Selection Process
We individually inspect and select all the tusks we offer for sale in the gallery above. Here is our selection process for a shipment of 56 narwhal tusks that came down from the Arctic sea lift to Toronto in November 2010.
We opened the crate for the first time and got first pick of the entire shipment. |
We took out all the tusks, lined them up, and arranged them by size. |
We inspected the tusks from tip to base to ensure quality selection. |
This is the largest tusk of the entire shipment. See 156-G6293 above. |
Inspection
in Toronto
The tusks in our gallery above are stored
at our office in Toronto. You are welcome to come and inspect individual tusks if
desired. Please make an appointment ahead of time so you are not
disappointed. For customers residing outside of Ontario, we cannot
release the tusks until we have proper paperwork in place. All
offers of sale are make with the condition that proper permits are in
place prior to the final sale.
Ordering
and Payment
Terms for International Orders
Here is the process we follow for all
international orders:
1. Confirm the sale:
2. Pay the deposit to reserve the tusk:
3. CITES and other documents:
-
If you require a veterinary health certificate (Turkey is the only country that we currently know of that requires this -- also see Shipping notes below) we can apply for one from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. There is a non-refundable fee of US$250.00 to get the veterinary certificate.
-
We fill out the Canadian CITES application and obtain the CITES export permit from
Fisheries & Oceans in Canada. The CITES
permit is generally valid for export from Canada for six months from the
time of issue. All of the tusks we have offered for sale that we state are exportable are eligible for a prompt CITES export permit. If the tusk is not shipped prior to the expiration of the
permit, we must return the permit to Fisheries & Oceans to
be cancelled. Once the permit expires the tusk is no longer reserved and will be available for sale to other customers. You will lose your deposit and your order will be cancelled unless you let us know you still want the tusk. We will require another US$500.00 non-refundable deposit to reserve the tusk and apply for a replacement CITES permit.
-
We will e-mail a copy of the CITES export permit to
you so you can apply for an import permit if required by your country. Most countries require an import permit. Some, however, such as New Zealand and Hong Kong do not require import permits for the tusks and can be shipped as soon as we have the Canadian export permit.
-
If a corresponding import permit is required by your country (typically the case in the European Union), you obtain an import permit from the
"CITES Management Authority" in your country.
- You send a copy of the CITES import
permit to us by e-mail or fax once you have the permit.
4. Final payment and shipping:
-
We will then send you wire instructions for
our bank account in Toronto. You wire the outstanding balance to our
account. We do not accept credit cards or PayPal
transfers for final payment on the balance due. Failure to pay within 45 days will result in our cancellation of
your order, the loss of your deposit, and the loss of your ability to order from us
again.
-
Upon confirmation of the wire, we then
pack up the tusk and have Beacon International (our freight forwarder in Toronto) ship this to you by
air freight collect. Beacon International will call you with the freight costs. It normally takes our forwarder two
business days to pick up the tusk, submit the paperwork, and deliver
the tusk to the airline that will forward this to you. Most
flights to Europe arrive the next day, but you may experience delays
in clearing the tusk while you arrange a broker or for the CITES
authorities to inspect the tusk.
-
We will update our records to show who
bought the tusk and where it was shipped.
-
You have a customs broker clear the
shipment through customs and take delivery. Please allow up to
one week on your end for customs clearance.
Sales within Ontario
No additional paperwork or documentation is
required for the sale or shipping of tusks delivered within Ontario.
HST is applicable for all sales within Ontario. All sales within Ontario will have
the following statement on the invoice:
Not for export from Ontario
without proper transportation permit from Fisheries and Oceans Canada
and/or CITES.
A copy of the original marine mammal
transportation permit issued to bring the tusk into Ontario is not
required to be provided by The Chichester Group to the customer buying the
tusk in Ontario. We will put the marine mammal transportation permit
number issued to bring the tusk into Ontario on the invoice for reference
should any questions arise from Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
Sales within Canada
An inter-provincial marine mammal transportation permit
is required to ship tusks from Ontario to other provinces or territories
(even if picked up at our office in Toronto). HST will be charged on all shipments within
Canada. A 10% non-refundable deposit (with a minimum of US$500.00) is required prior to us
obtaining transportation permits. Payment in full is required prior
to shipping. Failure to pay within 45 days of our informing you that
we have received the transportation permit will result in our cancellation
of your order and the loss of your deposit and your ability to order from
us again.
