ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A federal agency must decide within three weeks whether a seal dependent on Arctic sea ice should have additional protections.
A federal judge Friday approved a settlement between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Center for Biological Diversity, which had sued to force a decision.
The settlement requires the agency to decide by Oct. 15 whether spotted seals merit listing as a threatened or endangered species due to threats from global warming and oil development.
The agreement calls for a decision on two other ice-dependent seals, ringed and bearded seals, by Nov. 1, 2010.
Ringed, bearded, and spotted seals off the coast of Alaska use sea ice in different ways for giving birth, rearing pups and resting.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.
