Whale Scout

Monika Wieland-Shields Talks Urgent Need for Task Force Comments, Writing, and Research

President of Orca Behavior Institute (OBI), Monika Wieland-Shields shares her thoughts on the 2018 Orca Task Force in Washington State and discusses the urgent need for the public to submit comments on the final Draft Recommendations Report. She also shares some of the important research OBI is doing to inform policy decisions being discussed at the Task Force meetings including a controversial cull of pinnipeds (seals and sea lions). Plus, hear about a book Monika is self-publishing!

For more information on how to craft BOLD comments to submit to the Task Force, please check out our Guide to BOLD Commenting document. This was a collaborative project between Whale Scout, Orca Behavior Institute, Salish SEA, and Orca Network. Please note that the most powerful comments are informed and personal, so please consider using our personal words and thoughts in communications with the Task Force.

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A Guide for BOLD Commenting on the final draft Orca Task Force Report

This is our last chance to tell the Task Force to go BOLD in Year 1 with their final recommendations to Governor Inslee to save the Southern Resident orcas. Earlier this month we came out with a simplified guide to the initial draft recommendations and public comment survey. Once again the four of us—Monika, Cindy, Whitney, and Susan—have been working together while pondering the question raised by some of the task force members at the end of the last meeting: are these recommendations BOLD enough? We have been told the task force is paying attention to public comment and we cannot stress enough how important it is for all of us as individuals to comment. We’d like to encourage you to advocate for the BOLDEST possible actions on behalf of the Southern Residents in this final draft commenting process and have developed this guide to help you.

Send your comments here by October 29th at midnight!

Simplified Guide To the Draft Orca Task Force Report

Commenting on the recent draft Orca Task Force Recommendations is important however the language makes it fairly difficult for the public to adequately engage with the process, BUT HELP IS HERE! We’ve been working working with our partners very quickly to pull together a simplified version of the report for you to use as a guide when commenting via the Survey Monkey. We also identified actions that we feel are most impactful. You will be asked towards the end of the survey to list the top FIVE actions you feel are most important so keep that in mind as you go through the sections.

Here at Whale Scout, we’re very concerned about ecosystem recovery and habitat protection/restoration.

Please share widely to help generate as much public input as possible. Thank you!

Alexandra Morton talks killer whale, wild salmon research and activism

Killer whale researcher turned salmon scientist and wild salmon advocate Alexandra Morton joins the Whale Scout podcast to share about her work. Beginning with studies of captive killer whale acoustics, Corky the orca lead her to British Columbia to the rest of her wild pod. From there, salmon farms moved in and Alexandra Morton stepped up to study the impacts on wild fish. Learn more about the related impacts for orcas and how you can help.

Learn more about Alexandra’s work here.

Read about Krisiti Miller’s research here.

Take action: write a letter to B.C. Premier John Horgan.

Learn why famed salmon are harmful in the documentary Salmon Confidential.

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Meet the Directors of Coextinction: a Documentary Series on a Mission

Meet the Directors of the new documentary series, Coextinction. Elena Jean and Gloria Pancrazi describe the film and the movement they’re hoping to create saving endangered Southern Resident orcas and the salmon they depend on.

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Veterinarian Dr. Nollens discusses J50’s condition and treatment plan

Dr. Hendrik Nollens is a Veterinarian at SeaWorld and member of the NOAA-lead operation to assess and treat J50, also known as Scarlet, an ailing Southern Resident killer whale. J50 has been deteriorating in health over the summer and teams have stepped in to help. This almost 4 year old whale is looking very thin and is possibly sick. Dr. Nollens discusses how she is doing and how the team plans to treat J50 for potential parasites.

Lean more about the effort to treat J50 at the NOAA website.

Other news:

Find information on Inslee’s Task Force and submit your comments here.

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Scientist answers the question: How might J35 be doing physiologically?

Sixteen days after the birth and death of her calf, J35 continues to carry the body of the deceased orca as she travels with the rest of her pod. The unprecedented length of time this behavior has continued has begged the question, how might J35 be doing physiologically? At the same time, an operation to try and save J50, another J pod whale who appears in very poor body condition is underway. Learn more with Dawn Noren, Physiological Ecologist at NOAA.

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Jeanette Dorner talks tragedy of J35, her calf, and how to help

Director of the Mid Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group, Jeanette Dorner, discusses the recent news of J35’s deceased calf from a salmon recovery perspective. What can you do to help right now? A big opportunity to move large, shovel-ready, salmon habitat restoration projects is right before us. These projects include dam removal in Puget Sound rivers supporting Chinook salmon, orcas preferred prey. Listen to and read on to learn more.

Learn more.

Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration (PSAR) Fund Ranked List from the Puget Sound Partnership.

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Jeanette Dorner Returns to Discuss the Latest on Salmon in Washington State 2/25/18

Jeanette Dorner, Director of Mid-Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group, gives us an update on what’s going on in Olympia regarding Atlantic salmon farming and rumors of ramping up hatchery production to provide more prey for killer whales. Whitney shares a story about a local park she is hoping the City of Bothell will name after redfish, also known as kokanee and Jeanette describes restoration projects in Lake Sammamish. Plus, more on upcoming events.