Residents of the smaller of two villages in the Pribilof Islands are asking the federal government to encircle their island with the first national marine sanctuary in Alaska. It's an effort to protect the fur seals once slaughtered on the Pribilofs and other animal populations they say are plunging dangerously, perhaps because of climate change.
The request from the city of St. George is only the second in the state since the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries began accepting sanctuary nominations from the public in 2014.
The request, received Oct. 1, may not lead to a sanctuary designation, a process involving years of analysis and significant public engagement, said William Douros, West Coast regional director for the agency, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
