Contact Information: Press Contact: Shane Elben Volunteer Coordinator Orca Relief Citizens' Alliance P.O. Box 1969 Friday Harbor, WA Tel. 360 378 8628 Email: Shane@stratnews.com
FRIDAY HARBOR, WA--(Marketwire - July 30, 2009) - On the morning of July 11, 2009, for the
first time in history, a protest action was launched by San Juan Island
residents against commercial whale watch boats following resident orca
whales. It was organized by Orca Relief Citizens' Alliance (ORCA) chaired
by Mark Anderson, CEO of Strategic News Service. The action began a few
miles off San Juan Island's west side.
The protesters were echoing a message first brought to San Juan Island by
the biological and legal staff of the National Marine Fisheries Service
during a recent federal hearing in Friday Harbor -- according to the
Endangered Species Act, it is illegal to pursue the Southern Resident Orca.
And that, the group claims, is exactly what the commercial fleet is doing,
all day, every day of the tourist season, with airplane spotters, land
scouts, radio and Internet communications, and high-speed boats assuring
the success of the chase.
The whales were declared endangered over a year ago, without any change in
enforcement by the U.S. government.
"It is illegal to pursue an endangered species," commented Mark Anderson,
chair of Orca Relief Citizens' Alliance. "These companies advertise
guaranteed whale sightings, and that means they are pursuing them in order
to make their money. This is against federal law, and it is time for this
law to be enforced, before we lose what is left of these pods.
"Imagine the idea of creating a business to pursue an endangered species!
It sounds as crazy as it is."
The protest group included Adrian Kilpatrick, Isla Cropper, Rowan North,
Peter Kilpatrick (CEO of RavenHill), Suzanne Franklin and boat skipper (and
past CEO of SmithKline Beecham) Henry Wendt.
The protesters approached a number of whale watch boats and broadcast this
message over a megaphone:
"Attention whale watchers: We are a group of islanders who are concerned
that our resident population of orcas is moving toward extinction. They
need to be left alone! They need the freedom to hunt without the impact of
being pursued all day by the whale watch fleet.
"The pursuit of these whales is a violation of the Endangered Species Act,
Section 9, and of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1973. You and your
customers are violating federal law. You need to stop immediately, and
know that by doing so, you are helping to save this group from extinction.
If you do not stop immediately, the evidence of your violation will be
turned into the National Marine Fisheries Service for prosecution."
North, a young local filmmaker who grew up on San Juan, took video of the
interactions, which the group will turn into NMFS with a legal complaint.
He is also making a longer film on the subject.
Kilpatrick described the scene on the water: "While broadcasting this
message, we witnessed a typical summer day with the fleet. It was chaos out
there. Numerous boats full of whale watchers and operators moved along the
edges of a whale pod, while other boats were moving off at high speed to
pick up the next shift of paying customers from Victoria. And on the way
back in we met the American side of the 1:00 shift out of Friday Harbor,
consisting of a seemingly endless line of tour boats on their way out."
Anderson, also CEO of the Strategic News Service, commended the team in its
efforts. "These whale watch operators won't quit until the last dollar is
made, and the last whale is gone -- at which time they'll blame
pesticides," he said. "Virtually all scientists now agree that the whales
are dying of starvation, and other studies show us that everything about
these whale watch boats accelerates that starvation.
"It is illegal to pursue these whales. They are endangered, and they
deserve the protection of the law. We are documenting the violations, and
asking NMFS to bring this illegal practice to an end. People who care
about whales should watch them from the land, at the Whale Watch Park."
The group suggested there would be continued protest actions throughout the
summer.
About Orca Relief Citizens' Alliance
Orca Relief Citizens' Alliance is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit Washington
Corporation. It is the only non-profit in the world dedicated exclusively
to reducing orca mortality. The Southern Resident Orca Population has been
declared an endangered species under the federal Endangered Species Act by
the National Marine Fisheries Service. More information is available at
www.orcarelief.org.
For information on NOAA regulations on vessel effects, go to
http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/Marine-Mammals/Whales-Dolphins-Porpoise/Killer-Whales/ESA-Status/Orca-Vessel-Regs.cfm.
