Lead Institution(s): Wildlife Conservation Society
Project Lead: Martin Robards
Collaborator(s): Liliana Naves (Alaska DFG), Konstantin Klokov (St. Petersburg State U), Eugenia Bragina (WCS)
Focal Species: Common Eider (Somateria mollissima)
Project Description: Harvest rates of waterfowl in Chukotka, Alaska, and Arctic Canada are poorly understood, as is the case for much of the Arctic. Consequently, modeling and management of the Pacific Common Eider population is constrained by lack of information about mortality rates. This project will develop a methodology and implementation plan for estimating harvest of Pacific Common Eiders in eastern Russia. A survey tool will be developed with established experts in Alaska and Canada and implemented by Russian partner Birds Russia. The product will be a statistically defensible estimate of the magnitude of common eider hunting in Chukotka, distribution of that pressure, and observations of change over time.
