Here is the version as it currently stands on Political positions Palin also opposed the placement of beluga whales in Alaska s Cook Inlet on the engangered species list on economic grounds 36 Palin cited state scientists who claimed that hunting was the only factor causing the whales decline and that the hunting has been effectively controlled through cooperative agreements with Alaska Native organizations 37 More recent research by the National Marine Fisheries Service suggests that despite hunting controls beluga whales in Cook s Inlet remain severely depleted and at high risk of permanent extinction 38