NOAA Fisheries will hold three public hearings on proposed rules to designate critical habitat in U.S. waters off the coast of Alaska for Arctic ringed seals and the Beringia distinct population segment of bearded seals under the Endangered Species Act. NOAA Fisheries opened a 60-day public comment period on the proposed rules when they were published in […]
A bearded seal rests on ice in the Bering Sea. NOAA/Cameron NOAA Fisheries is proposing to designate critical habitat in U.S. waters off the coast of Alaska for Arctic ringed seals and the Beringia distinct population of bearded seals. Both species are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The ESA requires that NOAA […]
A dead seal found on a beach near Kotzebue, Alaska. Credit: NPS/Raime Fronstin NOAA is declaring an Unusual Mortality Event (UME) for bearded, ringed, and spotted seals in the Bering and Chukchi seas. From June 1, 2018 to present there have been reports of 282 dead seals, with 119 stranded seals in 2018 and 163 in 2019. The increase […]
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity is suing the National Marine Fisheries Service today for failing to designate critical habitat in Alaska for two ice-seal species. Both bearded and ringed seals are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act because climate change is melting their Arctic sea-ice habitat. “Ice seals’ homes are melting […]
Photo: A hunter from Kotlik counted 18 dead seals along 11 miles of shore, north of Kotlik. Credit: Harold Okitkun/May 7, 2019. NOAA Fisheries is responding to several reports of unusually large numbers of dead ice seals along the coast of the Bering and Chukchi seas, in Alaska. At least 60 dead seals have […]
[dropcap]W[/dropcap]ASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a notice Thursday of its intent to sue the National Marine Fisheries Service to compel the designation of critical habitat in Alaska for two ice seal species. Both bearded and ringed seals are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act because their Arctic sea-ice habitat is melting. “As […]