A copy of the original marine mammal
transportation permit issued to bring the tusk into Ontario is not
required to be provided by The Chichester Group to the customer buying the
tusk in Canada. We will put the marine mammal transportation permit
number issued to bring the tusk into Ontario on the invoice for reference
should any questions arise from Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
In theory, an officer from Fisheries and
Oceans can issue a verbal or oral authorization to transport a tusk from
one province to another (per conversation with Jacob Barkley,
100112). In practice it is best to apply for and receive a
transportation permit from Fisheries and Oceans to have a paper trail for
both the buyer and seller. We obtain this permit from Fisheries & Oceans in Burlington, Ontario. An officer must come and inspect the tusk before issuing the permit. Please allow one business week for us to schedule an appointment with a fisheries officer to get this permit. There is no cost for this permit.
Purchases of Tusks by
Chichester within Canada
Given the extensive regulations governing
the purchase, sale, ownership, and transportation of tusks, we are very careful about purchasing tusks from individuals. The tusks must have a harvest tag and transportation permit and a clear record of ownership. If you meet these requirements, please feel free to forward us pictures of your tusk, harvest tag, and transportation permit along with the length, condtion, your location (e.g., Toronto, Ottawa, Edmonton) and a realistic price you are hoping to get. We will do our best to respond promptly. We do not buy tusks without a harvest tag and paperwork.
Please see the
following link for more information on the laws regarding narwhal tusks in
Canada:
http://www.canlii.org/en/ca/laws/regu/sor-93-56/latest/sor-93-56.html
Please note that
14. No person shall buy, sell, trade,
barter or possess a narwhal tusk unless the licence under the authority of
which the narwhal was taken is attached to the tusk.
The license is the Marine Mammal Harvest
Tag. If you have a tusk without a tag (even if your grandfather gave
it to you), we are not interested in buying this and technically it is
illegal for you to possess the tusk. We have been advised by an officer from
Fisheries & Oceans that if you find in your attic an AK-47 and a
narwhal tusk without a tag, you can most likely take the AK-47 to the
police and turn this in without problem, but if you report the narwhal
tusk to Fisheries & Oceans they will charge you with breaking the law
and seize the tusk.
Please note that it is also illegal to
"find" a tusk on the beach in the Arctic from a narwhal that
died a natural death and was not hunted. Do not take these tusks (or
other marine mammal products) into the Ministry for Natural Resources
asking if you can keep this as they will charge you with possessing a tusk
without a tag.
The requirement of
the harvest tag to be with the tusk is a legal requirement of Fisheries
& Oceans Canada through the Fisheries Act and the Marine Mammal
Regulations and is unrelated to CITES.
Export Controls from
Canada
Narwhal are marine mammals and are
subject to CITES import/export controls under Appendix II. The Ministry of
Fisheries & Oceans in Prince Edward Island issues all export permits for narwhal
tusks for sales in Toronto, Ontario. It usually takes 4 to 6 weeks to obtain a
CITES export permit, but could take up to 6 to 8 weeks depending
upon their work load.
As of December 20, 2011, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada has partially lifted its international trade restrictions on narwhal tusks based on new scientific surveys of the narwhal population.
The communities now able to trade internationally include Arctic Bay, Clyde River, Qikiqtarjuaq, Pangnirtung, and Iqaluit.
Trade is still restricted in the Kivalliq region communities and Kimmirut, Sanikiluaq, and Grise Fiord.
Import Controls in
Your Country
The following summary is included as a
quick guide to import controls to the best of our knowledge.
You must check with your CITES authorities to determine the laws in force
at the time of obtaining an import permit.
As far as we know, we CAN ship narwhal tusks to the following countries:
Shipments to most Asian, Latin
American, and African countries are
generally permitted with proper CITES documentation.
Shipments to China are permitted with a corresponding CITES import permit issued prior to
importation. The authorities were prompt in answering questions
about importing the tusks. This information was last reviewed in
February 2011.
