I. STATUS OF THE COOK INLET BELUGA
A. NATURAL HISTORY
1. Description
2. Feeding
3. Reproductive Parameters
a. Calving Areas
b. Sex Ratio
c. Age at Sexual Maturity
d. Pregnancy Rates
e. Life-span and Reproductive Life
f. Reproductive Rates
g. Lactation
h. Gestation
4. Natural Mortality
B. DISTRIBUTION
1. Current Distribution
2. Factors Affecting Distribution
3. Changes in Distribution
C. POPULATION ABUNDANCE ESTIMATE
II. CRITERIA FOR ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT LISTING
A. THE COOK INLET POPULATION OF BELUGA WHALES IS A "SPECIES" UNDER THE ESA.
1. DISTINCT POPULATION SEGMENT
a. Discreteness
b. Significance
i.) Cook Inlet Beluga Whales are a Discrete Population in a Unique Ecological Setting.
ii.) Loss of Cook Inlet Beluga Whales would result in a significant gap in the range of beluga whales.
iii.) Cook Inlet beluga whales differ markedly from other populations of beluga whales.
c. Cook Inlet Belugas Comprise a "Stock" under the MMPA
B. THE COOK INLET POPULATION OF BELUGA WHALES IS ENDANGERED UNDER THE ESA.
1. OVERUTILIZATION FOR COMMERCIAL, RECREATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC OR
EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
a. Potential Biological Removal
b. Extent of the Hunting
c. Commercial Harvest
2. INADEQUACY OF EXISTING REGULATORY MECHANISMS
a. MMPA
i.) Prohibition on Commercial Harvest and Wasteful Take
ii.) Comanagement
iii.) Marking, Tagging and Reporting
iv.) Depleted Status
b. International Whaling Commission
c. Alaska Based Formal and Informal Regulation
i.) Alaska Beluga Whale
Committee
ii.) CIMMC
iii.) Alaska Regional
Scientific Review Group
iv.) State of Alaska
v.) The Municipality of
Anchorage
3. PRESENT OR THREATENED DESTRUCTION, MODIFICATION OR CURTAILMENT OF
HABITAT OR RANGE.
a. Shrinkage of historic range
b. Current threats
i.) Oil development activities
ii.) Contamination
iii.) Vessel Traffic
1.) Noise
2.) Increases in vessel traffic
iv.) Fisheries
1.) Incidental mortality
2.) Prey availability
v.) Upland habitat loss
vi.) Food Stress
4. DISEASE AND PREDATION
a. Disease
b. Natural Predation
c. Human Predation
5. OTHER NATURAL OR ANTHROPOGENIC FACTORS
a. Human population growth
b. Climate Change
c. Stochastic Events