ACE's View
Cook Inlet beluga whale depletion
In the late 70’s, their numbers hovered around 1,300, now Cook Inlet (CI) belugas struggle to break the 300 count. In the 1990s, federal biologists reacted to the beluga depletion by urging native groups to reduce their
Cook Inlet beluga harvest. By 2000, the genetically isolated whales were listed as depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the native hunters were federally mandated to limit their beluga take to 1-2 animals per year. Five years later, CI belugas are showing no obvious trend towards recovery. Here are some points to consider:
- The beluga whale sits high in the food chain, and it’s the “canary in the coal mine” for determining the health of the Cook Inlet ecosystem. Alaska is a special place, and if we cannot protect the beluga whale from extinction in Anchorage’s backyard, what can we protect?
- While local politicians are spending tax payer dollars to fight the beluga listing, they have refused to fund the basic research over the years needed to understand the beluga and its habitat.
- NMFS surveys and science show this isolated stock does not breed with the other four beluga stocks in Alaska, and it is a “discrete population segment” requiring ESA protections.
- Despite the emotional rhetoric espoused by listing opponents, various studies by MIT and other researchers show the ESA does not curtail responsible economic development.
- Scare tactics to suggest commercial and other fishing in Cook Inlet will be harmed by listing the beluga are groundless because studies show few conflicts between whales and fishing activities.
- Despite sharp controls on Native subsistence harvests, the beluga population has failed to rebound as predicted, and pollution, noise and habitat loss remain threats to the whale.
- NMFS historically has been under-funded for its beluga whale work, and it needs adequate funding for the consultations and critical habitat designation required by the ESA.
Current Issues
3 Easy Steps to Support Endangered Belugas
Step One:
Copy the letter below into an email and put your name at the bottom.
Step Two:
Email this letter to CIB-ESA-Endangered@noaa.gov with the subject heading 'Cook Inlet Beluga Whale PR.'
Step Three:
Pass this alert on to anyone you know who values belugas in Cook Inlet and wants to see them around for future generations.
Suggested Written Comment Letter
(Subject: Cook Inlet Beluga Whale PR.)
Kaja Brix
Assistant Regional Administrator
Protected Resources Division
Alaska Region, National Marine Fisheries Service
Mrs. Brix,
Thank you for this valuable opportunity to comment on the proposed rule to list Cook Inlet belugas as endangered under the ESA. The CI beluga is an important part of the fabric of life in southcentral Alaska. Please help us to keep belugas around for future generations by enacting the enhanced protections of the Endangered Species Act.
Only the ESA listing can provide adequate science to solve the mystery of the CI belugas continuing declines. Despite sharp controls on Native subsistence harvests, the beluga population has failed to rebound as predicted, and pollution, noise and habitat loss remain threats to the whale.
Only the ESA listing can provide habitat protections that will enable CI beluga recovery. NMFS historically has been under-funded for its beluga whale work, and it needs adequate funding for the consultations and critical habitat designation required by the ESA.
The beluga whale sits high in the food chain, and it’s the “canary in the coal mine” for determining the health of the Cook Inlet ecosystem. Alaska is a special place, and if we cannot protect the beluga whale from extinction in Anchorage’s backyard, what can we protect?
Again, thank you for this opportunity to assist in keeping belugas in Cook Inlet for generations to come.
Sincerely,
Your name
City, State
Archive
Belugas Recommended for Endangered Species Listing
The announcement came in response to a listing petition filed with NMFS in April 2006 by ACE and other conservation groups. With an estimated 300 belugas remaining, the accompanying protection will provide “the species with a fighting chance for recovery.”
Read the Press Release
Read the ADN Article
NMFS to Decide Soon Whether to List Cook Inlet Beluga Whale
Today federal agency scientists estimate there may be just over 300 Cook Inlet beluga whales remaining, down from a reported historic high of 1300. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is likely to issue a decision whether to list the beluga under the Endangered Species Act in April 2007. Conservation groups have been working hard to ensure the Cook Inlet beluga has a fighting chance to recover from its recent declines.
The Cook Inlet Beluga Population is Dangerously low
The Cook Inlet beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) is a small, isolated population that’s genetically distinct from other Alaska beluga stocks. From a population once thought to number 1300 whales, NMFS’s most recent surveys estimated just over 300 Cook Inlet belugas in 2006. Unregulated harvests have been largely implicated in the decline, yet despite stringent harvest controls starting in 1998, the beluga population has not rebounded as expected.