Commercial shipments to the European Union are becoming increasingly restrictive. Personal shipments
are generally permitted. The address and phone number must be for the residence of the buyer. We cannot ship to any commercial address. As of March 2009 the European Union
has started issuing permits on a case-by-case basis. If all the
paperwork is in order prior to shipping, you should not have any problem
obtaining an import permit. To save time and effort, please check
with your CITES officials before ordering from us.
Shipments to France are generally permitted with proper CITES documentation. Please note that
a condition on a tusk sold to France in July 2009 stated "specimen
interdit a la vente." The tusk may be imported into France for
personal use, but not for resale. This information was last reviewed
in June 2012.
Shipments to Germany are permitted for personal use only. A CITES import permit from the German CITES
management authorities is required prior to importing the tusk. The contact information for German CITES is listed on the
CITES website under National Contacts. The authorities were very responsive when asked for
details and provided a link to their website for the form to
complete. The CITES import permit will state that the tusk may not be marketed (i.e., sold). This information was last reviewed in July 2010. In September 2011, we received a permit to ship two baby tusks for educational use to Germany. In December 2011 we learned that the German authorities will only issue permits to individuals at their personal home address. You cannot ship a tusk to an office or commercial entity.
Shipments to Hong
Kong are permitted with just a CITES export permit from
Canada. No corresponding import permit is required prior to
import. The authorities were prompt in answering questions
about importing the tusks. This information was last reviewed in
July 2012.
Shipments to Iceland are generally permitted with proper CITES documentation. This information was last reviewed in August
2008.
We believe that imports to Japan are prohibited, but have not researched this. We do know of one man
who recently imported a pre-CITES tusk from Canada to Japan in early
2010. We are not sure what the status is for new tusks. An exporter in Europe said that he recently shipped two tusks to Japan in late 2010 or early 2011.
Shipments to New Zealand are permitted and
only require the original Canadian export permit for CITES Appendix II
species--to which narwhal belong. No corresponding import permit is
required. We can supply contact information for CITES officers in
New Zealand for customers to verify this information. This
information was last reviewed in October 2012.
Shipments to Norway are generally permitted with proper CITES documentation. This information was last reviewed in August
2008.
Shipments to Switzerland are generally permitted with proper CITES documentation. This information was last reviewed in August
2008. Switzerland has generally restricted imports of tusks
for personal use only--not for resale.
Shipments to Turkey are permitted by the Turkish authorities. We are not sure whether imports of commercial tusks are permitted. The tusks we have exported have been for personal use. On February 2012, a narwhal tusk was held by customs due to a recent law change because it did not have a veterinary health certificate. All narwhal tusks now require a Canadian veterinary health certificate. Presently, Turkish authorities have been non-responsive to our request for more information about the required wording on the health certificate. We can only get a health certificate from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency specifying that the narwhal tusks are cleaned and are free of meat and blood. Therefore, you may import narwhal tusks AT YOUR OWN RISK with this certificate. We recommend that you contact Turkish authorities to find out the exact wording required on the health certificate. This information was last reviewed in
April 2012.
Shipments to Ukraine are permitted without an import permit. The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine wrote that "As narwhal (Monodon monoceros) is in CITES Appendix II it is not necessary for a customer in Ukraine to apply for a CITES import permit." This information was last reviewed in February 2012.
We CANNOT ship narwhal tusks to the following countries:
As of January 25, 2007, Australia has imposed stricter trade regulations on all Cetacea (all whales,
porpoises and dolphins) than are in effect with CITES. All species
of the order Cetacea included in Appendix II of CITES are treated as if
they are in Appendix I of CITES. Consequently, we cannot export to
Australia and you cannot import narwhal tusks unless they are pre-treaty
tusks. Appendix I items may only be shipped for scientific study,
zoos, etc.
No exports of marine mammal products are allowed to Mexico as stated in Article 55: "Artículo 55 bis.- Queda prohibida la importación, exportación y reexportación de ejemplares de cualquier especie de mamífero marino y primate, así como de sus partes y derivados, con excepción de aquéllos destinados a la investigación científica, y las muestras de líquidos, tejidos o células reproductivas de aquellos ejemplares que se encuentren en cautiverio, previa autorización de la Secretaría.” This information was last reviewed in
April 2012.
