Regulations Governing the Taking and Importing of Marine Mammals; Threatened Fish and Wildlife; Cook Inlet Beluga Whales

Section 4 of the ESA and 50 CFR part 424 contain provisions that allow the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) to add to or change the species' listing classification on the U.S. List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife when necessary. MMPA section 115 contains similar provisions regarding determinations on the status of species pursuant to the MMPA. Currently, the Cook Inlet beluga whale is on the candidate species list under the ESA. The candidate species list serves to notify the public that NMFS has concerns regarding the species that may warrant an ESA threatened or endangered listing in the future. Ideally, the candidate list facilitates voluntary conservation efforts prior to a need for listing under the ESA. If the Secretary determines that there is substantial scientific or commercial information to indicate that a change in listing classification may be warranted, a status review is conducted. NMFS intends to undertake a review of the Cook Inlet population of beluga whales in collaboration with the Alaska Beluga Whale Committee and the Cook Inlet Marine Mammal Council.

Background

Beluga whales are a circumpolar species. They are found in the waters of Canada, Alaska, Russia, Norway and Greenland. In Alaska, five populations are currently recognized and are found seasonally in (1) the Beaufort Sea, (2) the eastern Chukchi Sea, (3) the eastern Bering Sea, (4) Bristol Bay; and (5) Cook Inlet. The Cook Inlet belugas make up a small, geographically isolated remnant population. In fact, the habitat range used by belugas in Cook Inlet appears to be decreasing. At present, the animals seem to concentrate near river mouths in the northern part of the inlet during much of the year. Limited sightings have occurred elsewhere in the recent past. Because Cook Inlet belugas are geographically isolated, perturbations that are humanly-induced could have a dramatic effect on the population. The summer concentrations of this beluga population are exposed to the largest industrialized coastal area and to the largest human component in Alaska. NMFS data indicate that the Cook Inlet population may also be declining in number. There are thought to be approximately 500 beluga whales in Cook Inlet, based on data collected between 1994 and 1998. The index count from the 1998 survey was the lowest reported to date and demonstrates a downward trend that has been ongoing over the last 4 years. An increasing amount of information has revealed serious threats to this population. With its currently estimated rates of natural mortality and Native harvest, there is concern that the beluga population in Cook Inlet cannot be sustained by annual recruitment. Specifically, there is concern that Native subsistence harvests are exceeding sustainable removal levels. NMFS believes that maintaining a healthy beluga population and ensuring the long-term sustainability of a beluga whale subsistence harvest in Cook Inlet is in the best interest of all parties concerned. However, if present harvest levels continue to greatly exceed recruitment, the beluga whale population in Cook Inlet could become severely depleted in the foreseeable future. Effective actions must be developed and implemented soon to address such pressing conservation and management issues. In light of these factors, NMFS is initiating a formal and comprehensive review of the status of the Cook Inlet beluga whale through a cooperative process with the Alaska Beluga Whale Committee and the Cook Inlet Marine Mammal Council. NMFS will obtain the best available information regarding the population's condition and sustainability to determine whether it warrants a depleted designation under the MMPA or a threatened or endangered listing under the ESA, or both.

Biological Information Solicited

To ensure that the review is comprehensive and is based on the best available data, NMFS is soliciting information and comments from any interested person concerning the status of Cook Inlet beluga whales. It is requested that data, information, and comments be accompanied by (1) supporting documentation, such as maps, logbooks, bibliographic references, personal notes, or reprints of pertinent publications and (2) the name of the person submitting the data, his/her address, and any association, institution, or business that the person represents.

Dated: November 12, 1998. Ann D. Terbush, Acting Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 98-30833 Filed 11-18-98; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510-22-F