MUST ACT NOW TO SAVE OUR ORCAS FROM EXTINCTION
The Issue
More Orcas are dying in our BC waters than are being born. This will lead to their extinction - do you care?
When Tahlequah (Orca J35) carried her new born dead baby on her nose for 17 days in 2018 and swam for 1,000 miles before letting go of her baby, we sense she was telling Canadians and the world just how polluted the BC coastal Orca habitat and their food supply are. I was extremely inspired by what this beautiful Orca did and was reminded of what Dr. Jane Goodall said, "the least I can do is speak for those who cannot speak for themselves". Dr. Goodall studied chimpanzees in their wild habitat for over 40 years.
As you both should know, 19 years ago in 2003 our Southern Resident Orcas were declared endangered under the Species At Risk Act. Federal Government websites state you are working with partners which we assume are the British Columbia provincial government and the municipal governments of Victoria and Vancouver. While two Orcas were born into this group in 2020, marine mammal experts say that, given the on-going human pollution of their habitat, it is too soon to determine the long term health of those calves. More Orcas in this Southern Resident group (Pods J, K and L) are dying than are being born and this means only one thing - EXTINCTION.
I have heard people say, "but there are thousands of Orcas around the world ". What does it matter if all the BC Orcas die off? To which I say, it is a strong case of maintaining bio-diversity in our Eco-system - plain and simple!
Our governments MUST take action on what all the tax payer-paid studies have told them about the human pollution of the Orca habitat that is killing their main food source and poisoning their blubber. The females, in particular, pass on those toxins to their fetuses, which then die in the womb or soon after birth.
The Orca named Rhapsody (J32) is one example in 2014 of a dead, near full term fetus causing the premature death of its young mother. Scarlet (J50) was a 4 year old female capable of producing 2 or 3 calves in her lifetime, but she died of starvation in our BC waters in September 2018.
If you doubt the extinction path our BC Orcas are on, please refer to the Orcas off the west coast of Scotland. When Lulu from that group washed up dead in 2016 it was found she had one of the highest concentrations of PCB's ever recorded in the body of a marine mammal. Marine mammal scientists believe PCB's cause infertility in Orcas which may explain why that group in Scotland has not had any calves in 23 years, therefore they are doomed and will all die due to human pollution of their habitat and food supply. We believe BC Orcas are on the same path unless you gentlemen take precise and immediate action to prevent their extinction while you still have time. In case you have forgotten that is what us tax payers pay you to do!
A page on the federal website asks "What Can You Do?" and then says: Orcas will get the protection they need only if all Canadians work together to reduce threats. Find out more about Orcas and be aware of man-made threats to the Southern Resident Orcas such as reduced prey and feeding opportunities, acoustic and physical disturbance and contaminants.
Accordingly and following the "What Can You Do?" words on your website we are trying to do something to help Save Our Orcas. We have on several occasions been in contact with Bernadette Jordan, former Federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and James Mack, BC Assistant Deputy Minister Environmental Sustainability Division, BUT we are not getting anywhere other than hearing lots of pretty words and promises which are not the healthy nourishment and clean waters our Orcas urgently need.
As we see it, bureaucracy abounds in the Federal and Provincial Departments that are supposed to help the Orcas and therefore we are calling on you both to assign one qualified person to take charge of the Orcas and have the sole authority to urgently act on what is needed to ensure their survival.
As the Federal website asks, I'm one of those Canadians working with other Canadians to save our Southern Resident Orcas from extinction. When it comes to government there are jurisdictional overlaps, but if we are all working together to save a species, as your websites state, there should be no barriers.
We are therefore petitioning you to IMMEDIATELY put these 6 Action Steps into place to Save our Orcas:
1. FISH FARMS: much evidence has been available for years that fish farms produce weak and parasite filled salmon that often escape the pens to interbreed with wild salmon and thus weaken them. We believe 90% of the fish farms in BC are foreign owned. Processing plants of the fish farms are pumping toxic waste into the Orca habitat which has been visually publicized and a proven fact dating back for a long time. Alaska, where the Northern Resident Orcas live and thrive do not allow fish farms and WA state is phasing them out to help Save Our Orcas due to their known pollution.
ACTION: Immediately close all fish farms in British Columbia and for those affected, provide subsidies and EI payments while they transition to other employment. Canada took such action on its east coast when the Atlantic cod stocks were under threat of extinction.
2. FISH HATCHERIES were a good idea in the 1990's, but have shown to produce weaker salmon that also weaken wild populations, due to interbreeding.
ACTION: Phase out all fish hatcheries over 1 year and again for those people affected, provide subsidies and EI as they transition to other income sources.
3. COMMERCIAL FISHING As is well known, the main food source for our Orcas is wild Chinook salmon, but Commercial and sport fishing greatly reduces the salmon population food supply for the Orcas and this is now compounded by over fishing the herring which feed the Chinook salmon. It is a fact that wild salmon take 7 years to recycle themselves from birth up river, swimming out to the ocean to grow big and obtain vital nutrients and then swimming back to the river of their birth to lay their eggs and die. 7 years is a very long time when we have lost 3 Orcas in 2 years from apparent starvation.
