Region 7

Description

Over the past several decades climate change has resulted in dramatic reductions in sea ice habitats presenting significant adaptive challenges for ice dependent species such as the Pacific walrus and polar bears. Over the past decade the number of walruses using land based haulouts (resting areas) along the Chukchi sea coast has increased dramatically. In Chukotka Russia, large coastal aggregations of walruses have begun to form near coastal communities. In response to increased human interactions with walruses along the coast, local communities have initiated local conservation and management actions to conserve and protect walruses and reduce interactions with polar bears scavenging on walrus carcasses near the communities. Although coastal walrus haulouts have occurred primarily in Russian territory, in the fall of 2007 large coastal aggregations were documented along the Alaska coast as well during a period of extreme sea ice retreat. According to most predictive climate change models this pattern of diminishing sea ice is expected to continue into the foreseeable future. As ice conditions moderate over the continental shelf, walruses are expected to become increasingly reliant on coastal haulouts, raising the potential for increased interactions with humans and impacts to this species and important habitat areas. One of the management objectives of the US Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is to maintain viable populations of walruses and other sea ice dependent species by providing opportunities for populations to adjust to changing habitats with the goal of preventing extinctions. This objective will be accomplished by identifying and protecting important habitat areas, minimizing and mitigating the effects of interactions with humans and industrial activities, and ensuring that subsistence harvest levels remain sustainable. This work will be accomplished in part through local and international conservation initiatives. The Service will partner the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to arrange, organize, & facilitate bilateral meetings between Russian and Alaskan Natives in several North Slope communities in Alaska to exchange information regarding walrus and polar bear observations and discuss emerging conservation and management issues associated with climate change. Meetings will be designed to help jump start local grassroots walrus and polar bear conservation activities modeled on Russian programs. Meetings will be held in the villages of Barrow, Wainwright, Point Hope, Point Lay and involve Russian (Chukotkan) Marine Mammal Hunters/conservationists and Alaskan Native Marine Mammals Hunters/village residents, and the Service. The Service and its trust species will benefit from these meetings through exposure of Alaska Natives to Chukotkan local grassroots marine mammal conservation efforts. The project will have several distinct goals: 1. Foster constructive dialogue and contacts between Alaska Native Marine Mammal subsistence users, and Chukotkan Native Marine Mammal subsistence users and conservationists. 2. Allow Alaska Natives to hear first hand accounts of what their Chukotkan peers are doing in the way of local marine mammal conservation initiatives. 3. Highlight walrus/polar bear and climate change issues and how these changes may affect Alaska Native subsistence users, which will allow us to work more effectively with local communities to address marine mammal conservation issues within a rapidly changing arctic ecosystem.

Who can apply

• Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (other than higher education)

Contact

Jonathan Snyder <br/>Wildlife Biologist <br/>Phone 907-786-3819
jonathan_snyder@fws.gov