U.S. Lists Alaska’s Beluga Whales As Endangered

Beluga whales in Alaska’s Cook Inlet, though barely hunted in the last decade, are at risk, a U.S. government agency said. The National Marine Fisheries Service listed Cook Inlet belugas — one of five beluga populations in Alaska’s waters — as endangered and needing strict protection. From a peak of 653 in 1994, the Cook Inlet beluga population fell to just 278 in 2005 and has not yet recovered, the agency said. The inlet stretches from Anchorage to the Alaska Bay and is the site of oil and gas development, shipping, and commercial fishing, all of which U.S. officials say could pose threats to the whales. Industry and the administration of Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee, opposed the decision and asked the federal government to delay the listing last spring so one more summer population study could be conducted.