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Key marine life protections at risk
With the government back in action, conservationists worry budget talks could gut whale research and chip away at key protections.
VASHON ISLAND, Wash. - With federal work resuming, conservationists are sounding the alarm over potential budget and policy rollbacks they say could threaten local marine wildlife including humpback whales, transient orcas, southern resident killer whales and other protected species in Washington waters.
Wildlife advocates from across Puget Sound warn efforts to cut research funding and amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act could undo decades of progress.
Concerns after Oregon whale stranding
For days, viewers followed the attempted rescue of a young humpback stranded on an Oregon beach, a whale ultimately euthanized.
"They’re saying that the humpback looked really healthy," remarked Tamara Kelley, Director of Development for Orca Conservancy. "It was entangled in fishing gear or crab pots derelict crab pots. Loosening restrictions might risk more and more things like that happening."
Veterinary nurse Casey Mclean, executive director of Des Moines–based SR3 Sealife Response, Rehabilitation and Research, was one of the first on scene.
"Getting an animal of that size off the beach is extremely challenging," shared Mclean, noting crews attempted to use an innovative pulley system but could not drag the whale by its tail due to the risk of spinal damage.
She warns that without robust research funding, emergency team rescues like this could face delays or never happen at all.
"I think in the future this could be impacted by those funding reductions that we’re facing," said Mclean.
She added that without trained responders, the public could be put in danger.
"A perfect example of that is the day before the teams were able to arrive there was the public in the water with this animal," she pointed out. "Fortunately no one was severely injured to my knowledge and no deaths, but that is a real possibility if we don’t have response teams."
Proposed changes spark backlash
Conservationists point to draft legislation by Alaska Rep. Nick Begich that aims to amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. Supporters argue the law has gone too far and that easing restrictions could benefit coastal communities now that some species have rebounded. The draft says, in part:
"…unduly and un-necessarily constrained government, tribes, and the regulated community"
"… implementation and limitations of this Act have hindered some efforts to restore threatened species and endangered species, such as salmon…"
Kelley disagrees.
"It’s basically going to undo what’s already been written," Kelley warned. "If you are going to go do offshore drilling, you might not have to worry about the southern residents under an automatic approval process."
She also noted a provision that shifts commercial fishing standards from zero by catch to "near zero," calling that "ambiguous."
"If we don’t protect these resources we’re going to lose them," she said.
"Humpback comeback" at risk
Kelley says the protection act has been pivotal in restoring species over the past 50 years.
"We have seen firsthand how the Marine Mammal Protection Act has benefited the ecosystem," argues Kelley. "For the last decade we have had what has been called the ‘humpback comeback.’"
She explained that in the 1960s, humpbacks were almost extinct in the Pacific because of whaling practices, but recovery followed passage of the act.
The resurgence extends to other species.
"We’ve had this big increase of the Bigg’s or the transient mammal-eating killer whales coming into the Salish Sea, and the reason is they have enough to eat," said Kelley.
She argues before the act, it was legal to hunt seals, sea lions and porpoises. With no barriers, these animals were almost wiped to extinction. Kelley notes that while protections are being challenged, the pool of research funding is shrinking.
"The scientific community is very much under attack," she said. "The pond that we all use for funding is getting smaller and there’s more and more of us trying to fit and so there’s starting to become an upswell of competition of resources."
"A death of a thousand cuts"
Kelley worries piecemeal weakening of standards could push southern resident killer whales, already struggling, past their limits.
"It’s just going to keep compounding the issues, and the southern residents are dying a death of a thousand cuts," she said.
While she acknowledges the need for development, Kelley says it should not come at the expense of ecosystems.
"I don’t think it’s fair for conservationists to say, ‘Oh, we can’t develop land or expand because we as communities and cities have needs,’ but it’s not fair to say, ‘Okay, you can’t have a say in what’s going on, we’re just going to do it at the expense of an ecosystem that we all depend on.’"
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The Source: Information in this story came from SR3 Sealife Response and original FOX 13 Seattle reporting and interviews.