capt. mike
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whaling in Alaska. Still a problem for Greys.
Susan,
What a tragedy!! Of the worst kind. Can’t this tribe step into reality? If they want to go back to ancient times and revive their heritage, then
get rid of the cars, phones, medicine, etc....and put a perimeter around the land they own. Then let starvation set in and the dangerous whale hunts
to begin---with only harpoons---not cannons and elephant guns. No matter the situation, this is not going to revive ANY sort of kinship amongst their
tribe.
Why not embrace the grays and find a way to utilize the beautiful area and lands that they have to find another PRIDE within themselves. Build a
future for themselves, the children etc....Local Mexican fishermen, that once thought of the Gray whales as mere pests have done this. AND they have
changed their futures. They have children now going to universities, studying to be biologists, accountants....obtaining professional degrees...as
well as becoming naturalists.
The things I have seen are astonishing. From 20 or so grays dying in nets in the lagoon every season to the entire lagoon striving to keep this place
sacred and respecting the mighty Gray.
It’s a sad thing that the Makah cannot find a similar path to go down and find pride amongst these giants that fed them through tough winters. Give
respect to this animal. No matter what we or they might be thinking, we now live in the twenty-first century and killing whales does nobody any good.
Not only is it bad press for the Makah tribe, it accomplishes nothing!! What have they accomplished and what are their goals. Get their children
educated and save their precious resources and themselves by instilling pride in what incredible natural resources they have.
Here in Baja, Mexico people would kill to have what they have and would scowl at how they utilize their time for such waste.
I hope one day someone in the Makah tribe will REALLY stand up and embrace reality and realize that what they are doing accomplishes NOTHING and sit
down and figure out a real plan to resuscitate their people and bring them back to the giants they once used to be.
Kind Regards,
And keep me posted,
name withheld.
On 9/8/07 3:25 PM, "Susan Berta" <susan@orcanetwork.org> wrote:
Bad, sad news.....
I just got a call from someone on the Strait of Juan de Fuca - the Makah Tribe shot a Resident Gray whale about 12 miles west of Seiku, in the Strait
of Juan de Fuca this afternoon. The whale was still alive, and the Coast Guard has a perimeter set up around the whale. Apparently NMFS & the
Coast Guard have detained the tribal members involved, as they did not have the go-ahead to continue the hunt at this time & Federal laws have
been broken.
There have been several Gray whales in the Seiku area feeding all summer long, we've had numerous reports of them from area residents. There is a
fishing derby happening out of Seiku today, it's a sunny day & the coast is packed with tourists, fishermen, etc.
We'll send along any further information as we receive it -
Susan & Howie
Orca Network
Susan Berta
Orca Network
info@orcanetwork.org
www.orcanetwork.org <http://www.orcanetwork.org/>
< <http://www.orcanetwork.org/> http://www.orcanetwork.org/ > <http://www.orcanetwork.org/> 1-866-ORCANET
formerly Ordained in Rev. Ewing\'s Church by Mail - busted on tax fraud.......
Now joined L. Ron Hoover\'s church of Appliantology
\"Remember there is a big difference between kneeling down and bending over....\"
www.facebook.com/michael.l.goering |
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shari
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Not Alaska but popular tourism area around Vancouver and vancouver island!
I used to live in that area and was very familiar with this whole issue. I lived amonst the natives of the west coast who were traditional whaling
families who now have whale watching businesses and depend on tourism which is working out well for them. I was told that the Makah began all this
after a Japanese group came to their tribe and "helped" them organize these hunts disguised as traditional ones. the Japanese have a keen interest in
reinstating whaling everywhere..and it this aboriginal use tactic is common. They are very intelligent and know how to "sell" the idea to the tribes.
It is very sad and dangerous as the "friendly" whale phenomenon makes it real easy to kill them....the whales have lost their fear of boats now and
approach them...well if they keep up this killing, the whales in this area may retaliate and cause harm to whale watching boats...it will certainly
upset the balance and trust that has been nurtured over the last 20 years between whales and humans. I am all for aboriginal permits to hunt game but
whales are a very different issue particularly in a popular tourism area.
[Edited on 9-9-2007 by shari]
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Natalie Ann
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Seems the members of this 'ritual' hunting party shot the grey whale with a .50-caliber machine gun. Seems not particularly a spiritual adventure to
me.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070909/ap_on_sc/whale_shot
Calif. gray whale shot with machine gun
Sun Sep 9, 8:00 AM ET
NEAH BAY, Wash. - An injured California gray whale was swimming out to sea Saturday after being shot with a machine gun off the western tip of
Washington state, officials said.
Coast Guard Petty Officer Kelly Parker said five people believed to be members of the Makah Tribe shot and harpooned the whale Saturday morning. The
extent of the whale's injuries were not immediately known.
Tribe members were being held by the Coast Guard but had not been charged, said Mark Oswell, a spokesman for the law enforcement arm of the National
Marine Fisheries Service.
A preliminary report said the whale was shot with a .50-caliber machine gun, Oswell said.
Coast Guard officials created a 1,000-yard safety zone around the injured whale, which was shot about a mile east of Neah Bay in the Strait of Juan de
Fuca. The whale had begun heading to sea Saturday afternoon, Oswell said.
Although the tribe has subsistence fishing rights to kill whales, Oswell said preliminary information indicates the whale may have been shot
illegally.
"We allow native hunts for cultural purposes. However, this does not appear to be of that nature so far," he said.
The Makah Tribe has more than 1,000 members and is based in Neah Bay.
A call to tribal officials was not immediately returned on Saturday. Tribal Chairman Ben Johnson told The Seattle Times that the tribe has been
seeking an exemption from the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act so that it could take up to five gray whales per year. However, Johnson said the
tribe had not yet secured that exemption for a new hunt.
Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.
.....Oscar Wilde
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Cypress
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Jeez! Those Makah dudes must be some real brave warriors, harpooning a tame
whale and then putting it out of it's misery with machine gun.
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shari
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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I rather doubt these warriors engaged in all the pre-hunt rituals that traditional hunts require. I was involved in photo ID'ing "resident" grays in
this area..and these grays that remain there in the summer have very small groups...many times between 6-12 animals in each bay. So for them to take 5
whales in their area not only would decimate their summer resident whales but certainly other whales would not return to this death trap later, which
will affect the whale watching companies there, not to mention the danger of aggressive angry whales retaliating. they do't even eat whale
anymore...I'd bet their Japanese amigos get most of it.
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Cypress
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Makah whalers? Ought to put 'em on a whale blubber diet till they puke.
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Sharksbaja
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"Spiritual" oh, as in "casino"? I get it. Not!
DON\'T SQUINT! Give yer eyes a break!
Try holding down [control] key and toggle the [+ and -] keys
Viva Mulege!
Nomads\' Sunsets
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CaboRon
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Cypress
Makah whalers? Ought to put 'em on a whale blubber diet till they puke.
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That's what they want....they love the taste of whale blubber !!!!!!
What I will authorize though, is the use of fifty cal. machine guns on the Makah whalers.
- CaboRon
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Iflyfish
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We were just in Neah Bay a week ago and saw a number of Whales feeding very close to shore. We did not know that they were resident of the area and
wondered why they were so late in their migration. Talk about killing the goose that laid the golden egg.. Sad indeed.
Iflyfish
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shari
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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there is a big difference between bothering a migrating whale and one that lives in your neighbourhood. the residents there are a very select few and
if you pee them off, they will just go to another taco stand.
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Cypress
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CaboRon  Those Makah so called "whalers" have killed a friend.
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