Ringed seals remain protected in the USA | Polarjournal
Ringed seals are widespread throughout the Arctic and are found in 5 subspecies. The animals, which weigh just under 70 kilograms and are about 130 cm long, are an important food source for both polar bears and Inuit. Numerous clothing parts are made from the eponymous fur. Ringed seals are considered to be the most common or rarest seals in the Arctic, depending on the subspecies. Picture: Michael Wenger

In the United States, the Endangered Species Act (EAS) is one of the most important animal protection laws. For every type listed in this law is protected by federal law. This also includes the corresponding habitat that the species needs. The most prominent example was the polar bear, which was placed under protection in 2008 and then finally in 2013. Other Arctic dwellers are also on ESA’s list due to climate change, including the ringed seal. A group of different organizations had filed a petition with the federal authorities to remove the ringed seal from the list. This petition has now been rejected.

The National Marine Fisheries Service, which is part of the well-known NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), wrote in a statement that the petition “does not present substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted.” As a result, the status of ringed seals in U.S. territory remains unchanged and remains under the protection of the ESA, which the species has enjoyed since 2012. The petition’s initiators are left standing, all of whom are from Alaska and who include the head of the wildlife department of the state’s fish and wildlife agency ADFG, according to Arctic Today.

The furs of ringed seals are used for numerous garments by the Inuit, who have the right to hunt a certain number of seals for their own use. However, commercial hunting is prohibited under ESA in the USA. Symbolic image: Michael Wenger

The decision of the authority does not meet with great understanding among the initiators of the petition. In their opinion, the listing of the species restricts the existence of the Inuit and also prevents the possibility of economic possibilities. This would also reduce job and income opportunities in the state. In their opinion, they had provided enough new information and even the latest scientific results to show that ringed seals are not threatened. They would be more resilient to climatic changes than previously thought, the petitioners argue. In addition, they also argue that the development of sea ice in the habitat of the ringed seals cannot be predicted with such certainty (until 2100). While the petition’s initiators also say that the number of ringed seals is high enough, with an estimated two million animals, to be taken off the list, no more than 300,000 animals are expected to be on American territory, according to NOAA.

The organizations that signed the petition are also among the supporters of oil and gas extraction in the ANWR, especially on the North Slope, the coastal area of the ANWR. Here, too, decisions are pending and there is a race before the change of power in Washington.

Interestingly, alongside the wildlife authorities of Alaska, the petitioners’ signature list reads like a who-is-who of the oil-extracting advocates on the North Slope. The news platform Arctic Today lists the American Petroleum Institute, the Alaska Gas and Oil Association and the Kaktovik-based Inupiat Community of the Arctic Slope. It is no secret that these organizations want to exhaust all possibilities to push through their agenda of further softening of natural and environmental laws before President-elect Joe Biden takes office. However, the National Marine Fisheries Service stated it has decided to investigate the status of the ringed seal in more detail. This study must be carried out by NOAA every five years for species under ESA and, using scientific data, to determine whether the protection status is necessary.

Ringed seals rely heavily on ice floes and snow to give birth to their pups. Due to the rapid loss of this habitat due to climate change, the animals were placed on the ESA list. Environmental groups argue that these and other threats could bring the species to the brink of extinction by the end of the century. Picture: Michael Wenger

Environmental groups and animal welfare organisations praise the Authority’s decision. Responding to opponents’ arguments, they point to numerous scientific data showing that the loss of Arctic sea ice could bring seals to the brink of extinction. In their view, however, this decision is only a step in the right direction. They consider a ban on drilling in the habitat of the ringed seals to be at least as important to ensure that the seals are not pushed over that edge they are facing.

Dr Michael Wenger, PolarJournal

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