In yet another move to erase President Obama’s legacy, Trump has decided to reverse protections to keep the Pacific Walrus from going extinct. This grisly proclamation was posted 10-5-17 on the Fish and Wildlife/Department of Interior’s website.
Oliver Milman of The Guardian writes:
The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) said that the walruses were unlikely to be considered endangered “in the foreseeable future”, defined as from now until 2060, adding: “At this time, sufficient resources remain to meet the subspecies’ physical and ecological needs now and into the future.”
Although the federal agency acknowledged the species was facing “stressors” from climate change – primarily the decline of sea ice, ocean warming and ocean acidification – it said the population was currently stable and could possibly adapt to the changing environment.
The decision wipes out a FWS finding in 2011, under Barack Obama’s administration, that the walruses were imperiled by climate change and should be protected under the Endangered Species Act. A listing didn’t take place at the time because the agency considered other at-risk animals to be of greater priority.
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Pacific walruses, which are found in the Bering and Chukchi Seas that abut Alaska, are one the largest flipper-footed marine mammals in the world, with males weighing as much as 2 tons. The animals feast upon clams, mussels and the occasional seal, with males asserting dominance through lumbering clashes that involve their tusks and sheer brawn.
The animals rely upon sea ice for breeding, feeding and nursing their young, and a place to evade predators.
However, the Arctic region is heating up at twice the rate of the global average, causing a steady decline in sea ice. The loss of summer sea ice in the Chukchi Sea is putting increasing pressure on walruses, at times pushing them ashore where they have limited food options and are more vulnerable to predators.
Young walruses can also be trampled to death when large numbers of the animals have to congregate on land. Last month, an estimated 64 walruses, most of them less than a year old, were found dead near Point Lay in Alaska. An even larger “haul out” of walruses at Point Lay was documented in 2015.
Common Dreams expands on the story:
"This is a truly dark day for America's imperiled wildlife. You couldn't ask for a clearer sign that the Trump administration puts corporate profits ahead of protecting endangered species," said Noah Greenwald, endangered species director at the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), vowing that his group will "challenge as many of these bogus findings as we can."
The species that were denied ESA protections on Wednesday are:
14 Nevada springsnail species, Barbour's map turtle, Bicknell's thrush, Big Blue Springs cave crayfish, the Oregon Cascades-California population and Black Hills population of the black-backed woodpecker, the eastern population of the boreal toad, the Northern Rocky Mountains population of the fisher, Florida Keys mole skink, Great Sand Dunes tiger beetle, Kirtland's snake, Pacific walrus, and San Felipe gambusia."Denying protection for these 25 species despite the imminent threat of climate change and ongoing habitat destruction is typical of the Trump administration’s head-in-the-sand approach," added Greenwald.