Orca Relief Applauds ESA Listing of Orca Whales

(Mark Anderson)

Experts Caution More Work Ahead to Save Population. Orca Relief Citizens' Alliance applauds the National Marine Fisheries Service for today's decision to list the Southern Resident orca whale population as an Endangered Species. The three pods spend up to eight months of the year in the San Juan Islands of Washington State.

The group has just been listed as an endangered species under the federal Endangered Species Act, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries Service) announced today.

Known officially as Southern Resident killer whales, they were proposed a year ago for "threatened" status under the Endangered Species Act.

"Recent information and further analysis leads our agency to conclude that the Southern Resident killer whale population is at risk of extinction, and should be listed as endangered," said Bob Lohn, regional administrator for NOAA Fisheries Service's Northwest region. "By giving it protection under the ESA, we have a better chance of keeping this population alive for future generations."

"We are encouraged that scientists understand the damage that has been done to this specific orca population, but much more work needs to be done to save these animals," says Mark Anderson, founder of Orca Relief Citizens' Alliance (ORCA).

In fact, Orca Relief has recently proposed three new ideas including whale weekends (giving the orcas two days off from whale-watching boats), longer days for whales (limiting the whale watch viewing hours from 10am-2pm), and giving the whales more room (expanding the current 100 yard rule, to 400 yards).

"We must put these animals before tourism and tourism dollars," says Dr. Birgit Kriete, executive director of Orca Relief. "We hope increased funding will be available to protect this population," she added.

"Recent information and further analysis leads our agency to conclude that the Southern Resident killer whale population is at risk of extinction, and should be listed as endangered," said Bob Lohn, regional administrator for NOAA Fisheries Service's Northwest region. "By giving it protection under the ESA, we have a better chance of keeping this population alive for future generations."

A species listed as threatened is at risk of becoming endangered; an endangered species is one at risk of extinction.

The Southern Resident killer whale population experienced a 20 percent decline in the 1990s, raising concerns about its future. Many members of the group were captured during the 1970s for commercial display aquariums. During that same period, the number of motorized whale- watching boats in the area has increased dramatically -- reaching up to as many as 140 boats in a single day.

Harassment by marine vehicles is among the factors cited by the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife as contributing to the whale population decline.

The new listing under the Endangered Species Act will require federal agencies to make sure their actions are not likely to harm the whales. NOAA Fisheries Service said its ongoing efforts to restore salmon stocks in Puget Sound should benefit the whales. Other federal agencies' efforts are likely to focus on toxic chemicals and vessel traffic.

The population peaked at 97 animals in the 1990s and then declined to 79 in 2001. It currently stands at 89 whales, including a solitary male that has taken up residence in a small inlet in British Columbia.





About Orca Relief

Orca Relief Citizens' Alliance is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1997, based in the San Juan Islands of Washington state. ORCA began encouraging land-based watching in 2002, after commissioning three scientific studies that showed motorized whale-watching boats may play a primary role in the decline of the southern resident Orca population. For information, visit www.orcarelief.org. Orca Relief is focused specifically on learning what may be causing Orca mortality, and in reducing this death rate. Orca Relief believes that killer whales, as the largest species of the dolphin family, represent an excellent opportunity to learn more about brains larger than ours. Orca Relief also believes that the Puget Sound populations are most likely to provide that knowledge.


[more..]