Scientists believe there are likely other factors associated with the continued suppression of this beluga population. Strandings, disease, contaminants, vessel traffic, noise (including seismic testing), prey declines, predators (such as the killer whale) and human-induced habitat changes are some potential threats. Under the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act the Cook Inlet beluga is already listed as “depleted.” In April of 2006 the highly respected International Union for the conservation of Nature, (IUCN) added the Cook Inlet beluga to its “Red List, “classifying it as “critically endangered.” IUCN’s only category after that is “extinct.”
Check NMFS web site for ESA listing information after late April: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/protectedresources/whales/beluga.htm
Our Recommendation
Cook Inletkeeper has reviewed this issue and believes that there is a compelling scientific basis for listing the Cook Inlet beluga as endangered. Most Cook Inlet beluga experts believe there is a high risk that the Cook Inlet beluga whale could become extinct within this century.
You can help
Written comments can be submitted NOW to both:
Bill Hogarth, Director
National Marine Fisheries Service
1315 East West Highway
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Email: Bill.Hogarth@noaa.gov
And copy:
Kaja Brix, Assistant Regional Administrator,
Protected Resources Division, Alaska Region, NMFS,
P. O Box 21668,
Juneau, AK 99802
Email: kaja.brix@noaa.gov
Give Cook Inlet Belugas a Fighting Chance
Cook Inlet belugas are at risk of extinction because their numbers have plummeted perilously by more than 50% during the last decade. During a time when the largest city in Alaska is approaching unprecedented development, not enough is known about what can be done to protect the survival of this regional icon. Join scientists and petitioners to insist on the ESA listing to give the Cook Inlet beluga important new federal protections.
Tell the National Marine Fisheries Service that you support a more stringent plan to protect Cook Inlet belugas. Submit your comments today! Personalized comments are the most effective. Please edit the sample letter below to tell NOAA/NMFS why protecting the Cook Inlet beluga is important to YOU!
Subject: Protect the Cook Inlet Beluga Whale
Dear Dr. Hogarth:
(Edit Letter Below)
NMFS’s own surveys have documented the perilous status of the Cook Inlet beluga whale. A population once estimated at 1300, has now, according to NMFS’s latest 2006 survey, dropped to just over 300 animals.
The beluga whale is a Cook Inlet icon that delights thousands of kids and adults a year with its whimsical displays in and around Anchorage. The beluga also plays a critical role in the complex ecosystem comprising Cook Inlet. Yet despite a “depleted” listing under the Marine Mammal Protection Act in 2000, a final Conservation Plan has not materialized. Now, there’s an imminent need to list the whale under the Endangered Species Act, so critical habitat can be protected and the Cook Inlet beluga can have a chance to recover.
Scientific evidence now clearly demonstrates that despite a halt to unregulated harvests, Cook Inlet beluga populations have not rebounded as expected. The extreme decline and continued suppression in the population puts the Cook Inlet beluga at an unreasonable risk for extinction.
As climate change and population pressure continue to grow in Alaska, the beluga whale needs the protections afforded by the Endangered Species Act to ensure this Cook Inlet icon remains a part of our unique way of life in Alaska. I urge the National Marine Fisheries Service to rely on science and not politics, and to list the Cook Inlet beluga whale before it’s too late.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address]
[Your email]
Additional Information
Petition to List the Cook Inlet Beluga Whale as Endangered
NMFS/NOAA’s Cook Inlet Beluga Whale Overview
The Alaska Center for the Environment’s Cook Inlet Beluga page
Cook Inletkeeper’s Cook Inlet Beluga page
Save the Cook Inlet Beluga
Compass Piece: Belugas aren't a losing proposition
By BUTCH ALLEN
Published: October 25, 2006
A recent Daily News article reported that the governments of Anchorage, the Kenai Borough and the Mat-Su Borough are planning to spend $75,000 to combat an endangered listing for Cook Inlet belugas. This follows a recent decision by the Knik Arm Bridge Authority to spend $50,000 toward the same end.
Rather than using public funds to fight science and hamper the recovery of an iconic local whale, these entities should be allotting this funding toward strategies to keep critical economic activity in harmony with beluga recovery.
