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Lifeforce Report: Part 1 - Contact: In Pursuit Of Orcas
posted on February 14, 2009
Open Letter
To: Those Who Want to Protect Endangered Orcas
From: Peter Hamilton, Lifeforce Foundation
Re: Lifeforce Report: Part 1 “Contact: In Pursuit of Orcas”
From sunrise to sunset the endangered orcas of the Pacific Northwest are relentlessly pursued everywhere – off the shore lines and in open waters. 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 waters in Southern BC and WA. I developed educational materials such as the “Whale Watching Guidelines for Southern BC & Washington”.
In 2008 Lifeforce gathered conclusive evidence of 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 approach by volunteer organizations 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.”
In Part 1 Lifeforce provides some of the more than 1100 violation photos that we took of the Whale Watch Industry and pleasure boaters. In Part 2 we will look at the other types of boat traffic that can seriously affect and harm orcas. The report is at:
http://www.lifeforcefoundation.org/files/INPURSUITORCASJAN2009_sm.pdf
Present enforcement plans do not adequately protect orcas. This is especially the case in Georgia Strait from Vancouver to the San Juan Islands. We urge you to take immediate action to help protect orcas by helping to secure funds for Canadian and US government agencies to enforce regulations. The orcas need your help. Please contact your respective Canadian or US Government officials.
Contact Lifeforce at lifeforcesociety@hotmail.com
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