
OTTAWA — The World Wildlife Fund urged Canada to postpone the sale of oil and gas rights in the Beaufort Sea, worried the drilling areas would overlap with key Arctic habitat for polar bears and whales. “This sale is premature due to the absence of a completed Beaufort Sea management plan that would protect sensitive habitats, which polar bears, beluga and bowhead whales need for their survival," Peter Ewins, director of species conservation at WWF-Canada, said in a statement. "In addition, there is no proven technique for recovering oil spills in such dangerous iced waters. "As such, the proposed June 2 sale must be delayed until a proper management plan for the Arctic region is in place, the group said. Alternately, an expedited environmental assessment for the region, with guarantees that oil spills could be quickly and easily mopped up, would satisfy both environmentalists and energy firms, it said.
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SEND YOUR NEWS AND EVENT TIPS TO: news@ewmanchester.com. Include your name, address, phone number and email contact information for verification purposes (won’t be published unless requested).
NAUTICAL NOTES. Content © Eric W. Manchester. All rights reserved. Any use without prior permission is prohibited. http://www.ewmanchester.com/

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