Beluga whales

Young beluga found dead in Kenai tribe's setnet

A 10-foot beluga whale was found dead in early May in an educational gillnet set by the Kenaitze Indian Tribe at the mouth of the Kenai River. Tribal representatives told The Redoubt Reporter the whale might have already died before it got caught in the net.

Four groups sue to protect Cook Inlet beluga whales

Four groups including an Alaska Native village are suing the National Marine Fisheries Service, claiming the federal agency's permit for oil exploration will hurt endangered beluga whales in Cook Inlet.

Survey spots fewer Cook Inlet belugas in 2011

The 2011 survey of endangered beluga whales in Alaska's Cook Inlet spotted 20 percent fewer animals but federal officials say it's not an indication of an abrupt population drop.

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Federal judge backs listing of Inlet belugas as endangered

For the second time in less than six months, a federal judge on Monday threw out a lawsuit by the Parnell administration challenging an endangered species listing, this time involving Cook Inlet's beluga whales.

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Loss of coast zone program hurts state's beluga whale case

The Parnell administration on Friday officially acknowledged that it had lost a conservation and enforcement tool that it had claimed in court would let it protect Cook Inlet beluga whales without federal interference.

NOAA administrator discusses Inlet oil, gas industry, belugas

U.S. Sen. Mark Begich and a top Obama administration official sat down Tuesday with Cook Inlet gas and oil interests to discuss whether exploration and production could get a boost by streamlining requirements for protection of endangered Cook Inlet beluga whales.

Photos: NOAA adminstrator meets with industry

State policy leads beluga team to remove Alaska scientists

A Parnell administration rule that requires state scientists to put official policy before independent science continues to fuel debate after two biologists were removed from a federal beluga recovery team.

Areas of Cook Inlet designated critical whale habitat

Federal fishery managers on Friday designated large stretches of Cook Inlet as critical habitat for endangered beluga whales, leading to an outcry from political and business leaders that the regional economy will be strangled.

Inlet beluga count up but it's not a rebound yet, scientists say

A survey of Alaska's Cook Inlet this summer found more beluga whales than last year, but government scientists say when the long view is taken numbers for the endangered animals continue to slide downward.

Conservation groups challenge state lawsuit over Inlet belugas

Conservation groups filed a request Wednesday to challenge the state in its lawsuit seeking to overturn the listing of beluga whales off Alaska's largest city as endangered.

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State sues over beluga endangered listing

The state of Alaska sued Friday to overturn the listing of beluga whales in Cook Inlet as an endangered species, saying the federal government overreached in its conclusion that the animals were not recovering.

Beluga listings create unity among Alaska's D.C. lawmakers

If there's one thing Alaska's congressional delegation can agree on, it's a distrust of the Endangered Species Act and a belief it could ruin the state's economy.

Hearings on Inlet belugas start Feb. 3

Federal officials have scheduled four public hearings between Feb. 3 and Feb. 12 in Southcentral communities on the proposed designation of more than 3,000 square miles of Cook Inlet as critical habitat for beluga whales.

NOAA extends period for Cook Inlet beluga comments

A comment period on a federal proposal to designate more than 3,000 square miles of Cook Inlet as critical habitat for the area's beluga whale population has been extended to March 3.

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Sullivan, Young call for study of Inlet beluga whales

Two of the state's top politicians Tuesday said the state should finance an aggressive round of scientific research of Cook Inlet's beluga whales to counter a federal conclusion that the whales are endangered and need special habitat protections.

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NOAA proposes critical habitat for Inlet belugas

A federal agency has proposed that more than a third of Cook Inlet -- just over 3,000 square miles -- be designated as critical habitat for beluga whales.

Wildlife group to sue feds over Inlet beluga protections

An environmental group that has pressed the federal government to provide maximum protection for Cook Inlet beluga whales intends to sue for habitat protection.

Dead beluga aground on Inlet mud near downtown Anchorage

Wildlife officials are investigating the death of a beluga whale that stranded or washed up onto Knik Arm mud flats Thursday night or early Friday.

Cook Inlet belugas decline again after two steady years

Cook Inlet belugas decline again after two steady years

A government study found that a group of endangered beluga whales in Alaska is declining, raising concern that bolstered protection for the animals is not coming quickly enough.

Belugas stranded on Knik Arm mud flats swim free

About 20 beluga whales that became stranded in mud during a low tide over the weekend have apparently freed themselves, bringing relief to biologists monitoring their plight.

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Agency seeks to tap public knowledge of Inlet belugas

Federal biologists are deciding what parts of Cook Inlet are vital to the survival its beluga whales -- and they want to know what you know about the animals.

State sues US to get beluga whale listing rescinded

The state of Alaska plans to sue the federal government over its recent decision to list Cook Inlet beluga whales as an endangered species, the governor's office reported Wednesday. The lawsuit would try to rescind the listing.

Feds list Cook Inlet belugas as endangered species

Feds list Cook Inlet belugas as endangered species

After years of studies by federal scientists and lawsuits by conservation groups, Cook Inlet's fragile population of beluga whales was officially listed as an endangered species Friday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

STORY RAN: SEPT. 28, 2008

Beluga numbers unchanged

The number of beluga whales estimated to be in Cook Inlet has not increased in the last year, leading critics to reiterate their call for greater protections over the objections of Gov. Sarah Palin.

STORY RAN: APRIL 7, 2007

Cook Inlet whales in trouble

The dwindling beluga whale population in Cook Inlet could be extinct in 100 years and should be listed as an endangered species, a federal agency said Thursday.

More coverage at Alaska Newsreader

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