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National
Marine Fisheries Service Alaska Region NEWS RELEASE  Alaska Region, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, Alaska 99802-1668 |
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CONTACTS: Sheela McLean (907) 586-7032 Lowell Fritz (206) 526-4246 |
NMFS 02-AKR FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 18, 2002 |
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Sea Lions Increase in Western Alaska For the first time in two decades, National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) scientists have measured an over-all increase in Steller sea lion numbers for the western population in Alaska. However, the latest counts still found declines of the endangered sea lions in certain areas and age groups, and region-wide, the total numbers are still below the 1998 count."The news was mixed," said Doug DeMaster, Director of the Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, "and one year's measurement doesn't lock in a trend. But we were still very glad to view this particular scientific snapshot of the western stock of Steller sea lions." Counts of adults and juvenile sea lions at the 84 western-stock rookery and haul-out sites in Alaska show a overall population increase of 5.5 percent from 2000 to 2002. However, the population of Steller sea lions in the western Aleutian islands population has dropped 75 percent from 1991 to 2002, including a 24 percent decrease from 2000 to 2002. Taking a decade-long view, the average Steller sea lion population trend in western Alaska has been a decline of about 4 percent per year from 1991 up to 2002. Scientists break Steller sea lions into two populations, the western and eastern populations. The eastern population, which goes from Southeast Alaska through California, has increased by 2 percent per year over the last decade for adults and juveniles and 3 percent per year for pups. The western population inhabits the Gulf of Alaska, the Aleutian Islands and westward. Longitude 144 degrees west forms the dividing line. This year's pup count for the western population showed a continuing decline. Steller sea lions do not bear young until they are three or more years old, so increasing numbers of juveniles would not result in a population bulge in pups until the juveniles reach breeding age. The Alaska Steller sea lion counts are taken from aerial photographic surveys and from directly observing the rookeries from the land. Scientists from the NOAA Fisheries National Marine Mammal Laboratory, part of the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, and the Southwest Fisheries Science Center conducted the 2002 surveys in cooperation with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. NOAA Fisheries is dedicated to protecting and preserving our nation's living marine resources through scientific research, management, enforcement, and the conservation of marine mammals and other protected marine species and their habitat. A website dedicated to Steller sea lion research can be found at stellersealions.noaa.gov. To learn more about NOAA Fisheries in Alaska, please visit our website at www.fakr.noaa.gov
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