East Greenland?”, was published in Arctic Science in February 2025. The study examines how much narwhals contribute to the overall meat supply available to communities in East Greenland.

By examining hunting records and estimating how much meat is provided by different species, the study found that narwhal meat by weight only makes up about 5% to 6% of the total available meat each year. Most of the meat comes from seals, other marine mammals, and muskoxen.  This indicates that while narwhals are hunted regularly, they contribute only a small portion to the overall meat supply (in terms of estimated kilo amount).

However, narwhals are still culturally and economically important. Their skin and blubber, known as mattak, is highly valued (as is the males’ tusk) and often sold or shared for special occasions. The author highlights that the main reason for continued narwhal hunting may be linked more to its overall socioeconomic value, rather than to the amount of meat it provides.

Read the full article here: https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2024-0047

Photo credit:  Cavan Images/Alamy