According to the National Wildlife Federation, the death toll of individual species of native Alaskan wildlife is still being tallied as of 2013. In the days immediately following the spill -- which, at the time was the worst in U.S. history -- many animals died including upwards of 100,000 and possibly as many as 250,000 seabirds? More than 2,800 sea otters and 12 river otters immediately expired. At least 300 harbor seals and almost 250 bald eagles were also instantly destroyed. Orcas living in the area at the time, 22 in number, were killed, as were countless fish.
The economic impact is still not fully known. The GDP rose because …show more content…
The same can be said for the Alaskan tourism industry. If the oil had not killed off such a large number of the wildlife, there would be more tourists exploring Alaska. Similarly, since herring fishermen cannot fish, they have been unable to pay off their loans, which have caused an increased amount of debt for these fishermen. The surrounding towns have suffered a great deal too, since tourism for sport fishing, commercial fishing, and other economic or recreational activities have declined. The spill has reduced the overall amount of people traveling in southwest Alaska, and has reduced local spending because of economic