ANCHORAGE, Alaska— The Center for Biological Diversity and Cook Inletkeeper filed a petition with the National Marine Fisheries Service today to create a Cook Inlet beluga protection zone in the Tuxedni Bay area. The proposed zone would protect critically endangered beluga whales from industrial noise and development in vital habitat.

A recent acoustic study showed that Tuxedni Bay is one of the quietest, least developed and most pristine areas of Cook Inlet. Belugas rely on sound to communicate in the inlet’s muddy waters. Human-caused noise is a primary threat to their survival and recovery.

“It’s vitally important that the Tuxedni Bay area stays quiet and undeveloped so Cook Inlet belugas can survive and recover,” said Cooper Freeman, Alaska director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Belugas are plagued by noise and development nearly everywhere else in the inlet. We have to say enough is enough and take this critical step to protect Cook Inlet’s one-of-a-kind beluga population. They desperately need this space to recover and thrive again.”

The study found that belugas use the proposed protection zone area heavily in the fall, winter and spring. It is the only known location where they forage in the winter. Belugas were historically common in Tuxedni Bay in the summer, and the study found beluga presence in the nearby Chinitna River in June. Tuxedni Bay area rivers, including the Tuxedni, Crescent and Johnson rivers, host robust annual salmon runs, a key prey source for belugas. The bay has high species diversity and richness of other prey throughout the year.

Today’s petition proposes rules to prohibit industrial vessels or any industrial activities within the zone that could harm Cook Inlet beluga whales. The proposed protections would not affect commercial fishing or tourism in the area.

“Tuxedni Bay is an essential piece of habitat to ensure the continued survival of this iconic species,” said Loren Barrett, Cook Inletkeeper co-executive director. “The Cook Inlet Beluga habitat is beleaguered with threats from underwater noise from oil and gas development, reductions in critical prey availability, and pollution. NMFS has a duty to ensure the highest levels of accountability for proposed industrial development and to implement swift measures to ensure protection and recovery of this endangered species.”

Heavy industrial development poses an imminent threat to the Tuxedni Bay area, the preferred location for the proposed Johnson Tract gold mine’s marine ore terminal. The gold mine project, located within an inholding in Lake Clark National Park, is at an advanced exploration stage.

In June the national park announced it would evaluate the potential environmental harm from a haul road and port site to transport ore from the mine through the national park to the coast. The marine terminal would threaten Cook Inlet belugas with extensive vessel noise, pollution, prey disturbance, and habitat damage and loss.

Cook Inlet beluga whales are a Fisheries Service “species in the spotlight,” one of 10 endangered marine species nationwide whose recovery the agency has declared a top priority. According to the Service, the spotlight species are those “whose extinction is almost certain in the immediate future” if threats are not substantially reduced.

Historically, around 1,300 belugas inhabited Cook Inlet, but the population currently hovers around 300 whales and is failing to recover. The primary threats to their survival and recovery are human-caused noise, habitat loss and degradation, reduction in prey, pollution, and the cumulative effects of multiple stressors.