Animals

Friday the beluga whales that reside in the Cook Inlet in Alaska were placed on the endangered list by the federal government. Governor Sarah Palin disagreed with this decision - but her efforts and those of her supporters were denied. The government felt that they had made the right decision.

These whales - which are small and white - can sometimes be seen from downtown Anchorage. Almost half of them have disappeared since the late 1990’s and according to research they have not been able to recover despite the protections that have been used. “In spite of protections already in place, Cook Inlet beluga whales are not recovering,” the acting assistant administrator for the fisheries agency - James W. Balsiger, said in a written statement. The whales are now in danger of extinction.

This announcement brought Gov. Sarah Palin back into the light and showed her positions on issues concerning the environment. “I am especially concerned,” the governor said in a written statement in August 2007, when her administration submitted documents to fight the listing, “that an unnecessary federal listing and designation of critical habitat would do serious long-term damage to the vibrant economy of the Cook Inlet area.”