The science is clear on the status of Cook Inlet belugas. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has used the exact same count methodology for 14 years, and the trend is crystal clear: decline. The latest raw count of 153 translates to an estimated population of fewer than 300 animals -- from a population that numbered 1,300 in the late '70s. That's nearly an 80 percent drop in 25 years. In April, the federal Marine Mammal Commission reiterated its recommendation that NMFS "proceed expeditiously to list the population" under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
Rather than sticking our heads in the sand and hoping that the beluga decline will magically fix itself, we need to let the scientific conclusions speak for themselves, then work together to meet the goals of beluga recovery and economic activity.
The fact is, the ESA works. Of the 1,297 species listed as endangered between 1973 and 2003, only seven became extinct. Of the U.S. species known to have become extinct in the first 21 years of the ESA, 77 percent disappeared during lengthy delays in the listing process. That is exactly where Cook Inlet belugas are headed if our own local governments retain lawyers to dispute a listing.
Furthermore, the notion that an ESA listing will halt all economic activity in Cook Inlet is unfounded. The ESA does not mandate a halt to human activity; instead, it brings needed funding to the responsible agency, requires an identification of critical habitat, and requires commercial operators to consult with biologists in order to design projects that do not create unnecessary harm to the species of concern.
According to a 1992 General Accounting Office report to Congress, the vast majority of development projects occurring in ESA listing areas are allowed to proceed. There is almost always a viable development technique that works to keep both the project and the endangered species alive.
Right here in Cook Inlet we've shown that commerce and whale recovery can coexist. In 1999, conservation groups intervened in a dredging project in the upper inlet. The result was an agreement to place beluga monitors on the dredge boat to ensure that the activity could proceed without harming whales. That type of win-win is possible when we collaborate.
And let's not forget -- these animals are not merely enjoyable for residents; they are real assets. Most cities would be envious of our local wildlife. Tourists making the circuit from the Mat-Su to Anchorage to the Kenai sometimes slow traffic to a crawl along Turnagain Arm as they attempt to catch a glimpse of Cook Inlet belugas.
Perhaps more important, like prolific moose or salmon with which we share this part of the world, they are an integral part of why we love Alaska. And our tax dollars should not be spent on preventing protections for Cook Inlet belugas, but rather on finding ways to strike a balance between whales and commerce.
As Audubon scientist John Scheon said, losing Cook Inlet beluga whales would be a powerful indictment of our ability to balance human activity and Alaska's incomparable natural treasures. We owe it to ourselves, and to future generations of Alaskans, to do better.
Knik Arm Bridge will Harm Cook Inlet Belugas
Knik Arm Bridge Group (Kabata) seeks permission to injure belugas and other marine mammals during construction of proposed bridge. Despite the ongoing review of Cook Inlet belugas for listing under the Endangered Species Act, developers are requesting that the National Marine Fisheries Service permit the “take of small numbers” . . incidental to the construction of the Knik Arm Bridge. Comment to NMFS by 22 Sept 2006.
For the complete permit request by Kabata click here
What you can do: Send Your Comments Now!
A written letter with talking points is provided below. Copy and paste those which you feel most pertinent into the letter body and then personalize your comments with anecdotes emphasizing the need to protect the dwindling stock of Cook Inlet belugas. When your comments are ready Email your letter to PR1.080806A @noaa.gov
Written Comment Example with Talking Points:
Please personalize with your own words
Mr. Michael Payne,
Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to make comments to NMFS.
As a citizen of southcentral Alaska, I have a personal stake in both the responsible growth of Anchorage and the health of Knik Arm marine wildlife.
I’m writing in opposition to KABATA’s request to take small numbers of marine mammals, by harassment, incidental to construction of the Knik Arm Bridge at the Knik Arm Crossing.
Alaska’s bountiful wildlife provides a tangible increase to our quality of life. One of the species threatened by KABATA’s application, the Cook Inlet beluga, is so imperiled that the subspecies is being considered for listing under the Endangered Species Act.
These marine mammal icons provide residents and tourists alike with the rare opportunity to view whales in an urban setting.
Despite KABATA’s assurances that the proposed takes “are unlikely to be lethal or have any long-term negative consequences for the affected marine mammal
populations” the risk to belugas is simply too high.
Science has not discovered conclusive evidence as to why the population continues to dwindle. It is thus erroneous for KABATA to presume knowledge of which external variables might or might not produce long term impacts to this already stressed population.
The Cook Inlet belugas are at a breaking point – our management strategies are critical to insuring their continued existence. Until either research concludes that takes would not hamper beluga recovery or the sub-species actually recovers, I ask that you not allow the incidental takes requested by KABATA.
