Marine Mammals

“IPAA Endangered Species Watch”

Weekly Newsletter | August 19, 2016

Issues

Groups threaten to sue again over Pacific development. Over the past two weeks theEnvironmental Defense Center (EDC) and Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) have announced their intention to sue the Interior Department less than three months after the department released an environmental assessment that found there was “no significant impact” from hydraulic fracturing and other drilling activities off the coast of California. The assessment was the result of a settlement with EDC and CBD following their lawsuits in 2014 and 2015 challenging the department’s routine permitting of oil and gas production in the Pacific Ocean.

The National Academy of Sciences Ocean Studies Board is conducting a project entitled “Assessment of the Cumulative Effects of Anthropogenic Stressors on Marine Mammals.” The NAS project website explains:

“The committee will conduct a workshop and review the present scientific understanding of cumulative effects of anthropogenic stressors on marine mammals with a focus on anthropogenic sound. The committee will assess current methodologies used for evaluating cumulative effects and identify new approaches that could improve these assessments. The committee will examine theoretical and field methods used to assess the effect of anthropogenic stressors for:

The International Association of Geophysical Contractors published the following article on the World Ocean Council:

“The World Ocean Council is an unprecedented international, cross-sectoral industry leadership alliance on ‘Corporate Ocean Responsibility’.

The World Ocean Council (WOC) brings together the diverse ocean business community to collaborate on stewardship of the seas. This unique coalition is working to improve ocean science in support of safe and sustainable operations, educate the public and stakeholders about the role of responsible companies in addressing environmental concerns, more effectively engage in ocean policy and planning, and develop science-based solutions to cross-cutting environmental challenges that cannot be solved by one company or industry, such as: invasive species, ocean noise, marine mammal impacts, marine debris, the Arctic, and others.

The U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service has announced its 5-year review of the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) under the Endangered Species Act. The purpose of this review is to ensure that the ESA listing classification of the whale is accurate. The 5-year review has to be based on the best scientific and commercial data available at the time of the review; therefore, NMFS requests submission of any such information on the North Atlantic right whale that has become available since NMFS’ last 5-year review in 2012. Based on the results of the current 5-year review, NMFS will make the requisite determination under the ESA. NMFS must receive any information no later than October 27, 2016.