The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission are considering not implementing their proposed plan to suspend viewing of the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKWs) by whale watch companies. 

WDFW previously stated: “The purpose of creating rules for commercial whale watching of SRKW is to reduce the impacts of vessel noise and disturbance on the whales' ability to forage, rest, and socialize ... “For these reasons, commercial viewing on southern residents should be suspended until such time as the whales have experienced some recovery; indeed, we believe that a temporary suspension is the only responsible policy consistent with a precautionary approach.” 

They must keep this plan and not allow whale watching under the guise of companies assisting with “research”.

Public Comment ended December 5thand will be discussed on December 18th. One of Lifeforce’s recommendations was:

The New Future?

Instead of whale watch companies and research vessels, more humane, modern alternatives must be implemented. This can include land based whale watching/monitoring (with high power telescopes and other research equipment); land based drone monitoring; hydrophones and motion sensing cameras on navigation markers and at land bases; the tracking/vocal identifications by the use of vast government, university and other hydrophone networks in the Salish Sea and oceans; satellite monitoring and much, much more. 

Lifeforce’s New Plan for Orca Protection promotes modern technological advances. A moratorium on whale watching the endangered orcas does have significant life-saving value to the whales because it reduces the proven harmful impacts from boat traffic. 

SRKWs and other orcas have been treated as research tools for lucrative grants and careers!  Decades of these experiments hasn’t saved them! It is not necessary to have most of the present boats on these orcas all day long. Boat traffic is one of the three major threats! Reduce it now or lose the SRKWs forever! We Can and Must Do Better! Orcas Need a New Protection Plan! 

Please continue to sign and share this petition. You can also help the Lifeforce Foundation continue our important work by making needed donations to the Lifeforce Foundation through Paypal > http://www.lifeforcefoundation.org/support.php

Thank you for Helping Lifeforce Help Orcas!

Peter Hamilton

Lifeforce Founder