The walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) is a massive marine mammal found in the Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Recognisable by its long tusks, whiskers, and thick blubber, the walrus has been a cornerstone food source for Indigenous communities across Alaska, northern Canada, Greenland, and eastern Russia for thousands of years.
Walrus meat, blubber, and organs are traditional foods with deep cultural significance in Arctic Indigenous communities, particularly among Inuit, Yupik, and Chukchi peoples. The meat is dense and strongly flavoured, while the blubber provides essential calories and fat in extreme cold climates.
Walrus is not commercially traded and is not available in Australian markets. Its inclusion here reflects its importance in Indigenous food systems of the Arctic, where it remains a legally protected subsistence resource.
How it's produced
Walrus hunting is exclusively a wild harvest activity, carried out by Indigenous communities with legal subsistence hunting rights under national and international regulations. Commercial hunting of walrus has been banned for decades.
Hunts are typically conducted from boats in coastal Arctic waters, using methods that have evolved over millennia but now incorporate modern equipment. The entire animal is used — meat and organs for food, blubber for fuel and food, hide for boat coverings and rope, tusks for carving. Hunting is regulated by community quotas and seasonal restrictions to protect walrus populations.
What it costs the planet (per kilo)
≈ Estimated from its category — typical for other red meat, not measured for this item yet. Sources & methods →
What comes from this
Your household's take
One thumb per person, shared with your household — it steers what the wider-web shelf and the swap chips offer you. Tap again to take it back.
✎ Spotted something wrong? Suggest a correction
Checking who you are...