An environmental group sued the Trump administration Thursday over its failure to list the Arctic marine mammals as threatened because of diminished sea ice — their primary habitat — brought on by climate warming. Fish and Wildlife Service concluded in 2011 that walruses deserve the additional protection of being declared threatened. Emily Jeffers, an attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity, said walruses need sea ice for far more than foraging. During breeding season from December to March, sea ice serves to aggregate both sexes, allowing males to compete for mates, according to the lawsuit. Sea ice allows walruses to avoid predators and humans and provides a dry platform for nursing.

Source: National Post March 08, 2018 19:07 UTC