Despite Palin, Beluga Whales On The Endangered Species List

[John R]

Despite opposition from Governor Sarah Palin, last week the Bush Administration added Alaska's Cook Inlet beluga whales to the endangered species list. The population has decreased from around 1,300 in the 70s to the 375 or so present today.

Because belugas in the Cook Inlet are now on the endangered species list, researchers can begin a serious effort to find what is threatening the whales, including human behavior which may be curtailed to protect the belugas' environment.

Some contributors to the population decline include hunting, killer whale predation, underwater noise, and the loss of salmon in the area (a key fish in the belugas' diet). The whales in Cook Inlet are isolated from the four other whale populations in their region, none of whom are on the endangered species list.

Governor Sarah Palin opposed the measure to add the whales to the endangered species list. Issuing a 95 page effort to keep them off the list, Palin said in a statement last week,

The State of Alaska has had serious concerns about the low population of belugas in Cook Inlet for many years. However, we believe that this endangered listing is premature.

The belugas are the second Alaskan animal Palin has opposed putting on the endangered species list. She also asked federal courts to overturn a decision earlier this year to declare polar bears endangered.

from treehugger

 

[2bohemians]

What we thought was interesting were the clips of her we kept seeing last night ... where she was addressing supporters .... we kept noticing a special little Polar Bear pin on her lapel ....

 

[kathydwells]

One of my most precious memories in my life was when we lived in Alaska and got to see the Beluga Whales in their natural habitat. They are the sweetest, cutest animals ever. I will never forget that experience.

Question? Why would she not want them on the endangered species list? I don't understand that? Because she can't hunt and kill them? Seriously, why would anyone not want an animal on the list if they were in fact endangered?

 

[Teresa]

One of my most precious memories in my life was when we lived in Alaska and got to see the Beluga Whales in their natural habitat. They are the sweetest, cutest animals ever. I will never forget that experience.

Question? Why would she not want them on the endangered species list? I don't understand that? Because she can't hunt and kill them? Seriously, why would anyone not want an animal on the list if they were in fact endangered?

I am also wondering...

 

[Will B]

I'm curious...

This all comes from one source...Treehugger.com. If you dig far enough back through their own articles you can find this quote:

"Her administration disputes conclusions by the federal National Marine Fisheries Service and its science advisers that the beluga whale population is in critical danger. The state argues that 2007 data shows the whale rebounding."

There was nothing preceeding that which said that she was trying to keep them off of the list only that her administration disputed the findings. It says that she opposed ballots related to salmon stream protection and hunting wolves but said nothing about her opposition to anything whale related.

In another page, it jumped from "disputing" to "opposed" citing a 95 page effort to keep them off, yet, they did not offer up any supporting documentation other than links to themselves and to an article on the San Francisco Chronicle that says exactly the same thing and again offers no links to any documentation.

Don't get me wrong. I'm all for the protection of the animals, but despite your political predilections you have to admit that both of these publications are way left of center. Somebody find me that 95 page document. There's a big difference between disputing findings and opposing something.

 

[John R]

I'm curious... Somebody find me that 95 page document. There's a big difference between disputing findings and opposing something.

http://www.gov.state.ak.us/pdf/NMFS_Beluga comments07-31-07Chapter1-Popln.pdf http://www.gov.state.ak.us/pdf/NMFS_Beluga comments07-31-07Chapter2-threats.pdf http://www.gov.state.ak.us/pdf/NMFS_Beluga comments07-31-07Chapter3-ConserPlan.pdf http://www.gov.state.ak.us/pdf/NMFS_Beluga comments07-31-07Chapter4-CriticalHab.pdf http://www.gov.state.ak.us/pdf/NMFS_Beluga comments07-31-07Chapter5-Econ.pdf

links didn't turn out exactly, but if you copy and paste...

 

[30ashopper]

http://www.gov.state.ak.us/pdf/NMFS_Beluga comments07-31-07Chapter1-Popln.pdf http://www.gov.state.ak.us/pdf/NMFS_Beluga comments07-31-07Chapter2-threats.pdf http://www.gov.state.ak.us/pdf/NMFS_Beluga comments07-31-07Chapter3-ConserPlan.pdf http://www.gov.state.ak.us/pdf/NMFS_Beluga comments07-31-07Chapter4-CriticalHab.pdf http://www.gov.state.ak.us/pdf/NMFS_Beluga comments07-31-07Chapter5-Econ.pdf

links didn't turn out exactly, but if you copy and paste...

Those all seem to indicate there's no reason this whale should be on the list? Was there another point you were trying to make?

 

[30ashopper]

One of my most precious memories in my life was when we lived in Alaska and got to see the Beluga Whales in their natural habitat. They are the sweetest, cutest animals ever. I will never forget that experience.

Question? Why would she not want them on the endangered species list? I don't understand that? Because she can't hunt and kill them? Seriously, why would anyone not want an animal on the list if they were in fact endangered?

I believe the main reason has to do with the indiginous eskimo tribes that live in Alaska, they survive off hunting whales for food, etc..

edit - I was wrong, it has to do with oil drilling -

"The Interior Department has proposed making available oil leases in the Cook Inlet as early as next year and in 2011, saying the waters have an estimated $1.38 billion worth of energy resources. Protection of the whale could hinder some of those activities. "

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNe...beluga_endangered_081017/20081017?hub=SciTech

 

[Alicia Leonard]

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Gov. Sarah Palin says she's concerned the recent listing of Cook Inlet's beluga whales will hurt the area's economy.

http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/ap_alaska/story/565586.html

 

[John R]

Those all seem to indicate there's no reason this whale should be on the list? Was there another point you were trying to make?

30a, I won't call you a fraud since that would be making a personal attack. You read them all in 4 minutes? All 95 pages? If you took to time to read the thread above, you see that singingchicken asked for the document so he could check it out. My point was made with my first post. Is it too early in the day for you to be hopping into the game?