The genetic history of whaling in the Cantabrian Sea during the 13th–18th centuries: Were North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) the main target species?

Abstract

For millennia, whales have been used as a food source, initially probably opportunistically, with the use of stranded animals on beaches, and later by active hunting. The Basques pioneered commercial whaling first in the neighbouring Cantabrian Sea (11th century) and then in Newfoundland and Labrador (16th century). The North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) is believed to have been the main target species of the Cantabrian fleets off the coast of Spain although other large whale species could have occasionally been targeted. At present, no molecular identification study has been performed to corroborate which species constituted the main catch for local whalers. Here we use historical bone remains to identify the main target species of medieval whaling in the Cantabrian Sea (13–18th centuries). Our results confirm the North Atlantic right whale as the main target species in Iberia suggesting that direct hunting could have played a role in the depletion of the species.