Alaska marine mammal stock assessments, 2024

New abundance estimates were calculated for the following Alaska stocks in the 2024 SARs. For explanations of why estimates have changed, see the individual report for each stock: • Eastern Pacific northern fur seals: The updated best abundance estimate, derived from counts on Sea Lion Rock (2014), St. Paul Island (2018, 2021, and 2022), St. George Island (2018 and 2022), and Bogoslof Island (2019), is 612,765 northern fur seals. This is a decrease from the previous estimate of 626,618. • Bristol Bay belugas: The updated best abundance estimate, derived from aerial surveys in 2022, is 1,669 beluga whales. This is a decrease from the previous estimate of 2,040. However, it is presently not possible to distinguish between a downward trend and a stable population. • Cook Inlet belugas: The updated best estimate of abundance in 2022, based on a weighted average from the last three annual abundance estimates (2016, 2018, and 2022) that gives more weight to the recent estimates, is 331 beluga whales. This is an increase from the previous estimate of 279.