The federal government instituted a near-total ban on the domestic commercial trade of African elephant ivory, but many Alaskans are concerned the backlash from this ban is affecting other ivories. St. Lawrence Islander Susie Silook is the author of a petition to protect walrus ivory and other marine mammal by-products from various states’ legislation that would see it banned as a response to the federal ban.
Wildlife
Bear mauls man walking dogs near Seward airport
A man walking dogs Thursday morning near the Seward airport was mauled by a bear. Anchorage television station KTUU reports the 46-year-old man was able to call for help on his cellphone at around 6:45 a.m.
Court ruling keeps bearded seals on Endangered Species List
An appeals court today upheld a federal decision to list a species of ice seals as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
Advisory committee looks at new subsistence regulation in Bethel
The Central Bering Sea Advisory Committee will hold public meetings in Bethel this Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss a range of fisheries related topics.
Three bears shot and killed in Sitka neighborhood
http://www.alaskapublic.org/2016/10/24/three-bears-shot-and-killed-in-sitka-neighborhood/
Interior Secretary Sally Jewell announces inclusion of Native communities in land management
Interior Secretary Sally Jewell has ordered that Native communities and their traditional ecological knowledge be considered in future federal land management decisions.