09-13 Native communities should be consulted to determine if the Pacific walrus should be listed as endangered

Published on November 10th, 2009

By ALEX DEMARBAN

Summary

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service should consult walrus hunting communities and the Eskimo Walrus Commission to evaluate whether the Pacific walrus should be listed. AFN requests that USFWS should investigate and evaluate impacts of a listing to subsistence users.

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Full Text

RESOLUTION 09-13

A RESOLUTION TO ENSURE CONSULTATION WITH ALASKA NATIVES AND TO SERIOUSLY CONSIDER WALRUS HUNTING COMMUNITY COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS IN THE EVALUATION OF WHETHER OR NOT TO LIST THE PACIFIC WALRUS AS ENDANGERED SPECIES

WHEREAS: The indigenous peoples of the coastal communities of Alaska have utilized marine mammals for thousands of years; and

WHEREAS: Subsistence is central to our existence and vital to the health and welfare of Alaska Natives; and

WHEREAS: The Pacific walrus continues to be an essential cultural, natural and subsistence resource to Alaska Natives; and

WHEREAS: The Eskimo Walrus Commission (EWC) was formed in 1978 with representation of 19 walrus hunting communities throughout the Northern, Northwestern and Western Alaska coastal communities; and

WHEREAS: The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) granted Alaska Natives an exemption to allow the harvest of Pacific walrus for traditional subsistence purposes; and

WHEREAS: In 1994, amendments to the MMPA included Section 119, "Marine Mammal Cooperative Agreements in Alaska" which provides for the USFWS to enter into Cooperative Agreements with Alaska Native organizations to conserve marine mammals and to provide co-management of subsistence use by Alaska Natives; and

WHEREAS: The USFWS is reviewing a petition to list the Pacific walrus as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act; and

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the delegates to the 2009 Annual Convention of the Alaska Federation of Natives, Inc., that AFN requests that the US Fish and Wildlife Service consult with and consider all comments and recommendations of the walrus hunting communities and the Eskimo Walrus Commission in their evaluation of whether or not to list Pacific walrus as an endangered species.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that AFN requests that US Fish and Wildlife Service rigorously investigate and evaluate the potential impacts to subsistence users of a listing of Pacific Walrus on the endangered species list.

SUBMITTED BY: ESKIMO WALRUS COMMISSION

COMMITTEE ACTION: DO PASS

CONVENTION ACTION: PASSED