By Joe Copeland
From Crosscut.com
A conservative legal foundation has won a National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration review of endangered species protections for Puget Sound’s beloved orcas. NOAA FIsheries said this morning that it had accepted the Pacific Legal Foundation’s request that it study dropping the Endangered Species Act protection status of the Southern Resident killer whale population, which spends part of the year in Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands.
The agency said the petition from the foundation “presents new information about genetic samples, data analysis and interpretation.” Pacific argued in August that the struggling population of orcas (there are fewer than 90) here shouldn’t be protected as a distinct species but are part of a thriving, worldwide species of killer whales. The foundation filed petitions on behalf of two California farms affected by water restrictions meant to protect the orcas as they travel along the Coast.
In a Q&A on its site, NOAA said the review doesn’t mean that it is likely that the protections will be overturned but that the petition raised a reasonable possibility that it merits overturning the endangered status of the killer whales. Comments will be sought and a decision made by August of next year.
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What a joke.
I can’t believe that this is actually going on. Who is at the helm of NOAA these days? The population of whales is barely hanging on at approx. 90 individuals. This unlisting from the endangered species act practically paves the way for the coal depot to proceed with construction. WTF!!!
If anyone has any doubt about just who runs this government(including NOAA,) think COAL, Oil, big business, Transnationals, think BIG MONEY!
Whales? They are our Gift from Creator to Protect in a Healthy ocean. Everyone living now has a responsibility to All of Life on this planet! Will the Human species be next to become extinct? Not so far fetched considering how many loved ones we all have lost in the cancer epidemic spreading across the world now. Without a healthy planet, there are no healthy people. Simple as that.
Humanity has to get up off of its’ knees, stand up together, and roar like a Lion, “No More”!
Peace, Spirit Eagle
A review certainly does not presuppose delisting. The petition in this case was submitted by the Pacific Legal Foundation (as noted in the article), which appears to be generally opposed to ESA listings (you can find more about them at their website: https://www.pacificlegal.org. NOAA is required by law to review any petition that contains substantive claims and is not facially frivolous. Given how little data we generally have on any of our endangered species there is nearly always something left to review if someone insists upon it. Now we have the opportunity to look at what was submitted and to help NOAA respond appropriately.
So – does anyone out there know how/where to comment? Madrona, can you suggest some relevant points?
To me it doesn’t matter what the genetics are. These are our orcas! They share the islands’ waters with us. It is not okay for some corporate farm in California to decide they are disposable.
The genetics in this case may turn out to be far more interesting than the petitioners assumed–further research may well turn up that the Southern Residents are actually a fully separate species rather than simply a subspecies. The NOAA website has a link to a comment form (through regulations.gov). There are many very interesting genetics articles available in full online (though Google Scholar for example).
Don’t I recall that our resident Orcas do not associate/interbreed with the transients? and have maintained a separate genetic identity? So how do they find that resident whales are genetically identical with the world Orca population?
color me puzzled, and disgusted with business as usual with government “management.”