Overfishing: Oceans Are Dying
This is the Hall of Fame for all around the world Sea Shepherd Conservation Society advocates. This is our tribute for supporting our cause and for defending the Oceans and
| Protest launched against whale-watching boats |
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| Tuesday, 14 July 2009 17:05 | |||
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,"ORCA Chair Mark Anderson commented. "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 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." The group suggested there would be continued protest actions throughout the summer. 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. (From sanjuanislander.com, San Juan Island, Washington) 
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Last Saturday morning, 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. 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.
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