Of the three distinct populations of spotted seals, that inhabit the North Pacific Ocean, two total more than 200,000 individuals and are not currently in danger of extinction or likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future, but NOAA’s NMFS is proposing to list a third smaller population as threatened.
The Center for Biological Diversity, Oceana, and the Turtle Island Restoration Network reached an agreement with the federal government in a lawsuit over violations of the Endangered Species Act last week.
The National Marine Fisheries Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service have agreed to respond to the groups’ petitions for increased protections for both leatherbacks in the waters off California and Oregon as well as North Pacific and western North Atlantic loggerheads.
NOAA Newswire NOAA Newswire