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A28    SCIENCE
               Friday 29 September 2017


















            U.S. agency to decide if Pacific walrus is threatened species


            By DAN JOLING                                                                                                       mile of beach near the tiny
             Associated Press                                                                                                   northwestern Alaska village
            ANCHORAGE,  Alaska  (AP)                                                                                            of  Point  Lay  recorded  64
            — A federal agency faces                                                                                            mostly young dead walrus-
            a  deadline  this  week  to                                                                                         es likely killed in stampedes.
            decide whether the iconic                                                                                           That followed 131 walruses
            Pacific  walrus  will  join  the                                                                                    found  dead  in  September
            polar  bear  on  the  threat-                                                                                       2009  at  Icy  Cape  about
            ened species list.                                                                                                  140  miles  (225  kilometers)
            The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ser-                                                                                     southwest of Utqiagvik, for-
            vice  under  a  court  settle-                                                                                      merly known as Barrow.
            ment has until Saturday to                                                                                          Climate  models  project
            decide whether the Pacific                                                                                          sea  ice  could  disappear,
            walrus should be put on the                                                                                         even over deep water, for
            list because of threats to its                                                                                      part of the summer by mid-
            sea ice habitat due to cli-                                                                                         century, Wolf said.
            mate change.                                                                                                        “Stopping  the  climate  de-
            Walruses  use  sea  ice  as                                                                                         nial,  getting  momentum
            platforms  for  resting,  feed-                                                                                     nationally  at  all  levels  and
            ing  and  nursing.  In  spring,                                                                                     cutting our greenhouse gas
            ice in the Bering Sea melts                                                                                         pollution,  that’s  absolutely
            and  the  edge  gradually                                                                                           the key to walruses’ surviv-
            recedes  north  through  the                                                                                        al,” Wolf said.
            Bering  Strait  and  into  the                                                                                      Projections  of  future  sea
            Chukchi Sea.                 In this April 18, 2004 photo provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service a walrus cow and her calf   ice rely on climate model-
            Shaye  Wolf,  climate  sci-  sit on the ice in Alaska.                                                              ing and there’s uncertainty
            ence director for the Cen-                                                                         Associated Press  with  models,  Dale  said.
            ter  for  Biological  Diversity,  sources  and  announced   these  species  have.  That  has  receded  beyond  the  Some  argue  that  listing
            in  February  2008  filed  the  that the country would pull   in  itself  doesn’t  mean  that  shallow shelf to water more  high-profile species calls at-
            petition that called for the  out of the 2015 Paris climate   they’re  in  jeopardy  of  ex-  than 10,000 feet (3,050 me-  tention to global warming,
            listing. The need has not di-  accord, in which nearly 200   tinction.”                ters) deep, far too deep for  Dale  said,  but  it  comes  at
            minished, she said Tuesday.  nations pledged to reduce    Male  walruses  in  summer  walrus to reach the ocean  a  cost.  “It’s  a  diversion  of
            “The  science  is  absolute-  carbon emissions.           mostly  remain  in  the  Ber-  floor.  Instead  of  remaining  resources  from  meaningful
            ly  clear  that  the  walrus  is  The  state  of  Alaska  in  un-  ing Sea, resting on remote  on  ice  over  deep  water,  conservation,”  Dale  said.
            in  trouble  from  climate  successful  lawsuits  chal-   coasts  when  they’re  not  females  with  calves  have  “That’s  not  what  the  act
            change  and  it’s  already  lenged  the  listing  of  polar   foraging.                congregated  on  shore  in  was intended for.”
            waited  much  too  long  for  bears and ringed seals and   Females  with  calves  ride  northwest  Alaska  and  Rus-  Both Dale and Wolf expect
            protection,” Wolf said.      opposes the walrus listing.  the ice north like a convey-  sia,  sometimes  in  herds  of  a decision this week. If the
            President  Donald  Trump  State  Division  of  Wildlife   or  belt.  The  females  dive  40,000.  The  animals  pack  federal government denies
            has called climate change  Conservation         director   for  clams,  sea  snails  and  beaches,  ready  to  rush  the walrus listing, the deci-
            a  “total  con  job”  and  Bruce  Dale  said  Wednes-     other mollusks on the shal-  to  the  safety  of  the  water  sion  likely  would  be  chal-
            “hoax”    perpetrated    to  day that the walrus popula-  low  continental  shelf  while  if  they  perceive  danger.  lenged in court, Wolf said.
            harm  U.S.  economic  com-   tion is robust and listing the   pups  rest  on  ice.  As  ice  When  herds  are  spooked  Interior  Department  and
            petitiveness.                species  based  on  uncer-   recedes,  the  pack  edge  by  polar  bears,  hunters,  U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
            He  has  pushed  to  scrap  tain future climate change    is  continuously  over  new  airplanes  or  boats,  walrus  officials  did  not  respond
            Obama-era  initiatives  that  is not justified.           feeding grounds.             stampedes into the ocean  immediately          Wednes-
            sought  to  reduce  carbon  “They’ve gone through pe-     In recent years, however, as  can crush the smallest ani-  day  to  email  requests  for
            emissions  from  coal-fired  riods  of  warming  before,”   the Arctic has warmed, ice  mals. A Sept. 11 survey of a  comment.q
            power  plants  and  other  Dale  said  of  walruses.  “All
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