Another key deadline has nearly passed in the Makah Tribe’s request to resume its hunt for gray whales.
Comments on the Final Environmental Impact Statement analyzing the proposal are due Wednesday.
That’s after a long string of delays that have left the Makah tribe waiting for a decision about the hunt, several years longer than expected. A new letter from the federal official who will make that call provides some insight.
It acknowledges the long delays on the decision and indicates one reason for the latest delay: new information about the gray whale population that came to light over the last year – in which their numbers dropped significantly. The letter, addressed to the tribe as well as several interested animal rights groups and the federal Marine Mammal Commission, invited additional comments on procedural steps or analysis related to the gray whale census.
The latest information from NOAA Fisheries indicates that Assistant Administrator, Janet Coit, will make a decision after the comments on the FEIS are compiled and analyzed. According to agency spokesman Michael Milstein, her decision is “likely to be in the first few months of the new year.”
KNKX environment reporter Bellamy Pailthorp has been following this process for several years now. She joined KNKX Morning Edition host Kirsten Kendrick for a conversation about the latest developments.
Click “Listen” above to hear their conversation.
