Orca Relief Citizen's Alliance

Immediate Release

ARE WE LOVING OUR WHALES TO DEATH?

Motorized Whale-Watch Boats May Play Primary Role In Orca Population Decline

SEATTLE� - June 1, 2002� - Three separate scientific studies released today show that motorized whale-watching boats may play a primary role in the decline of the southern resident Orca population.

Since 1995, the southern resident population of Orcas (which spend between six and eight months of the year in the San Juan Islands) has declined by 20 percent. During that same period, the number of motorized whale-watching boats in the area has increased dramatically, - to more than 90 boats on the water each day.

All three studies released today were commissioned by Orca Relief Citizens� - Alliance (ORCA). One of the studies was conducted by Dr. Birgit Kriete, who also serves as executive director of ORCA. The Kriete study shows that the whales� - energy requirements have increased by almost 20 percent for adult killer whales compared to the years when no or very few commercial whale watch boats were in operation. This is likely caused by the stress resulting from constant boat traffic around the whales, generating higher metabolic rates and therefore higher energy requirements.

Another research study done by Dr. David Bain, University of Washington, says motorized boats may degrade Orca sonar efficiency by 95-99 percent.

The third study, conducted by U.W. researchers Glenn VanBlaricom and Carlos Alvarez-Flores, shows a strong statistical correlation between whale population decline and boat activity.

� "The combination of these three research studies gives us the first clear story of what has been one of the main factors killing the whales," - says Mark Anderson, president of the ORCA. "For the first time, we can put all of these various causes into a sentence, based upon scientific research:

In an environment of declining salmon, the presence of the whale watch fleet decreases sonar efficiency by 95-99 percent, while increasing food requirements; the resulting starvation forces the whales to draw down toxin-laden blubber, and they die."

The three studies were released during the weekend Orca Recovery Conference held at the University of Washington. It was sponsored by the Earth Island Institute and was attended by more than 100 scientists and people interested in saving the Orca whales.

About Orca Relief
Orca Relief Citizens' Alliance was founded in 1997 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Orca Relief was formed to focus specifically on learning what may be causing Orca mortality, and in reducing this death rate. Orca Relief believes that killer whales, as the largest species of the dolphin family, represent an excellent opportunity to learn more about brains larger than ours. Orca Relief also believes that the Puget Sound populations are most likely to provide that knowledge.

Press Contact: Melissa Milburn, Orca Relief Citizens' Alliance, 206-972-9096

ORCA RELIEF CITIZENS' ALLIANCE
P.O. Box 1969 | Friday Harbor, WA | 98250 | Phone: (360) 370-5554 | Fax: (360) 378-7041
email: info@orcarelief.org

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