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ALASKA: Oil and whales don’t mix |
| April 13, 2006 |
by Kelly Harrell, AquaNews Correspondent
 | Along with North Atlantic right whales, North Pacific right whales are the most endangered species of whale in the world.
NOAA |
Conservationists are concerned that proposals for oil and gas development in the eastern Bering Sea may threaten the recovery of the North Pacific right whale.
The North Pacific right whale was thought to be virtually extinct just a few decades ago, but sightings over past years of feeding pods and even a calf in Alaska’s eastern Bering Sea have renewed hope for the continued survival of this genetically distinct group of baleen whales.
According to some conservation groups, however, offshore oil and gas development within a portion of the cetacean’s habitat could undo the positive progress of one of the world’s most endangered whale species.
Pacific Environment, a non-governmental organization, is working closely on this issue. Whit Sheard, the group’s Alaska Program Director, described the whale’s predicament: “The good news is we thought this population was extinct. The bad news is that oil and gas development might be the final nail in the coffin.”
The U.S. federal government has proposed leasing for offshore fossil fuel development in Bristol Bay, a highly productive estuary of the eastern Bering Sea. Bristol Bay is home to an area dubbed the ‘Right Whale Box’ by some researchers because virtually all recent sightings of the whales in the Bering Sea have occurred here.
 | A feeding western gray whale in near proximity to ever-expanding offshore oil and gas development projects off Sakhalin Island, Russia
David Weller |
Sheard pointed to a similar experience involving offshore oil and gas development at Russia’s Sakhalin Island and the severely depleted gray whale population as a warning sign of what could come in Alaska. He explained, “As we see it, the situation is virtually the same as Sakhalin. Lose one more female and you could be tipping the scales in favor of extinction.”
Sheard’s statement refers to an independent scientific report by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) that cited the potentially catastrophic threats that large-scale offshore oil and gas activities could pose to the Western gray whale. Only about 100 individuals remain in this population, which feeds within waters around Sakhalin Island during the summer and fall months.
Offshore oil and gas development poses a variety of potential threats to whales, including injury or death from ship strikes or oil spills. The development may also affect their ability to mate and raise their young. And loud underwater noises from oil exploration and chronic noise caused by operations and shipping may affect the whales' normal movement patterns and cause them to avoid critical feeding areas.
 | | Kelly Harrell is a Masters student in oceans and fisheries policy at the University of British Columbia. She spends her time between Vancouver, B.C. and Anchorage, Alaska, where she is conducting research on offshore oil and gas development. |
Although there are no detailed scientific assessments of the North Pacific right whale population, most biologists believe that fewer than 100 individuals remain. Only one calf has been seen in many years. The U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service is currently in the process of designating critical habitat for the whale, which was listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1970.
 | The yellow area on this map shows the area proposed for offshore oil and gas development. It overlaps with the “Right Whale Box” (shaded area), where almost all recent right whale sightings have occurred. (Click on the image for a larger version.)
Map by B.M. Jones |
| SOURCE: Vancouver Aquarium |
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