The walrus is no longer on the list of threatened species, but that may not be good news
Environment — di Lorenzo Brenna
According to the Fish and Wildlife Service, the walrus would not be threatened by climate change, at least in the near future.
The walrus is no longer on the list of threatened species, but that may not be good news
According to the Fish and Wildlife Service, the walrus would not be threatened by climate change, at least in the near future.
It is hard to think of the Arctic ice without conjuring the image of a walrus (Odobenus rosmarus), its great tusks on display as it lolls peacefully on the pack ice. This enormous pinniped is indeed one of the symbols of the Arctic, yet the progressive melting of the ice caused by climate change could complicate its conservation. In recent years, mass migrations of walruses have been observed (with groups of up to 35,000 individuals) caused by the reduced presence of the large ice sheets on which walruses customarily spend their winters in the Bering Sea. The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the United States agency responsible for wildlife conservation, takes an entirely different view, arguing that these animals will be able to adapt to the disappearance of Arctic sea ice.
The walrus would be out of danger
The United States has decided to remove the Pacific walrus, along with twenty-four other animal species — including several invertebrates, reptiles and birds — from the list of endangered species. The American agency acknowledges the impact that global warming will have on these animals, stating that "the most significant risk factor is represented by the effects of climate change," yet considers it unlikely that the species could become extinct in the near future, that is, by 2060. "Although we are fairly certain that sea ice availability will decrease due to climate change," reads a FWS statement, "we are not equally certain about the effects of climate change, especially in the less immediate future, on the overall set of environmental conditions, nor about how the species will respond to such changes."
#Whatdoyouthink? Activist calls for floating rafts as walrus resting spots to stop beach stampedes. @nytclimate ow.ly/cpaL30fhl1b
Protection revoked
Just six years ago, in 2011, when Barack Obama was leading the United States, the Fish and Wildlife Service had deemed the walrus worthy of special protection as a species under stress due to rising global temperatures. The Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies the walrus as "vulnerable", precisely because of the certainty surrounding the decline of their habitat, and maintains that the Pacific walrus population decreased by 50 per cent between 1980 and 2000.
Walruses and oil
It is no secret that the area where walruses live is particularly coveted by oil companies. It was precisely to preserve the fragile Arctic ecosystem that in 2015 former president Obama had blocked drilling by suspending the evaluation of requests for new licences. More recently, current president Donald Trump has opened the door to oil exploration in Alaska, overturning his predecessor's decision, but must now contend with a legal challenge brought by the Center for Biological Diversity, which fears for the conservation of local biodiversity.