NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service wants your thoughts on how to protect Puget Sound orcas from disturbance from boats (see notice here). The killer whales were declared an endangered species by the agency on Nov. 18, 2005 and one of the threats to the animals is being hassled by The Man — The Man being boats and vessels of all shapes and sizes.
Scientists have found that boats — perhaps their presence or sounds or both — can disturb orcas, causing them to swim faster or erratically, lengthen or shorten their diving times, move into open water and alter their behavior at the surface.
Ideas being considered by NMFS (and elaborated on in the Federal Register notice here):
– Making the current “Be Whale Wise” marine mammal viewing guidelines requirements, not just recommendations
– Establishing a “minimum approach rule” limiting how close whale watchers can get to orcas, with a possible distance of 100 yards/meters
– Prohibiting harassment activities such as herding orcas
– Putting some areas off-limits to vessel traffic
– Putting areas off-limits except to certified whale-watching vessel operators
Public hearings are scheduled for:
– April 18, 2007, 2–4 p.m. in The Grange Hall, Friday Harbor
– April 19, 2007, 7–9 p.m. at the Seattle Aquarium
Comments must be received no later than June 20, 2007. Send your ruminations to:
– Assistant Regional Administrator, Protected Resources Division, Northwest Regional Office, NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way N.E., Seattle, WA 98115.
– call Lynne Barre, Northwest Regional Office, 206–526–4745