No shipments to the United Kingdom are permitted because of restrictions imposed by those countries.
No shipments to the United States are
permitted because of
restrictions imposed by the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972.
We will not sell tusks in Ontario to U.S. residents if we believe they
intend to smuggle them back into the U.S. Canada Customs and the
U.S. Customs Service treat any violation seriously. Expect to have
your car confiscated and spend 10 years in jail. Don't even think about
trying to smuggle a tusk back to the U.S. because you think it would look
cool in your house. Don't even ask us about how we can help you get
a tusk into the U.S. as we are not keen on being treated as accessories to a crime. No marine mammal items may transit the United
States. For example, a tusk going from Canada to New Zealand must be
shipped through Vancouver, not Los Angeles. The U.S. government has
been known to seize tusks that are in transit through the U.S.
PLEASE NOTE: The Canadian CITES authorities make the
following statement on letters to us accompanying the permit:
"Although your shipment meets Canadian CITES export requirements,
please be advised that some countries have enacted additional legislation
that is more stringent than that of CITES. It is your responsibility
to ensure that the importing and export requirements of the (country) have
been met. Failure to do so may result in seizure of your
shipment."
If you fail to ensure that you can legally
import a tusk, we will not be responsible for the seizure of any
shipment. Please make appropriate inquires with your authorities
prior to ordering from us. This is not an impulse purchase.
For more information on import regulations
in your country, please check with your CITES Management Authority.
Just search in google with this phrase or an appropriate translation to
find the people you need to talk with.
Shipping
The tusks are shipped in heavy PVC
tubing to avoid breakage. We place cardboard or some other material on the tube to keep it from rolling and falling off a truck or table. We rub the tusk down with VaselineTM or mineral oil and then pack the tube with styrofoam
peanuts or bubble wrap as appropriate. When the tusk arrives, you can use paper towels or rags to wipe the tusk
clean. Make sure to keep the original CITES permit (tag) in case you ever
want to sell the tusk or ship it internationally--this is your proof
that the tusk was legally acquired. In Canada, this tag must remain
attached to the tusk at all times.
All
shipments are sent freight collect, i.e., you pay the shipping costs. The tusks must be
shipped by a freight forwarder because the permits need to be stamped by
Canada Customs prior to leaving Canada and stamped again upon entry into
your country. The freight forwarder we use is Beacon International. They are a specialist in the fur industry and is probably the most reliable shipper in Canada. Unfortunately, narwhal tusks are highly controlled and cannot be sent using regular couriers (UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc.) or by mail. They cannot transit the U.K. or the U.S. either as they will be seized. We usually ship on a direct flight to the destination country. Individuals cannot
take the tusks with them as baggage on an airplane.
The freight rates to Europe have been about US$250 to US$300 for tusks. This includes pick up in Toronto, paperwork, export clearance with Canada customs, and air freight with the airline. All of these costs are minimums, so the size of the tube / tusk does not make much difference. It costs the same to send baby tusks as it does to send a seven foot tusk. The freight company in your country will also charge a handling fee for the work they do. This is usually US$50 to US$100. Some customers clear the shipments through customs themselves to save the cost of using a broker, but most people pay to have a broker clear the shipment. This is another US$50 to US$100 usually. If you have arranged domestic delivery, this adds more costs.
Shipping costs vary with the destination. Some examples follow:
A 53.5" tusk shipped in a 60" PVC
tube that was 4" wide from Toronto to Switzerland in April 2008 cost
C$295.10 (about US$300.00). This charge included pick up from our
office, CITES export processing with Canada Customs, air freight on a
direct flight on Air Canada to Zurich, and insurance. All of the
charges were minimum fees, so larger tusks should not be much
different. Our customer did his own customs clearance. This
took about one hour and saved some money. The veterinarian
inspection cost approximately C$89.00 and took about 10 minutes to inspect
the CITES paperwork. VAT was about C$120.00 (7.5% of the invoice
amount).
