Alaska Ferry Rebuild May Disturb Local Marine Mammals
Published Date: 3/18/2026
Notice
Summary
The Alaska Department of Transportation is rebuilding the Cold Bay Ferry Terminal from May 2028 to April 2029. During this project, some marine mammals might be disturbed, but the government says it won’t harm their populations. This approval lets the project move forward while protecting local sea life and respecting subsistence needs.
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Rebuild Allowed: Cold Bay Ferry Terminal
NMFS issued an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) that allows the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities to carry out the Cold Bay Ferry Terminal Reconstruction project between May 1, 2028 and April 30, 2029. This authorization lets the project proceed while complying with the MMPA conditions described in the notice.
Authorized Number of Marine Mammal Takes
The final IHA corrects the authorized take counts: Steller sea lions — 3,451 Level B harassment takes (6.96% of the population/stock); harbor porpoises — 95 takes (0.32% of the population/stock); harbor seals — 2,260 takes (8.13% of the population/stock). These corrected totals are carried forward in the final authorization.
No Unmitigable Harm to Subsistence Uses
NMFS found that the authorized takes will have a negligible impact on marine mammal species or stocks and will not have an unmitigable adverse impact on the availability of those species for subsistence uses. That finding supports issuance of the IHA for the Cold Bay project.
300‑Meter Shutdown Zone for Harbor Seals
The final IHA sets a 300-meter (984 ft) shutdown zone for harbor seals during impact pile driving at specified piles; NMFS removed an earlier, incorrect 500-meter (1,640 ft) shutdown zone for this species. The 300‑m zone aligns harbor seal protections with those for other small species during impact pile driving.
ESA Biological Opinion: No Jeopardy Finding
NMFS' Alaska Regional Office issued a Biological Opinion under the Endangered Species Act concluding the action is not likely to jeopardize humpback whales (Mexico and Western DPS) or Western DPS Steller sea lions and is not likely to destroy or adversely modify designated critical habitat for these species.
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Key Dates
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