NOAA Fisheries News Releases
NEWS RELEASE
February 18, 1999
Carol Tocco
(907) 586-7032
NMFS INVITES PUBLIC TO STATUS REVIEW OF COOK INLET BELUGA WHALES
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is inviting the public to attend a meeting to review the status of the Cook Inlet beluga whale and determine if protection under either the Marine Mammal Protection Act or the Endangered Species Act is warranted. The meeting is scheduled for March 8 and 9 in Anchorage at the Sheraton Hotel.
Beginning at 8:00am on March 8, presentations by scientists from NMFS and the National Marine Mammal Laboratory in Seattle will consider the current status of Cook Inlet beluga whales, their distribution, abundance (the 1998 population is estimated at 347 whales) and trends, food habits, biohealth parameters, and reproductive parameters. The effects of the Native subsistence harvest, and potential effects of other human-induced impacts, as well as natural mortality will also be examined. Presentations will be followed by explanations on the guidelines for the criteria of listing Cook Inlet beluga whales as depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act or threatened/endangered under the Endangered Species Act.
March 9 will be focused on reviewing the public comments already received, discussion of the co-management agreement between the Cook Inlet Marine Mammal Council and NMFS . For those with limited time available, public comment will be heard from 1:00-3:00pm on March 9. However, the public is welcome to participate in both days of the meeting. Following public comment will be a discussion of management options. "Maintaining a healthy beluga population and ensuring long term sustainability of a beluga whale subsistence harvest in Cook Inlet is in the best interest of all parties concerned," said Steven Pennoyer, Administrator of the Alaska Region. NMFS expects to reach a decision by May 1999.
For more information and a copy of the agenda, please call NMFS at (907) 271-5006.