An 83" tusk shipped in a 92" PVC
tube that was 4.75" wide from Toronto to Paris, France in August 2009 cost
C$302.00 (about US$272.00 at current exchange rates). This charge included pick up from our
office, CITES export processing with Canada Customs, air freight on a
direct flight on Air Canada to Paris, and insurance. All of the
charges were minimum fees.
A 236 cm tusk shipped in a 9 foot long PVC tube from Toronto to France in July 2012 cost C$392.32 freight and handling. This charge included pick up from our office, CITES export processing with Canada Customs, air freight on a direct flight on to France, and insurance. There was a 40 Euro fee charged by the French freight company. The customer cleared the tusk himself to save on the cost of using a broker. He also paid 1,504 Euro in custom taxes.
A 62" tusk shipping in a 72" PVC tube that was 4" wide from Toronto to Germany in July 2010 cost C$292.00 (about US$280.00 at exchange rates current at the time). This charge included pick up from our office, CITES export processing with Canada Customs, air freight on a direct flight on Air Canada from Toronto to Frankfurt, and insurance.
Two small tusks measuring 70.5 cm and 73.5 cm were shipped in a single PVC tube by freight collect from Toronto to Germany in April 2012 cost C$500.00 for shipping, customs, and taxes. This charge included pickup from our office, CITES export processing with Canada Customs, air freight on a direct flight from Toronto to Stamberg, and insurance. The customer later wrote back that he was able to get a price reduction from his local freight company.
A 71 cm tusk was shipped in a PVC tube by freight collect from Toronto to Ukraine in February 2012 cost C$455.00 for shipping, $260.00 for customs and $195.00 for taxes. This charge included pick up from our office, CITES export processing with Canada Customs, air freight on a direct flight from Toronto to Kyiv, and insurance. The customer later wrote back to say that he got a better price of $351.00.
We have experience packing the tusks to
ensure safe shipment and have not had any problems with breakage. If
possible, carefully open the parcel with the delivery company representative
present. If there is any damage in shipment
due to mishandling, this must be report to the shipping company
immediately. Save all the packing materials. If you are unable
to open the parcel immediately, inspect the PVC shipping tube carefully
for any obvious signs of damage and report this on the delivery document.
Take pictures of the shipping tube if it has been damaged in
transit.
Return Policy
We have never had a customer return a
narwhal tusk. We will accurately describe the tusk and provide
pictures to help you make a decision about which one to buy. We
strongly encourage you to get as much information as possible to ensure
that you will be satisfied with the tusk prior to purchase as it is not a
simple matter to send it back. If you have any other questions,
please do not hesitate to ask us.
We stand behind our merchandise. If
you are unhappy with the tusk for any reason upon arrival, let us know
right away--within five days after receipt. We do not accept returns
for any reason after our five-day inspection period.
To return a tusk, the entire process of
obtaining permits must be reversed and done properly by you or your broker
at your expense. We will obtain a Canadian import permit once you
have an export permit from your country's CITES authorities. You pay
shipping by air (the tusk must be insured) and customs clearance costs
both ways along with a US$500.00 processing fee. When the tusk
arrives back in our office in the same condition we shipped it out in we
will issue a refund less the shipping cost, customs clearance cost, and
processing fee. We do not accept any responsibility for improper
permits obtained on your part, improper export procedures being followed
by you, or shipping errors on your part. We also need the original
harvest tag back with the tusk and it must be attached to the tusk at all
times.
Never just ship a tusk without proper
permits. Don't even think about it.
This is not a trivial purchase and returns
are not an easy matter. For high-value tusks, you are welcome to
come and inspect the tusk in Toronto prior to shipment if you wish. You cannot take the tusk with you on the plane.
Care of the Tusks
Rub the tusk with VaselineTM or mineral oil every now and then to
prevent it from drying out. The tusks will crack if they are
allowed to dry out. Most tusks have small hairline cracks
where the tusks twist naturally.
Cleaning Tusks
When the tusks first come out of the water,
they are covered in algae and other dark slime as shown on the left in the
picture above. One way to clean the
tusks is to use a piece of eaves trough, close up the sides, and fill it with water and
detergent (Sunlight will work) or bleach and water. You can let the tusk soak overnight and then
use a bristle brush to clean the scum off. The tusk will be a bit
yellowed. You can use regular hydrogen peroxide to brighten it.
