Alaska wants the humpback whale off the Endangered Species list

[theHandpuppet]

The Washington Post
Alaska wants the humpback whale off the Endangered Species list
By Reid Wilson
March 1

The state of Alaska wants the federal government to remove endangered species protections for humpback whales that migrate seasonally between Alaska and Hawaii, a step that would remove a hurdle for companies that want to explore the Arctic Coast for oil.

On Wednesday, Alaska’s Department of Fish and Game filed a petition with the National Marine Fisheries Service seeking to designate the specific subspecies of humpback that travels between the two states, and to take it off the endangered species list because its population has rebounded from dangerously low levels just a few decades ago...

...Listing an animal as an endangered species means any activity that might harm the animal’s natural habitat requires federal approval. If the humpback is removed from the list, Alaska could begin authorizing companies to look for oil — and eventually to drill — in arctic oceans....

Edited to add link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/03/01/alaska-wants-the-humpback-whale-off-the-endangered-species-list/