Anchorage Daily News

A federal agency is giving itself six more months to decide whether to list as endangered the beluga whales that swim in waters off Anchorage.

The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration's Fisheries Service announced Monday that it is taking advantage of a one-time, six-month extension in order to do another population estimate on the Cook Inlet whales that swim off Anchorage, delighting tourists and Alaskans alike.

The agency last year recommended listing the whales under the Endangered Species Act.

At one time there were as many as 1,300 Cook Inlet belugas but numbers have now dwindled to an estimated 375 whales -- about the same number as nearly 20 years ago. Last year's estimate was up from 302 in 2006, giving some hope that the whales were recovering. Projections show that the whales have nearly an 80 percent chance of going extinct in 300 years.

The decline is believed to be because of overharvesting by Alaska Native subsistence hunters before the hunt was sharply curtailed nearly a decade ago. No whales were harvested last year. The recommendation is for none this year.

NOAA says the new survey is needed because there has been so much variability in the population estimates since surveys began in 1994. While the state has interpreted the last two years as an indication that beluga numbers are increasing, federal scientists aren't so sure.

"We believe that substantial disagreement exists regarding the population trend, and that allowing an additional six months to obtain the 2008 abundance estimate would better inform our final determination whether the Cook Inlet beluga whales should be listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act," Doug Mecum, acting Alaska regional administrator for NOAA's Fisheries Service, said in a statement.

A new survey in June will help determine how many belugas there are in Cook Inlet and a rate of recovery, said Brad Smith, supervisory biologist with NOAA Fisheries in Anchorage.

"The last several years have resulted in an increase in those estimates but at the same time the long-term trend remains in decline," Smith said.

NOAA now faces an Oct. 20 listing deadline. If the agency decides to list, it also likely will take an additional year to designate critical habitat, Smith said.

The proposed listing as well as critical habitat designation is being watched closely by the state and others who are concerned over the affect it could have on projects such as the expansion of the Anchorage port and plans to develop coal fields across the inlet.

Gov. Sarah Palin has said she's opposed to the listing because it could cause serious long-term damage to the area's economy. Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich said Monday he supports the delay in order to gather more scientific data.

During a recent public comment period, NOAA received approximately 180,000 responses, more than on any other issue, Smith said. About 90 percent support the listing, he said.

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