KFSK’s Olivia Schmidt traveled out to Five Finger Lighthouse to interview Don and Briana Drury, the final keepers of the 2024 season. They had been there six weeks, and were eager to share their experiences, and what has been accomplished at the lighthouse over the summer.
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Tourist season is beginning in Southeast Alaska, which likely means around a half million people will be hoping to see whales. Residents also look forward to encounters out on the water. But sharing space with the marine giants isn’t always easy.
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The National Marine Fisheries Service Wednesday published a final rule designating critical habitat for three populations of humpback whales including some areas in Alaska. The federal ruling affects the eastern Aleutians, Kodiak, Prince Williams Sound, as well as the coastlines of Washington, Oregon, and California. The ruling excludes Bristol Bay and Southeast Alaska.
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Fishermen from different gear groups united against a proposed federal rule to designate Southeast Alaska as critical habitat for humpback whales. Many of the fishermen voiced their opposition during a three-hour meeting hosted by the National Marine Fisheries Service in Petersburg Jan. 6.
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When animals are removed from the Endangered Species List, who keeps tabs on them? Often, the work of monitoring populations falls on volunteers. This is true of one of Southeast Alaska’s most iconic seasonal visitors – the humpback whale. KFSK reporter Nora Saks spent some time in the field – or in this case, on the open water, with researchers have banded together to keep a close eye on these beloved marine mammals.
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When whales and other marine mammals get caught in nets, fishing gear, and other flotsam and jetsam, they often need humans’ help getting free.
Ed Lyman is the go-to expert on such incidents. He’s a Large Whale Entanglement Response Coordinator for the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and has been involved with close to 100 entanglements.
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In Southeast Alaska, populations of some marine mammals, like humpback whales and Stellar sea lions, are on the rise. Some subgroups of these species have recently been removed from the Endangered Species list, leaving many commercial fisherman wondering what this means for them.
But, as KFSK reporter Nora Saks found out, it’s still business as usual when it comes to dealing with protected marine mammals in Southeast waters.
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Join our hosts Craig Olson and Deb Hurley most Thursdays at 2:30pm with rotating guests