ACTION: Immediately ban commercial and sport fishing for Chinook Salmon until this vital food supply can be restored to meet the needs of our Orcas so they can thrive and produce healthy calves again.
4. WHALE WATCHING AND PLEASURE BOATS: While you have increased the distance to 400 meters that these vessels can be to our Orcas, fishermen report they constantly see violations of this law.
ACTION: Hire more Federal Fisheries and Oceans officers to enforce the regulations and double the current fines which must be paid within 30 days or less. For the second breach of the regulation, boats will be confiscated and sold or destroyed.
5. THE CITIES OF VICTORIA AND VANCOUVER for many years have been pumping millions of liters of raw sewage every day, as well as PCB's into the sea around us, which is habitat for our Orcas and other marine life.
WA State is suing Monsanto Chemicals due to PCB pollution, since the chemicals continue to imperil the health of protected salmon and Orcas, despite tens of millions of dollars spent by WA State to clean up the pollution? Why don't your governments take the same legal action against Monsanto?
ACTION: Accelerate the work already in progress to stop the Victoria/Vancouver pollution and clean up the PCB's. As well, inform us of what systems you have put in place to measure and monitor the effect of the UV treatment of sewage in the Orca habitat around both cities?
6. BC FERRIES AND ALL COMMERCIAL SHIPS:
a) Signs in BC Ferries' ships say the "washroom waste is green", which sounds good, but how is that checked and accurately maintained to ensure zero pollution?
b) Studies show that a speed reduction of just 1 knot reduces underwater noise for our Orcas by 1 decibel.
c) We are told the newly approved pipelines will increase cargo ship traffic 3 times in our coastal waters where our Orcas spend most of the year.
ACTION: Immediately slow down all ferries and commercial ships by 20% and ensure any commercial vessels travelling in our Orca habitat must have detection devices installed so the crew are alerted to slow down when Orcas are nearby. Ensure this requirement is strictly enforced until it can be accurately determined what our Orcas can handle noise wise, so their echolocation system is not distracted by all the ferries and commercial ships that travel in our Orca habitat every day.
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Thank you for signing the Petition and if you can, please make a small donation of $5 or $10 on our site, link below, to achieve our goal to SAVE OUR SOUTHERN RESIDENT ORCAS from extinction. We are raising money from individuals and business for TV and social media advertising to educate the public everywhere about what humans have done to these Orcas for many years, which governments have allowed to happen. We believe such action will motivate our federal, provincial and municipal governments to act immediately on what they have known for years must be done.
Your support is greatly appreciated!
Brian J. Crombleholme - Save Our Orcas Organization
796
The Issue
More Orcas are dying in our BC waters than are being born. This will lead to their extinction - do you care?
When Tahlequah (Orca J35) carried her new born dead baby on her nose for 17 days in 2018 and swam for 1,000 miles before letting go of her baby, we sense she was telling Canadians and the world just how polluted the BC coastal Orca habitat and their food supply are. I was extremely inspired by what this beautiful Orca did and was reminded of what Dr. Jane Goodall said, "the least I can do is speak for those who cannot speak for themselves". Dr. Goodall studied chimpanzees in their wild habitat for over 40 years.
As you both should know, 19 years ago in 2003 our Southern Resident Orcas were declared endangered under the Species At Risk Act. Federal Government websites state you are working with partners which we assume are the British Columbia provincial government and the municipal governments of Victoria and Vancouver. While two Orcas were born into this group in 2020, marine mammal experts say that, given the on-going human pollution of their habitat, it is too soon to determine the long term health of those calves. More Orcas in this Southern Resident group (Pods J, K and L) are dying than are being born and this means only one thing - EXTINCTION.
I have heard people say, "but there are thousands of Orcas around the world ". What does it matter if all the BC Orcas die off? To which I say, it is a strong case of maintaining bio-diversity in our Eco-system - plain and simple!
Our governments MUST take action on what all the tax payer-paid studies have told them about the human pollution of the Orca habitat that is killing their main food source and poisoning their blubber. The females, in particular, pass on those toxins to their fetuses, which then die in the womb or soon after birth.
The Orca named Rhapsody (J32) is one example in 2014 of a dead, near full term fetus causing the premature death of its young mother. Scarlet (J50) was a 4 year old female capable of producing 2 or 3 calves in her lifetime, but she died of starvation in our BC waters in September 2018.
If you doubt the extinction path our BC Orcas are on, please refer to the Orcas off the west coast of Scotland. When Lulu from that group washed up dead in 2016 it was found she had one of the highest concentrations of PCB's ever recorded in the body of a marine mammal. Marine mammal scientists believe PCB's cause infertility in Orcas which may explain why that group in Scotland has not had any calves in 23 years, therefore they are doomed and will all die due to human pollution of their habitat and food supply. We believe BC Orcas are on the same path unless you gentlemen take precise and immediate action to prevent their extinction while you still have time. In case you have forgotten that is what us tax payers pay you to do!
A page on the federal website asks "What Can You Do?" and then says: Orcas will get the protection they need only if all Canadians work together to reduce threats. Find out more about Orcas and be aware of man-made threats to the Southern Resident Orcas such as reduced prey and feeding opportunities, acoustic and physical disturbance and contaminants.
