A new lawsuit is challenging petroleum exploration in Alaska’s Cook Inlet, claiming that the seismic testing will do harm to the endangered beluga whales that live there.
The Native Village of Chickaloon, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Center for Biological Diversity, and Center for Water Advocacy are the plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
They are charging that the National Marine Fisheries Service didn’t perform its duty in issuing exploration permits to Apache Alaska Corp., including high-intensity seismic exploration.
“Each year, there are fewer and fewer of these whales left. Oil and gas drilling activities expose Cook Inlet beluga whales to earsplitting underwater noise that threatens their survival. All that noise in the marine environment makes survival impossible for these endangered whales,” Taryn Kiekow, an attorney for the NRDC, said in an announcement of the lawsuit.
Apache Alaska Corporation will spend 160 days a year, 24 hours each day, for the next 3-5 years, using explosives, air guns, and pingers, to conduct seismic exploration.
The noise from air guns in close distances causes hearing loss and death in whales, and over longer distances causes the whales to abandon their habitat and cease foraging. The noise blocks whale calls over thousands of miles, degrading their ability to communicate and breed.
“Belugas are sacred to my tribe and part of our tradition,” said Gary Harrison, traditional chief of Chickaloon Native Village. “Because so few of the whales remain, we no longer hunt them. Indigenous peoples are working to protect these whales, yet industry can come into the Cook Inlet and harass 300 beluga whales every year as they look for oil and gas. It’s simply wrong.”
“Our concern is that, with all the attention on the Arctic, Cook Inlet is falling through the cracks. With fewer than 300 beluga left in the Cook Inlet, it is hard to imagine that the ‘incidental harassment authorization’ could not significantly contribute to their extinction. This is a no-brainer for us,” said Center for Water Advocacy President Hal Shepherd.
“Cook Inlet is rapidly losing its belugas, and these smart, beautiful animals are unique and irreplaceable,” said the Center for Biological Diversity’s Alaska Director Rebecca Noblin. “The Fisheries Service should be doing everything in its power to protect them from dying off, not rubber-stamping every risky oil and gas project that comes along.”
The genetically distinct Cook Inlet beluga whales have dropped in number from 1300 whales not that long ago, to 284 in 2011.
The Cook Inlet beluga whale was placed on the endangered species list in October 2008.
Source: Center for Biological Diversity
Image Credits: Whale Playing and Beluga White Sea and White Beluga Whale via Shutterstock
I’d hump a beluga whale but dem tings are so fat, I’d probably hurt ma cock
maybe the beluga whales are bothered by the killer whales
someone is bothering someone
I’m back & fatter than ever, someone start a convo ok leggo
back
ey, who’s ur celeb crush? idekk
i dont have a celeb crush on beluga whales!!! thats what im saying…….
no, I mean a celeberty crush, dont you have one?
nope, no one
y are we talking about 1D?????????
idk things happen
?????
??????????
fagasses everywhere, I’mma slit my throat
you do that have fun
more fun than putting up with you
beluga whales have so cool coloured skin
they are ugly
thats rude, they were born that way & GOD MAKES NO MISTAKES *lady gaga voice*
moan belugas going up stream yessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
yep veeeeeryyyyyyyyyyyy intereeeestinnnnnnnnnnngggggggg
why dont u y’all like 1D? reply here ok
they are ugly
thats rude, they were born that way & GOD MAKES NO MISTAKES *lady gaga voice*
they r not my favourtie band, i dont like their songs so much, sorry fat beluga!!!!
THANK YOU FOR HAVING GOOD REASONS UNLIKE FAGASSES WHO DONT
lol
TALK ABOUT YOURSELF YOU ARE A CRAZY FANGIRLLL YOU NEED HELP
i dont know how I’m the crazy one, as for, I’m not the one for hating on people for no dman reason 😉 be real with yo self
fans who is crazy about someone is normal like fat beluga is ccrazy for 1D. totally NORMAL!!!!
that’s just a name. DUMBASSES LIKE YOU CANT HANDLE IF PEOPLE LOVE SOMEONE ELSE. Me obsessing over a boyband, ain’t gon affect you’re life so sit yo ass down.
MEAN!!!!!!!!
IM SITTIN CANT STAND THE HEAT GET OUT OF THE KITCHEN
lazy ass
IM NOT HATING THEY JUST SUCK…….EACH OTHER FOR THAT MATTER OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH JUST DISSED YOUR GAY BOYS
that isnt a diss 😉 calling someone gay isn’t an insult, try something else you homophobe
ONLY YOU WOULD MAKE THEM SOUND LIKE THEIR MEAT ON THE TABLE ……. YUMMMMM …………… MEAT
nice comback brb laughing @ u
1D is stupid everyone but Zayn now HE makes me go crazy crazy till i see the white light lol ohhhhhhh
girl you’re already cray cray, & i dont know how you could hate someone bc they’re “stupid” according to you but ok
so interesting
lol hi guys
lol
I’M THE ONLY FAT BELUGA E’RE SO STOP IT Y’ALL
getting wet over SOMEONES beluga
Mrs. CM punk, u too
Tracey you are inappropriate
they only be kissing me
go where exactly?
they are kissing everyone
beluga is at marine land!
lets go
btw my new comment is an indirect to you
nigga’s be coming @ me. You bound too lose
melons are yummy do you think that its head will fit???????? lol
I’d shove it up yaaa 😉
I LOVE CM PUNK
their melon head is sooooo huge!!!!!!!! lol
you wanna go fat thing lets go im gonna steal your fat man…. wow im a cheater
come @ me
weird!!!! OwO
beeeeeeeluuuuuugaaaaaaa whaleeeeeeeeeer!!!!!!!!
beluga whales are cute, right?
not really tbh
I’m laughing at Mrs. CM Punk, very original comment. 😉
wow they are so fat… yummy in my tummy
I wonder how a beluga whale moans haha, I’ll find out soon enough…
they’re so lumpy ew but pleasurful
someone give me some water, I’m so thirsty for some beluga
*looks at a beluga whale*
*moans*
*gets wet*
true love is equal! no matter what species…
hopefully dem beluga’s ain’t racist <3
i want to date a beluga whale but idk if it’d work out anyway bc they’re white & I’m brown. sigh
i want to lick their melon heads
so fat yum
beluga whales are fat lol