Save the Beluga Whales of Cook Inlet, Alaska

Dear Mr. Balsinger,

I am writing to ask that the Cook Inlet beluga whale be listed under the ESA as an endangered species. This particular population is genetically and geographically distinct from the other four beluga populations in Alaska. I understand the Cook Inlet beluga population was estimated at 1,293 in 1979 (Calkins, 1989). The population fell to 653 whales in 1994 and then fell nearly 50 percent to 347 whales (Hobbs et al. 2000). Despite curtailing subsistence hunting of belugas, the Cook Inlet population continued to fall at over 4 percent to 302 belugas in 2006. I applaud NMFS's recommendation based on 14 years of research to list the Cook Inlet beluga whale as an endangered species. Recognition will concurrently designate much of Cook Inlet as critical habitat and mandate comprehensive planning and management for this precious ocean region.

The low numbers and shrinking population causes Cook Inlet beluga whales to be much more vulnerable to all natural sources of mortality, such as disease, predation and stranding. Limiting their range to portions of Cook Inlet, the belugas are particularly vulnerable to human caused sources of whale weakening and mortality as well. Oil drilling tailings are not regulated. Sewage insufficiently treated; non-point source and storm overflows are untreated. Heavy metals, petro-chemicals and endocrine disruptive chemicals bio-accumulate in the fat tissues of belugas and are magnified when passed from mother to calf. Such persistent pollutants can affect the fertility and reproductive rate of whales. Meanwhile, ship traffic through Cook Inlet is increasing with Anchorage Port exceeding the projected tonnage growth rate of 2.5 percent per year.

Alaska's marine ecosystems and fisheries are particularly vulnerable to the immediate impacts of global warming temperature variations and carbon-loading of the atmosphere. A third of increased atmospheric carbon goes into the ocean causing acidification of seawater and further challenging marine invertebrates in Cook Inlet, a vital part of the beluga's food pyramid. Taking management steps to avert these problems will not only save belugas, it will benefit Alaska's economy by increasing seafood value and tourism.

[Your comments here]

The Cook Inlet belugas deserve listing under the ESA. Thank you for receiving my public comment for this proposed listing.