Matkin explained that while the population models indicate that
it’s possible that killer whales could inhibit the recovery of a
severely depleted species of marine mammals, “there is no support
for the idea that the situation with killer whale predation on
Steller sea lions is like the situation with sea otters. There is
absolutely no analysis that supports such an assertion.”
In yesterday’s news conference, Stevens proposed that finding a
way to “control” Orcas was the best way to help the endangered
Steller sea lion. Meanwhile, sources in Congress and the White
House say that Stevens has been continuing to hold up a final deal
on a multi-billion dollar education funding bill by insisting on a
rider blocking sea lion protections. Stevens is seeking to prevent
the application of all federal environmental laws to the federal
North Pacific groundfish fisheries, including implementation of the
National Marine Fisheries Services’ long-awaited biological
opinion, which was released on December 1, 2000. Stevens has also
rejected Administration offers of $75 million in economic
assistance for fishermen in Alaska.
In the 500+ page Biological Opinion which took over a year to
complete, agency scientists concluded that the fisheries harm
endangered Steller sea lions and their habitat. To mitigate the
adverse effects described in the biological opinion, NMFS has
prescribed and intends to implement a Reasonable and Prudent
Alternative (RPA) aimed at reducing fishing impacts in the sea
lions’ critical habitat. The RPA requires changes to only the
federally-managed pollock, Atka mackerel, and Pacific cod
fisheries.
Since the 1960s, the population of Steller sea lions has
declined by over 80 percent. The decline continues, with an
estimated average drop of over five-percent each year during the
90s. In April 1998, Greenpeace, American Oceans Campaign, and
Sierra Club, represented by Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund and
Trustees for Alaska, filed a lawsuit seeking to force the NMFS to
comply with federal environmental laws. On December 1, 2000, in an
effort to comply with the law, NMFS released its most recent
Biological Opinion.