Thank you for considering my comments,
To:
Michael Payne
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division
Office of Protected Resources
National Marine Fisheries Service
1315 East-West Highway
Silver Spring, MD 20910–3225.
Comment Format:
Mr. Michael Payne,
(Your comments here)
Regards,
Name
Address
Email
Email comments to: PR1.080806A @noaa.gov
NMFS agrees to assess Cook Inlet beluga for listing under the Endangered Species Act
On Friday August 7th the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) found that a petition filed last April by ACE and other conservation groups presented “substantial scientific evidence” that protecting the beluga whale populations under the federal Endangered Species Act “may be warranted.” Joining ACE in filing the petition were Cook Inletkeeper, Friends of Potter Marsh/Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge, Audubon–Alaska, Alaska Community Action on Toxics, North Gulf Oceanic Society, Center for Biological Diversity, Natural Resources Defense Council, Defenders of Wildlife and Dr. Sylvia Brunner.
“The scientific research on the Cook Inlet population of beluga whales shows this whale is teetering on the edge of extirpation,” said Dr. John Schoen, senior scientist at Audubon Alaska. “NMFS’s action today acknowledges the scientific basis to protect the whale, and provides hope this dwindling stock will endure for generations to come.”
The Cook Inlet population of beluga whales is a genetically and reproductively distinct population of whales that has been faced with falling population umber for well over a decade. Indeed, between 1994 and today, the number of beluga whales in the Cook Inlet have fallen by almost eighty percent. The U.S. Marine Mammal Commission, an independent advisory panel of experts created by Congress to advise NMFS on the protection of marine mammals, repeatedly has urged the agency to list beluga whales under the Endangered Species Act, to no avail. Consequently, on April 20, 2006, the above-listed petitioners filed a new petition to the list the population under the ESA.
NMFS’s decision today follows closely on the heals of a recent population surveys whose preliminary numbers showed the lowest number of beluga whales in Cook Inlet ever recorded. Under the Endangered Species Act, NMFS now has nine months to decide weather to formally propose the Cook Inlet beluga for protection under the Endangered Species Act. Petitioners are urging NMFS to act quickly.
“NMFS may have nine months to make a preliminary decision, but we would like to see the agency move much more quickly,” said Bob Shavelson, Executive Director of Cook Inletkeeper. “With its numbers at record lows we have not time to lose if we want to ensure the survival of this Cook Inlet icon.”
Download Press Release
Initial Cook Inlet Beluga Count at Record Low
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has completed its annual June/July aerial surveys to determine the distribution and abundance of belugas in Cook Inlet. Initial raw counts (best average) revealed only 153 animals. While the data has not been fully analyzed, this is the lowest raw count NMFS has had since the surveys began in 1993.
Summer 2006 Cook Inlet beluga Count Information:
Each summer since 1993, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has conducted aerial surveys to determine the distribution and abundance of belugas in upper and lower Cook Inlet. NMFS recently completed the raw counts (best average) for its June survey. The initial surveys revealed only 153 animals. While the data has not been fully statistically analyzed, this is the lowest raw count NMFS has had since the surveys began (See graph).
While the possibility exists that the low counts are a product of late salmon runs, NMFS officials do not express hope for higher numbers. Only after the July calf surveys are compiled will final numbers be verified. The final estimate should be available by late September. Unless the calf survey shows some unexpected numbers, NMFS expects a considerably lower final count or abundance estimate number when NMFS releases final data in fall.
(Important note: these numbers represent raw counts – abundance estimates are extrapolated after these raw numbers are reviewed for variability.)
In February, Trustees for Alaska filed a petition on behalf of ACE, Cook Inlet Keeper, and others requesting that the Cook Inlet beluga be again considered for listing under the endangered species act. Concurrently, NMFS was undergoing an internal review of the depleted mammal’s status. ACE is hopeful that NMFS will respond to the combination of dismal beluga counts and pressure from Alaskan citizen groups by moving to list the threatened species to endangered status.
What ACE is doing
ACE has teamed up with Cook Inlet Keeper to develop awareness strategies regarding CI beluga depletion. Developing signage at high traffic locations where Alaskans are likely to site belugas will help to educate the public. Incorporating “beluga education kits” into grade school and high school science curricula will also serve to raise awareness of the whale’s dwindling numbers. Other “awareness tools” under development are public service announcements and a movie trailer.
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