Accordingly and following the "What Can You Do?" words on your website we are trying to do something to help Save Our Orcas. We have on several occasions been in contact with Bernadette Jordan, former Federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and James Mack, BC Assistant Deputy Minister Environmental Sustainability Division, BUT we are not getting anywhere other than hearing lots of pretty words and promises which are not the healthy nourishment and clean waters our Orcas urgently need.
As we see it, bureaucracy abounds in the Federal and Provincial Departments that are supposed to help the Orcas and therefore we are calling on you both to assign one qualified person to take charge of the Orcas and have the sole authority to urgently act on what is needed to ensure their survival.
As the Federal website asks, I'm one of those Canadians working with other Canadians to save our Southern Resident Orcas from extinction. When it comes to government there are jurisdictional overlaps, but if we are all working together to save a species, as your websites state, there should be no barriers.
We are therefore petitioning you to IMMEDIATELY put these 6 Action Steps into place to Save our Orcas:
1. FISH FARMS: much evidence has been available for years that fish farms produce weak and parasite filled salmon that often escape the pens to interbreed with wild salmon and thus weaken them. We believe 90% of the fish farms in BC are foreign owned. Processing plants of the fish farms are pumping toxic waste into the Orca habitat which has been visually publicized and a proven fact dating back for a long time. Alaska, where the Northern Resident Orcas live and thrive do not allow fish farms and WA state is phasing them out to help Save Our Orcas due to their known pollution.
ACTION: Immediately close all fish farms in British Columbia and for those affected, provide subsidies and EI payments while they transition to other employment. Canada took such action on its east coast when the Atlantic cod stocks were under threat of extinction.
2. FISH HATCHERIES were a good idea in the 1990's, but have shown to produce weaker salmon that also weaken wild populations, due to interbreeding.
ACTION: Phase out all fish hatcheries over 1 year and again for those people affected, provide subsidies and EI as they transition to other income sources.
3. COMMERCIAL FISHING As is well known, the main food source for our Orcas is wild Chinook salmon, but Commercial and sport fishing greatly reduces the salmon population food supply for the Orcas and this is now compounded by over fishing the herring which feed the Chinook salmon. It is a fact that wild salmon take 7 years to recycle themselves from birth up river, swimming out to the ocean to grow big and obtain vital nutrients and then swimming back to the river of their birth to lay their eggs and die. 7 years is a very long time when we have lost 3 Orcas in 2 years from apparent starvation.
ACTION: Immediately ban commercial and sport fishing for Chinook Salmon until this vital food supply can be restored to meet the needs of our Orcas so they can thrive and produce healthy calves again.
4. WHALE WATCHING AND PLEASURE BOATS: While you have increased the distance to 400 meters that these vessels can be to our Orcas, fishermen report they constantly see violations of this law.
ACTION: Hire more Federal Fisheries and Oceans officers to enforce the regulations and double the current fines which must be paid within 30 days or less. For the second breach of the regulation, boats will be confiscated and sold or destroyed.
5. THE CITIES OF VICTORIA AND VANCOUVER for many years have been pumping millions of liters of raw sewage every day, as well as PCB's into the sea around us, which is habitat for our Orcas and other marine life.
WA State is suing Monsanto Chemicals due to PCB pollution, since the chemicals continue to imperil the health of protected salmon and Orcas, despite tens of millions of dollars spent by WA State to clean up the pollution? Why don't your governments take the same legal action against Monsanto?
ACTION: Accelerate the work already in progress to stop the Victoria/Vancouver pollution and clean up the PCB's. As well, inform us of what systems you have put in place to measure and monitor the effect of the UV treatment of sewage in the Orca habitat around both cities?
6. BC FERRIES AND ALL COMMERCIAL SHIPS:
a) Signs in BC Ferries' ships say the "washroom waste is green", which sounds good, but how is that checked and accurately maintained to ensure zero pollution?
b) Studies show that a speed reduction of just 1 knot reduces underwater noise for our Orcas by 1 decibel.
c) We are told the newly approved pipelines will increase cargo ship traffic 3 times in our coastal waters where our Orcas spend most of the year.
ACTION: Immediately slow down all ferries and commercial ships by 20% and ensure any commercial vessels travelling in our Orca habitat must have detection devices installed so the crew are alerted to slow down when Orcas are nearby. Ensure this requirement is strictly enforced until it can be accurately determined what our Orcas can handle noise wise, so their echolocation system is not distracted by all the ferries and commercial ships that travel in our Orca habitat every day.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Thank you for signing the Petition and if you can, please make a small donation of $5 or $10 on our site, link below, to achieve our goal to SAVE OUR SOUTHERN RESIDENT ORCAS from extinction. We are raising money from individuals and business for TV and social media advertising to educate the public everywhere about what humans have done to these Orcas for many years, which governments have allowed to happen. We believe such action will motivate our federal, provincial and municipal governments to act immediately on what they have known for years must be done.
Your support is greatly appreciated!
Brian J. Crombleholme - Save Our Orcas Organization
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Petition created on March 10, 2022