Orca Protection Task Force Update
Washington Governor Inslee’s Southern Resident Orca Task Force has received actions to recover southern resident orcas. The draft recommendations were generated by the three Working Groups looking at Lack of prey; Toxic contaminants and Disturbance from noise and vessel traffic.
This is great news but there are in fact 4 main threats to the SRKWs. The orca captures started by the Vancouver Aquarium in 1964 continues to have a major impact because it takes over 50 years to try to correct the resulting abnormal age/sex ratio. The 68 young orcas and the unreported others who died during captures were mostly from the SRKWs. A generation was lost.
A Fourth Working Group: Aquarium Captivity for Entertainment and Experiments must be immediately formed. With goal to:
Prohibit all aquarium captures. There are organizations not affiliated with the aquarium industry that should be working partners not Sea World etc.. The use of sea pens should only be used for lone cetaceans after all efforts have been made to reunite with family. Absolutely NO aquarium transfers and long term imprisonment! (In 2017 the Vancouver Park Board amended the Cetacean Bylaw to stop cetacean captivity. However, the Vancouver Aquarium said that they will fight to keep who they claim are “rescues” from across Canada who cannot be released. They would keep them until they find an aquarium. This has been a free wildlife market for aquariums and zoos for decades.)
The “public” is invited to comment on the draft report, which provides the context for the work of the Task Force and lists the possible actions identified and recommended by the Working Groups. Comments must be submitted no later than midnight, October, 7, via the Task Force online public comment portal at governor.wa.gov/orcareport. In this Comment Contact there is a questionnaire. But in Part 9 Lifeforce hopes that you will list the Immediate Actions to Save Orcas as listed below as Lifeforce has stated.
Next steps: Public comments received on this draft report will be provided directly to the Task Force for consideration at their meeting on October 17-18, 2018. Note: The draft report does not yet include Task Force recommendations to Governor Inslee. Task Force members themselves also have the opportunity to delete, recraft, or add recommendations. The final report of recommendations is due to Governor Inslee on November 16, 2018. The timeline is posted on the Governor’s website.
I support these Immediate Actions to Save the Orcas:
1. A Fourth Working Group: Ending Aquarium Captivity for Entertainment and Experiments must be immediately formed.
2. Stop Boat Traffic! Including Research Boat Traffic!
Implement a Moratorium on Whale Watching the SRKWs whose family numbers only 74.This would also help reduce private boaters from locating and copying the companies.
3. Stop Starvation!
In order to get food for the starving orcas there must be minimum 5 year moratoriums on salmon, herring, and others.
4. Increase Boater Awareness Education!
The public, industries and others must be better educated! Training by marine associated businesses and associations must include Marine Mammal Regulations and how to properly operate boats for the safety of both orcas and people.
This must include a) stopping boats from driving over orcas by using a Construction Zone type SLOW/STOP paddle when boats are usually NOT intercepted and b) No Go Zones. Example: It is basically impossible to follow regulations in most areas of the Canadian Active Pass.
5. Call Them! Don’t Bomb Them! Stop Noise Pollution
The use of passive orca playbacks must be a priority for oil spill responses NOT seal bombs and other possible harmful methods presently listed as response methods. Playbacks can attract orca pods away from oil spills and other dangers.
6. Stop Invasive Experiments that Resulted in the Death of a SRKW! Stop Research Boat Traffic!
Sentient, endangered orca families must not continue to be treated as research tools. They are being studied to death and it must stop! Research vessels drive right over orcas and within meters. And Private boats copy the research boats!
For example, a dart tracker caused an infection that led to the death of an endangered SRKW. There is no need to use dart trackers because underwater hydrophones are presently in the oceans. Skin biopsies can also open pathways for life threatening infections. Adverse impacts from shooting them include slight to strong reactions! This included “quivering” with fear!
The impacts from non invasive research by boats must also be assessed. This would include breath samples, scat samples, and other studies.
For further information: lifeforcesociety@gmail.com
See our new campaign poster “Keep Us Alive” at Ocean Friends
https://www.facebook.com/Ocean-Friends-1442963759271400/
Sign and Share the Petition: Save the Orca Families Now!
Lifeforce have been fighting to save these orcas from extinction since 1993. You can contribute to protecting these orcas by signing and sharing the petition and through making a donation to Lifeforce Foundation through Paypal.http://www.lifeforcefoundation.org/support.php
Thank you!