Dez Loreen
Northern News Services

Paulatuk (Sep 05/05) - The Paulatuk Arctic char run usually comes like clockwork every year, but a beluga whale carcass lodged in a sandbar at the mouth of the Hornaday River appears to be driving the fish away.

Normally the best fishing near Paulatuk during the late August spawning run is only about a 30-minute boat ride away. Ray Ruben, a resident of the community of 350, says the fishing has dropped right off this year, and the putrefying body appears to be the cause. "The smell of the thing is almost unbearable," said Ruben.

"Usually we have about 1,400 fish caught and stored by this time of year. This year, we're nowhere near as close as we should be."

The mouth of the Hornaday River - about 10 km from Paulatuk - is one of the most popular sites for residents to set their nets. There are many smaller streams flowing into the river that are used by the char to spawn.

The area has been used by local fishermen for generations, said Ruben.

"Hunters use the channel to get to their camps, so there is a lot of traffic in that area," he said.

"Families get together and head out on the land in groups, hoping to fill their freezers for the upcoming winter."

Beluga rotting

Last year, a beluga carcass was spotted in the same area. Ruben said the consensus is that this year's carcass is the same animal.

"I spoke with some of the people on the land, and we agree it's the same one," said Ruben.

"The difference is, last year it was somewhat covered with sand. Now it's almost totally visible. You can see the ribs of it as you pass by."

Ruben said no one knows for sure why the carcass ended up in the river mouth, but he has some idea.

"Because of our location, and the direction of the ocean currents, the (carcass) probably came from a community farther west," said Ruben.

Lois Harwood, with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans' stock assessment section in Inuvik, declined to comment.

In 1998, a scientific study was conducted by the University of Nevada on the St. Lawrence River in Quebec, after a number of beluga whale carcasses began to mysteriously wash up on shore.

The study found that belugas can be quite susceptible to industrial chemicals and insecticides draining into the river from farming activities.

The study said that because belugas occupy such a high place on the food chain, a decomposing corpse can unleash a fair amount of contaminants into the water as they rot. The average size of beluga is from three to 4.5 meters, and up to 1,500 kilograms.

'Hazardous waste'

Research student Stephanie Pacey wrote, "Pollution is so concentrated in some of the beluga whale carcasses we've seen that we treat them as hazardous waste."

But Ruben said he doesn't have any real concern about chemical contamination this far North. He thinks the decaying animal is simply fouling the water.

"I think the seeping whale oil in the water is keeping the fish away," said Ruben.

He said residents hope they can move the carcass before it does any more harm.

"I hope once we can move the carcass, things can return to normal." said Ruben.

He added that if the people in Paulatuk have a hard time getting fish to fill their winter larders, they can still fall back on the caribou hunts.

"For some reason, the caribou haven't been affected by this cold weather we've had recently." said Ruben.