Attorneys argue for listing bearded seals as threatened

A federal government attorney says Alaska’s bearded seals deserve to be listed as a threatened species because of climate warming’s effect on their sea ice habitat.
Bearded Seal pup (Erignathus barbatus) Photo: NOAARobert Stockman of the National Marine Fisheries Service on Thursday in Anchorage urged the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn a lower court ruling that said bearded seals do not merit the listing.
Bearded seals are the largest of the Arctic seals. They use sea