Gene Ozenna of Little Diomede was sentenced for one count of wasteful take of walrus, a violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, according to Jill Schweiger, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service special agent. The Act allows Alaska Natives to kill walrus for subsistence or for making handicrafts, so long as they harvest a substantial portion of each animals useable parts. "Headhunting," killing a walrus only to harvest its ivory without other portions, has been determined by the courts to be illegal under the Act. Ozenna was one of seven hunters charged with wasteful take of walrus, a misdemeanor, for taking 90 walrus heads and retrieving very little of the meat in June, 1991. Ozenna is the first of those to be sentenced. Tim Burgess, assistant U. S. Attorney and Robert Anderson, special assistant U. S. Attorney, prosecuted the case.
"This kind of abuse of subsistence hunting rights has got to stop and its going to take some severe sentences to stop it," Judge Holland said. six hunters remain for sentencing, including two leaders who face sentences for two misdemeanor charges each.
-FWS-
