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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2001

An Alaska Native hunter has joined a coalition of environmental groups in seeking to have beluga whales considered endangered or threatened.

Joel Blatchford and the groups say listing the whale under the Endangered Species Act will prevent it from going extinct. They say various factors, including oil development, commercial fishing, urbanization, shipping, noise and pollution, are threatening the whale in Cook Inlet.

The National Marine Fisheries Service has listed the whale as "depleted" under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The whale population is between 350 and 450, says the government.

A federal has upheld that listing but Blatchford and the groups are seeking an appeal in federal appeals court in the District of Columbia.

NMFS blames the low population on overhunting by Native hunters. NMFS is regulating the beluga hunts of the Tyonek Native village.

Get the Story:
Judge's decision on Cook Inlet belugas appealed (The Anchorage Daily News 10/25)

Relevant Links:
Cook Inlet Beluga Whales, Agreements, Laws, Information - http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/protectedresources/whales/beluga.htm
The National Marine Fisheries Service - http://www.nmfs.gov

Related Stories:
Native village harvests beluga whale (9/24)
Threatened status of beluga rejected (8/22)
Part of beluga decision delayed (12/7)
Alaska Natives attend beluga hearing (12/6)
Wandering beluga raises interest (10/30)
Whale beaten to death (09/26)
State: Whales not endangered (07/14)
Beluga in danger (06/01)