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Lifeforce Public Comments Re: Boat Traffic Harrassment Of Orcas
posted on March 6, 2010
ACTION: US Government Proposed rule; request for comments, and availability of Draft Environmental Assessment on regulations to protect killer whales from vessel effects.(info at www.noaa.gov)
LIFEFORCE COMMENTS
From sunrise to sunset the endangered orcas are relentlessly pursued everywhere. Under the name of entertainment they are the gold treasure sought after by a multi-million dollar eco tourism industry. When the treasure is found the code word “Contact” is issued to the whale watch fleet. Lifeforce is a non-profit ecology organization based in Vancouver and WA. From 1993 to 2005 I operated the “Lifewatch Boater Awareness Program” to advise boaters about the guidelines/regulations re: watching marine wildlife such as orcas. This was the first program in Southern BC waters. I developed educational materials such as the “Whale Watching Guidelines for Southern BC & Washington”. In 2008 Lifeforce gathered conclusive evidence of ongoing flagrant disregard for the well being of orcas and the laws. We only had to spend a few days to observe repeated violations. This is common whale watch company practises when they are not watched by enforcement agencies. Pleasure boats imitate the illegal practises. When pleasure boaters are approached and advised of the laws they often respond by saying “We were just doing what the whale watch boats were doing. We thought they knew what to do.”
Read the full report and recommendations:
 Download BOATVESSELLEGISLATION.pdf |
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