The tusks will come out like the ones on the right depending upon how well
you clean them.
We only sell cleaned tusks. The tusks are cleaned and are free of blood and meat. They are scrubbed to remove algae and grime. They are often treated in a long tub with hydrogen peroxide or bleach to disinfect and whiten. We can do further treatment here if required.
Using Tusks for
Arts and Crafts and Other Legal Questions
There is some question as to the laws
regarding use of tusks for making arts and crafts. The law states
that each tusk must have a harvest tag attached at all times. During
a meeting with officials at Fisheries & Oceans in Burlington, Ontario
on March 9, 2010, we were informed that policy guidelines are being
developed to assist the arts and crafts community in complying with the
law. If a tusk purchased from us or others is going to be cut into
multiple pieces for use in making earrings, pendants, knife handles,
carvings, etc., the new owner of the tusk should contact Fisheries &
Oceans to obtain additional harvest tags before cutting the tusk.
These tags can then be assigned to each article being made.
Technically, the law states that the tag must be attached to the tusk at
all times. For jewelry, knife handles, cut pieces, and carvings, our
understanding is that as long as the owner can produce the tag for the
article promptly, this will suffice as proof of a product made from a
legally acquired tusk. In other words, you can wear a pair of
narwhal earrings to dinner, but had better be able to prove that they were
made from legally acquired material if ask by an officer from Fisheries
& Oceans. Always keep the harvest tag.
Please note that all narwhal products
leaving the Province of Ontario must have marine mammal transportation
permits--this is true for jewelry, carvings, knife handles, cut pieces,
etc., as well as for full tusks. All products being shipped out of
Canada must have a CITES permit--regardless of how much or how little you
paid for the item.
We recommend that
customers maintain adequate paperwork (copies of tags, pictures of tusks,
etc.) to prove where pieces came from and went.
Please note that we accept no
responsibility whatsoever for the accuracy of this section and are simply
trying to relay information as we learn more as a service to both our
customers and to the Ministry of Fisheries & Oceans.
We are not the final authorities on this matter and are awaiting formal,
written guidance from Fisheries & Oceans that we can pass on to our
customers. Each customer or
artist is responsible for researching the laws on his or her own to ensure
a thorough understanding of how the laws affect his or her situation.
Appraisals
We frequently get inquiries from customers looking for appraisals for insurance purposes. The charge is C$125.00 + HST for a written appraisal for one tusk. The charge is C$175.00 + HST for a written appraisal for two tusks. We will need five or six pictures of the tusk, the length of the tusk, condition, and any special notes. We need your address and phone number to prepare a PayPal invoice for you to pay against prior to issuing the appraisal letter.
Press Inquiries
Paul Crosby is the only person at Chichester authorized to speak with members of the press.
Recent quotes concerning changes in the method for tagging tusks can be found in the Toronto Star on Tuesday, July 31, 2012 on page A6.
Genus and
Species
Genus and species: Monodon
monoceros. Wild. CITES Appendix II.
Narwhal are protected along with all
other marine mammals. They live in the cold arctic waters and
are not exposed to significant hunting. Estimates of the
number of narwhal in polar waters range from a low of 20,000 to a
high of 35,000 or more. Nearly all of the
narwhal tusks come from animals that were killed by local hunters
for food, not for the tusk alone. The government of Canada
restricts the number of narwhal that may be taken each year to
ensure that narwhal do not become threatened. As of January
2010, we believe the annual harvest is only 200 to 300 narwhal across the
Canadian arctic. This is about 1% of the estimated population and is
believed to be sustainable.
There are an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 tusks that have accumulated on the ocean floor over the years near communities where the narwhal hunt takes place.
Due to recent problems with poaching and
overhunting in eastern Greenland (where there is a very small population
of narwhals), we do not offer narwhal tusks from Greenland.
What is CITES?
CITES is the abbreviation for the
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild
Fauna and Flora. Nearly all countries belong to CITES
(holdouts include places such as North Korea).
