U.S. Proposes Protection for Alaska Killer Whale Group

ANCHORAGE, Alaska, October 29, 2003 (ENS) - The National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) has proposed designating a group of Prince William Sound killer whales as a genetically distinct population and listing the group as "depleted" under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The proposal would require the agency to consider what measures might be necessary to aid the declining population, a move conservationists say is desperately needed.

The transient orca population, known as the AT1 group, has declined from at least 22 whales to nine in the past 13 years - and no new calves have been sighted since 1984.

"Finding that the AT1 orcas are a unique stock that meets the definition of 'depleted' is a no brainer," said Corrie Bosman, Alaska program coordinator with the Center for Biological Diversity. "This decision is a first step toward learning more about the decline of this unique population of killer whales and working to prevent them from future harm."

The proposal, announced October 24, came in response to a petition filed in November 2002 by the Center and seven other conservation groups. The agency will accept comments on its proposal through January 22, 2004 and expects to make its decision final by March 2004.

NOAA Fisheries has agreed with conservationists that a group of Prince William Sound orcas are a distinct population in need of protection. (Photo by Josh Keaton courtesy NOAA Fisheries)

The agency considered "genetic, behavioral, ecological and management reasons" to determine that the AT1 group should be considered separate from the larger population, according to Dr. James Balsiger, administrator for the Alaska Region of NOAA Fisheries.

The proposal takes into account that interactions between members of the different transient killer whale groups have not been observed and genetic evidence indicates they have been separate for thousands of years.

Scientists are not certain of the exact cause of the AT1's decline, but there are suspicions that some of the whales may have been harmed by exposure to crude oil during the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster and chemical contaminants such as PCBs and DDT.

"Tests have shown these whales rank among the most contaminated marine mammals ever measured," said Brent Plater, an attorney and marine mammal specialist with the Center for Biological Diversity. "This is a very scary indicator for the health of Prince William Sound."

The massive 1989 oil spill is also believed to have decreased available prey; harbor seals, the primary prey of the AT1 whales, have declined in the region by more than 80 percent over the past two decades.

Scientists also believe that increased ocean noise - from rising ship traffic in the region -is disrupting the whales' hunting patterns.

The territory used by the AT1 group is also home to about 362 resident killer whales. Resident and transient killer whales have different eating habits, calls and genetics.