ale ; ▁The ▁latter ▁two ▁species ▁were ▁not ▁author ized , ▁though ▁no ▁one ▁was ▁pro sec uted . ▁Ann ual ▁catch es ▁vary ▁between ▁ 3 0 0 ▁and ▁ 5 0 0 ▁bel ug as ▁and ▁ 4 0 ▁to ▁ 7 0 ▁bow head s . ▁ ▁The ▁h unt ▁takes ▁the ▁bow head ▁wh ales ▁from ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁about ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁in ▁Al ask an ▁waters . ▁Anti - wh aling ▁groups ▁claim ▁this ▁h unt ▁is ▁not ▁sust ain able , ▁though ▁the ▁I W C ▁Scient ific ▁Committee , ▁the ▁same ▁group ▁that ▁provided ▁the ▁above ▁population ▁estimate , ▁projects ▁a ▁population ▁growth ▁of ▁ 3 . 2 % ▁per ▁year . ▁The ▁h unt ▁also ▁took ▁an ▁average ▁of ▁one ▁or ▁two ▁gray ▁wh ales ▁each ▁year ▁until ▁ 1 9 9 6 . ▁The ▁qu ota ▁was ▁reduced ▁to ▁zero ▁in ▁that ▁year ▁due ▁to ▁concerns ▁about ▁sust ain ability . ▁ ▁Washington ▁State ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁federal ▁law , ▁the ▁Mak ah ▁people ▁of ▁Washington ▁State ▁are ▁entitled ▁to ▁h unt ▁and ▁kill ▁one ▁b ale en ▁wh ale , ▁typically ▁a ▁gray ▁wh ale , ▁each ▁year , ▁though ▁ar che ological ▁records ▁and ▁or al ▁history ▁indicate ▁a ▁significant ▁number ▁of ▁hum p back ▁wh ales ▁were ▁h unted ▁as ▁well . ▁The ▁Mak ah ▁ended ▁their ▁wh aling ▁practices ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s , ▁but ▁not ified ▁the ▁U . S