The goal of CITES is to regulate the trade in species that are under
threat somewhere in the world. Nearly 30,000 animals and
plants are identified. The
commercial trade in some animals or products made from those animals
is completely prohibited (e.g., pandas and tigers). These are
listed as CITES Appendix I. Others are
permitted, but the trade is monitored (most items covered under
CITES). These are listed as CITES Appendix II. A few
animals or plants are listed by one or more countries that want to
monitor trade in a specific animal or product (e.g., abalone in South Africa until June 2010). These are
listed as CITES Appendix III.
All marine
mammals are regulated by CITES--even if they are not considered endangered. See the official CITES website at www.cites.org for more information.
Notes on the Tusks
The tusks are hollow nearly all the way to
the tip. Only the last inch or two is solid. The hole in the
middle of the tusk is about 1/2" in diameter on 5' tusks. The
width of the hole expands nearer the base. The longer tusks from
older animals have a much thicker base than the younger ones.
When the tusks first come out of the
water, often the tips are clean from use and the rest of the tip is nearly
black from algae and gunk. Many tusks are broken on the tips simply
as a result of use--not breakage in shipping. These are ideal for
craft purposes or for individuals who do not mind specimens like this.
When tusks are bleached using a 2% solution of Chlorox(TM) and water (2 parts water, 1 part 6% Chlorox household bleach) the tusk becomes a bright white (see a picture of a bleached tusk compared to a cleaned tusk). The color softens when mineral oil is applied.
To see whether a tip has been worked (sanded by the Inuit or others), you can use a magnifying glass to look for marks and/or swirls from sandpaper.
Generally, only males have long tusks. Sometimes females will grow a long tusk, but this is not the norm.
The Inuit avoid hunting pregnant females.
The most active hunting takes place in August and September when the ice opens up.
The tusks appear to be for display to attract female narwhal--similar to antlers or deer or elk and tail feathers on peacocks. Their primary use is not for gathering food or combat. If the main use was scraping molluscs off the ocean floor or gathering other food, female narwhal would tend to have tusks as well.
All narwhal have two teeth. In males, one extends beyond the skin and becomes the long tusk narwhal are famous for. The other tusk rarely penetrates the skin and grows. When it does, this becomes a rare double-tusk narwhal.
The teeth that do not penetrate the skin are considered teeth and not tusks. Harvest tags are genearlly not issued for teeth. A Marine Mammal Transportation License is required to export the teeth from Nunavut or out of a province.
Most adult male narwhal have tusks that average 6 to 8 feet. It is rare to get tusks that are 9 feet or longer. The longest tusks every seen are about 13' if my memory serves me well.
Non-Natives are not prohibited from selling any edible parts of the narwhal.
Please click here to see pictures of some interesting tusks that we have come across or sold in the past.
Why do we Sell Narwhal
Tusks?
Ever since I was a kid reading about polar
explorers and Eskimos (Inuit) I have been fascinated by the polar
regions. Narwhal play an important role in the north for both food and art. I
find dealing with northern products very interesting and simply enjoy
having Inuit art and products around. I do not believe that the
limited hunting of narwhal by the Inuit is having a deleterious effect on
the population of these animals and the sale of the tusks promotes the
north and the lives of Inuit. If it became clear that the harvest of
limited quantities of narwhal for food by the Inuit threatened the
survival of the narwhal, we would stop selling the tusks.
Testimonials
Jochen from Germany writes:
Today the tusk arrived well and in good shape. I am very impressed and totally happy with it! Thanks for making this possible and thanks for the quick and professional transaction!
I also have to say that the shipping company in Germany was very helpful and professional. The communication with email and phone was very good and they did the customs and tax declaration very quickly. I did expect much more troubles like going personally to the customs office and so on, but it was really a pleasure. Finally shipping, customs, taxes and fees were another $500, but it was worth it!
The document here one does need to get the import permission in Germany: http://www.bfn.de/fileadmin/MDB/documents/themen/cites/formular-221.pdf
The filled document has to be sent to Mr. Mario Sterz: Mario.Sterz@bfn.de
Probably this information is also helpful for your German clients, I had to do several phonecalls to get through :-) |
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