Protective Measures Get “Seal” of Approval!

New preventive measures have been put in place in Alaska, the United States, along the coastline of the Bering Sea to save seal populations from commercial activity, in the hopes that it will help the marine species already dealing with the aftermath of the Arctic sea melting.

“Having spaces where they’re less likely to be stressed by other means, to me, seems worthwhile simply because these are species that are going to be dealing with a lot of change in the next immediate coming years and the next decade,” says Environmental historian Bathsheba Demuth.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has established a Critical Habitat stretching from the North Slope Borough, down to the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, and out to St. Matthew’s Island in the Bering Sea. Under this new restriction, companies – whether it is for exploratory oil missions, commercial fishing, or federal military activities, for example – are obliged to consult with the NOAA before working in the new zone.