Biden’s Offshore Drilling Ban and Its Implications for the Bering Sea

In early January 2025, President Joe Biden enacted a permanent ban on offshore oil and gas drilling across more than 625 million acres of U.S. coastal waters, including the entire East and West Coasts, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and Alaska’s Northern Bering Sea.

Significance of the Northern Bering Sea

The Northern Bering Sea Climate Resilience Area, established in 2016, is home to one of the largest marine mammal migrations globally, including beluga and bowhead whales, walruses, and seals. The health of these waters is vital to the food security and culture of over 70 coastal tribes, such as the Yup’ik, Cup’ik, and Inupiaq peoples, who have depended on these resources for millennia.

Challenges from Climate Change

Despite the drilling ban, the region still faces threats from climate change. The Arctic is warming two to three times faster than the global average due to Arctic amplification linked to diminishing sea ice. This rapid warming affects the entire ecosystem, including the availability of traditional foods for indigenous communities.

“Even in the last 20 years since I was born, you can see the differences in the environment, especially with the seasons.” -Destiny Bristol Kushin, resident of St. Paul Island, Alaska

Potential Policy Reversals

While President Biden’s ban aims to protect these critical areas, its permanence may be challenged by incoming President Donald Trump, who has expressed intentions to reverse such environmental protections to promote fossil fuel development. However, legal experts suggest that overturning the ban could be difficult without congressional action.

Ongoing Environmental Threats

Even with the drilling ban in place, other threats remain, including oil spills from increased oil transport through the Bering Strait by Russian tankers delivering oil to China via Russia’s Northern Sea Route. This increased traffic poses risks of oil spills, further endangering the ecosystem and indigenous communities.

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