President Barrack Obama Favors The Alaska Native Villagers; Protection Of The Bering Sea Has Been Passed

President Barack Obama gave favor to the Alaska Native Villages. The White House announced that the U.S. President passed an executive order that the Bering Sea Climate Resilience Area will concentrate on "locally tailored" protections on marine resources.

The USA Today reported, last Friday, that President Barack Obama gives an executive order for the greater protection of the Alaskan Arctic. The order includes that the two regions of the Bering Sea are off limits to oil exploration and the Native Alaskans must be consulted in the environmental policy.

The executive order mandates that oil exploration in 104,370 square kilometers of the Norton Basin and St. Matthew Island is permanently barred. These two areas are already known for its importance in hunting. Thus, it will require a federal consultation with the tribes from Alaska and the 39 communities that line the west coast of Alaska.

The newly protected area covers 290,885 square kilometers that support so far the world's largest yearly marine mammal migration of animals. These include beluga and bowhead whales, ice seals, migratory birds and the Pacific walrus.

Meanwhile, CBC News reported that the residents of coastal villages are dependent on the marine resources. The villagers have urged that their opinions will be heard as the Arctic is affected by global warming. Hence, expanding the traffic of ships and possible offshore drilling of petroleum can bring additional harm.

A task force was established by the White House with the representatives of the village. The executive order also directs the coast guards to give consideration to the advice that the community shares, including the sensitive areas that should be avoided, especially the areas that are important for hunting.

A Yupik elder from Tununak and also a chairman of the Bering Sea Elders Group Harry Lincoln are grateful to Obama. He said that "It is the Native elders' vision that the northern Bering Sea and the resources that our people rely upon on be protected because they are the foundation of our culture and way of life. We have been here since time immemorial and it is our responsibility to pass our rich heritage on to future generations."