NOAA Fisheries News Releases
NEWS RELEASE
June 1, 2000
Carol Tocco, Public Affairs NMFS
(907) 586-7032
NOAA FISHERIES DESIGNATES COOK INLET BELUGAS AS DEPLETED
MMPA Designation Provides Increased Protection To Whale Population
Cook Inlet beluga whales were designated as depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act by the National Marine Fisheries Service. The depleted ruling, which becomes effective June 30, 2000, will provide needed protection for the declining whale population.
"The depleted designation gives us the tools we need to provide protection for this unique population of beluga whales," said Jim Balsiger, Alaska Regional Administrator for NOAA Fisheries. "We will continue to work closely with affected Alaska Native organizations and tribal governments to control the subsistence harvest on this population."
Alaska Natives are allowed under the law to conduct a subsistence harvest for marine mammal species, including belugas. In the case of Cook Inlet beluga whales, harvest was the only factor that was identified that can account for the observed decline in the population.
Cook Inlet beluga whales constitute a small, genetically-isolated stock found in the south-central region of Alaska. Results of a status review initiated in November 1998 showed that the number of whales in this population declined from an estimate of 653 in 1994 to 347 in 1998, a decrease of approximately fifty percent.
NOAA Fisheries managers have been working with Alaska Natives in the area to address the overharvest. These efforts, along with special legislation enacted in April 1999, stopped the1999 subsistence harvest. An agreement also has been negotiated to limit the 2000 harvest to a single beluga whale to meet the cultural needs of the Alaska Native village of Tyonek. NOAA Fisheries managers will now work with the Alaska Native community to reach agreement on a long-term plan to recover the whales while meeting the traditional needs of the local native community.
The cooperative efforts to date have been effective, but an enforceable harvest regulation is needed to ensure recovery of the Cook Inlet beluga whale population. Today's depleted designation for this population of whales is a step in the process under the MMPA to establish enforceable federal regulations to limit Alaska Native use of marine mammals for subsistence purposes.
The status review on the Cook Inlet stock of beluga whales also provided information needed for NOAA Fisheries to determine whether the stock should be listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. That decision is expected soon.
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Editor's Note:
The final rule can be viewed at: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/protectedresources/whales/beluga/fr5312000.pdf.
Beluga whale information can be viewed at: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/protectedresources/whales/beluga.htm