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Feds revise rules for polar bear harassment in Arctic drilling

Feds revise rules for polar bear harassment in Arctic drilling

E&E News26-06-2025
The Fish and Wildlife Service revised the rules Wednesday governing how much Arctic oil drilling can hassle the Beaufort Sea's polar bears.
Pressed by litigation and an appellate court's order, the federal agency updated the regulation that authorizes the oil and gas industry's unintentional harassment of polar bears protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
The new rules allow for more serious harassment than had previously been anticipatedbut don't cover 'lethal take' of the polar bears.
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The Alaska Oil and Gas Association, which requested the updated regulations, is 'carefully reviewing' the final rule 'to assess its consequences for AOGA's members operating on the North Slope,' spokesperson Sarah Erkmann Ward said in a statement.
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We saved elephant seals, sea otters from extinction. Congress puts that at risk.

I'm proud of the Marine Mammal Protect Act of 1972 and its legacy for our children. But a proposal in Congress would leave wildlife like dolphins and whales vulnerable. Half a century ago, the American people took a remarkable step. They realized that their own survival is entwined with the survival of other animals. They understood the importance of keeping important species thriving, not just for environmental reasons but for economic ones, too. People love dolphins, whales, seals, manatees, sea otters, polar bears and other species. In 1972, their overwhelming public support for these creatures, coupled with awareness of the importance of biodiversity, led Congress to pass, and President Richard Nixon to sign, the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Today, congressional leaders are working on a bill that, without major changes, would just about destroy the protection act. In recent testimony, I shared my concern with lawmakers. 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That would jeopardize marine mammals, especially those that are isolated or less studied. It would slow − by 10 years − efforts to save North Atlantic right whales from entanglement in fishing gear and other threats. This vulnerable population is already on life support, down to about 370 individuals. Slowing protection could render the species extinct very soon. The protection act aims to keep marine mammals healthy and restore them to their optimum sustainable population. But the proposed legislation would set a lower bar, just short of extinction. The new standards would merely require 'survival' of a species. That would drive population decline. At a time when the administration is slashing agency budgets and staff, the new legislation would set artificially tight deadlines for regulating harmful activities. That would essentially allow those activities automatically, undermining conservation of the Florida manatee, Alaska polar bears, the Northwest's resident orcas and more. Opinion: Senate passed Trump's Big Beautiful Bill – and made it even uglier The proposed changes also would do away with important 'bycatch' provisions, which regulate unintentional capture of fish or marine wildlife during fishing operations. Currently, management plans developed with input from commercial fishermen and other stakeholders protect endangered, threatened and depleted marine mammal populations from bycatch in commercial fisheries to reduce these incidental deaths to sustainable levels. The proposed bill would make it harder for agencies to limit those losses. I'm proud of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and its legacy for our children. America has vast natural resources. Having worked in more than 100 countries, I believe no other nation on earth rivals what we've been blessed with here. Our extraordinary natural treasures, from fish to forests, contribute to our natural prosperity and global strength. Our shared natural treasures belong to every American to be wisely used, cared for and then passed on to future generations to harvest and cherish. While America's nature is abundant, it is not unlimited. In the past, uniquely American species have been driven to extinction through negligence and exploitation. There was robust bipartisan support to set up this system for protecting wildlife, and it's a system that has worked wonders. We need that bipartisan approach to continue. If we support the protection act's mission by keeping the law strong, we will ensure that Americans inherit a nation rich in natural resources from the land to the sea. But if Congress fails to support this consequential legislation, it will be a catastrophe of our own making and on our watch. Jeff Corwin is a wildlife biologist, executive producer and television host, outdoorsman and fisherman.

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