Another forgotten article about Orcla............

Whale-Watching Biggest Threat To Orcas?

June 2, 2002

By KOMO Staff & News Services Tools Email This Story Printer-friendly Version

SEATTLE - Although the whale-watching industry celebrates orcas and draws attention to their plight, boats that follow the majestic Northwest icons may pose their greatest risk. Three studies being presented this weekend at the Orca Recovery Conference at the University of Washington suggest the whale-watching boats have helped cause the decline of an orca population in the San Juan Islands. 'Based on the information we are releasing today, the primary cause of orca death appears to be boats,' Mark Anderson, founder of the Orca Relief Citizens' Alliance, said Saturday. The alliance, a nonprofit organization based in Friday Harbor, commissioned the studies. One suggests that noise from whale-watching boats is muddying orcas' echolocation signals, which makes it more difficult for them to hunt for fish. Another study indicates that orcas are swimming faster and breathing more quickly than they were in the mid-1980s, a sign the animals are stressed out. The third study shows that survival rates have declined most significantly for males, especially older ones. There has been no independent peer review of the studies, which are not expected to be published until sometime next year, Anderson said. 'This is a work in progress. There's much more to do,' he said. 'It's a little as if there's been a crime, and pictures have been taken, and we're watching those pictures develop.' Operators of whale-watching boats say they're already taking steps to ease their impact on orcas, such as shutting motors off within a mile of the whales. 'We want to do the right things, but you have to do them for scientifically valid reasons,' said Michael Bennett, who runs the Mosquito Fleet, a whale-watching boat out of Everett. Others who operate whale-watching boats agreed that the three studies must be thoroughly reviewed by other scientists. 'I think obviously every perceived threat must be addressed,' said Anna Hall, a University of British Columbia student pursuing her master's degree in marine mammal research. She also works on board a whale-watching boat off Victoria. Guidelines recently set by the National Marine Fisheries Service specify that boats should stay at least 100 yards away from orcas and slow to 5 knots within 400 yards. The population of southern resident killer whales off Washington state and British Columbia has dropped from 98 in 1995 to 78 last year, a 20 percent decline. At the same time, the number of whale-watching boats has increased - from 42 in 1994 to 82 last year. (Here Graem) 'If you're a whale lover, as the boat operators themselves are, would you spend 75 bucks to go out there if you knew that what you were doing might be killing the whales?' Anderson asked. Marc Pakenham, community adviser for Fisheries and Oceans Canada, said the average number of whale-watching boats spotted near orcas is much lower: 18. Pakenham suggested several changes that could ease the stress whale-watching boats cause orcas: establishing a permit process that would require operators to control the length of their trips, limiting the number of boats allowed in a given area or creating sanctuaries where whale-watching boats are not permitted. 'What we have to do is establish some rules of engagement for their habitat,' Pakenham said. Authors of the three studies were UW Professor David Bain; Birgit Kriete, executive director of the Orca Relief Citizens' Alliance; and Glenn VanBlaricom, an associate professor in the UW's School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences. Other threats to orcas include oil spills, pollution from industrial toxins and dwindling Northwest fish stocks. 'They tend to starve,' Anderson said, 'and as they starve, they draw down their blubber, where all those toxins are, and they get poisoned in the process.' Conservationists are asking the government to list the southern resident orcas as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act. Biologists with the fisheries service are reviewing the request, which was submitted more than a year ago. Founded in 1997, Orca Relief Citizens' Alliance describes its mission as learning more about what's causing the decline in the orca population. The three-day orca recovery conference ends Sunday.

Another article the whale- lovers forgot to share with us!

anca*

anca, show documentation of 1 whale being killed by whale watchers....and for your info...did you know that norway killed the following numbers of whales:

1999

Excellent point. Whal watching needs to be closely regualteded and monitored to protect whales, but this is a smokescreen by whalers to divert from the intentional death and harm caused by whalers. They are afraid that as more people come to appreciate whales by watching them, that whaling opposition will increase.

Richard Hayduke Lives! 'Take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.' -Elie Wiesel-

I don't want to talk to you, because you are Graem too. And for all I know you might be Rev. In the article 09.06 at 23.17 'So long and thanks for all the fish'. The signature is: anca*

you might be Rev.In the post written 09.06,at 23.17 'so long and thanks for all the fish' the signature is yours

Rev show me in this post :were did I tell you or anybody else that whale watching is a killer ? The scientist did in my other post, but not me. I just wanted to show the alt.animals.whale readers that you avoid articles you don't like.'Another article the 'whale-lovers' forgot to share with us'(anca) are my only words here. You are mixing another discussion in here. If you want to compare the Norwegian hunt traditions 60 years back in time with the hunt traditions in your own country: THEN TELL ME WHICH COUNTRY YOU REPRESENT. (otherwise its not a just discussion) I guess it's a reason for your silence. The article give the whale watching industry bad publisity, and you don't like it. And of course it's more difficult to prove that the whales are suffering and starving because of the whale watching industry. You are complete utilizing the situation. anca*

That is sound.

She may be , but as a student she is unqualified as yet.

She also works on board a whale-watching boat off

These are good.

That is bad.

Yes that is overkill. A much smaller number of boats, say maximum of five, with one trip per day each, minimum time spent with the animals, say maximum of 10 minutes (50 minutes per day total within the 400 metre restriction around the animals) and spell times when the animals could be left alone for periods of 4 or 5 hours would be better.

are, some here in New Zealand are only in it for the money, some have changed from Game fishing becasue that has fallen in popularity as more people want to peacefully interact with living wildlife and less want to go out there and kill indicrimanently. Some operators, ex killers, have shifted to getr a slice of the profit.

would you

So long as I held a firm belief in the qualtity of that information. Snippings posted by those who support killing whales simply to justify their desire to be allowed to kill are not instantly credible to me.

18.

So where does your 82 boats come from and were the 18 boats seen there together?

This is in place in New Zealand.

limiting the number of boats

Here in New Zealand permits cover the area of operation and the time allowed to spend with whales. I advocate slow deep displacement vessels with well protected propellors, speed limits, approach limits better than those our Department of Conservation allows. However we don't have a resident population of Orca in this area, so they are found randomly.

Yes, this is the key!

A pro captivity person I see.

The answer lies in fisheries management and pollution control, as it does everywhere.

Hope they do.

Just as well you found it then. ennit

Anca I am in New Zealand and I am not Douglasred.

You should not try to see stories that support your world view, but to see the truth.

You are attributing things to me which douglasred said. You should watch the source of your quotes.

And the scientist in my post did not think whale matching was a significant impact on orcas.

Not me, I read 'em. I'm just skeptical about folks who support killing whales suddenly becoming so very concerned about what may be insignificant (or not) dangers to some of them.

The rest of you post you'll have to take up with douglasred.

Richard Hayduke Lives! 'Take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.' -Elie Wiesel-

Douglasred is not me. Perhaps you just don't want to talk to folks with different viewpoints.

Richard Hayduke Lives! 'Take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.' -Elie Wiesel-

perhaps, anca, you don't want to talk to me because you cannot refute the facts I put forth? And now you quickly stoop to namecalling...too bad. i will say this to clear up your confused mind: Graeme is Graeme, the Rev is the Rev, and I am Douglasred (terminalethargy)...or maybe you are havid...or worse still clund (joke)!

terminalethargy(Douglasred)