September 28, 2023 — The Center for Biological Diversity intends to sue the federal government over a new marine highway in Alaska. The environmental group sent a notice letter on Sept. 21 to the U.S. Maritime Administration, which designated the new highway. The letter contends that the federal agency is violating the Endangered Species Act for failing to consider possible harm to endangered wildlife along Alaska’s coast.
Jared Margolis, a senior attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity, said increased shipping traffic along the highway could pose a threat to several protected species including humpback and North Pacific right whales.
He said the federal agency, known as MARAD, should have consulted with federal environmental agencies like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the National Marine Fisheries Services prior to designating the new highway. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NMFS’s parent agency, announced Tuesday that it would revise Alaska’s critical habitat for right whales in response to a request from the Center.
“The (MARAD) regulators designated this new marine highway route — which goes right through critical habitat for the North Pacific right whale, a highly endangered species that’s susceptible to ship strikes — without giving any consideration to what that means for the species, in terms of targeting this area for increased vessel traffic,” Margolis said.
MARAD did not respond to requests for comment.