Fw: Help save whales of Robson Bight

[Guest guest]

Living Oceans Society

 

Living Oceans Society needs your support to protect the whales of Robson

Bight. By asking that government conduct a full investigation, you will be

joining the many people around the world who have joined together to protect

the whales of Robson Bight.

 

On August 20th, a barge carrying logging equipment and a fuel truck spilled

its contents into critical whale habitat in the Michael Bigg Ecological

Reserve at Robson Bight. (see a map of the spill location) The truck, which

contained 10,000 litres of diesel, is now laying at a depth of 350 metres

and may still contain thousands of litres, Right now, we need your help to

make sure all necessary s teps are taken to protect the whales and other

marine life from the toxic effects of the diesel spill.

 

Living Oceans Society, whale researchers, and local whale watching companies

believe that we owe it to the whales to fully investigate and assess the

risk the fuel truck and equipment still pose to the ecosystem. To do this,

we must deploy specialized equipment operated by deep sea dive experts, and

if the dive is not conducted by the end of this September, it will be July

2008 before the weather allows for inspection of the wreckage again.

 

We strongly believe that this investigation must be led by the federal and

provincial governments, along with the company responsible for the accident.

While the provincial government has shown leadership and supported this

investigation, the Federal Coast Guard remains uncommitted and the clock is

ticking. If the government fails to launch this investigation, then we will

coordinate it ourselves.

 

We are asking people to send an email to The Honourable Loyola Hearn,

Minster of Fisheries and Oceans Canada and responsible for the Coast Guard,

asking him to support an underwater investigation of Robson Bight.

 

SEND AN EMAIL ONLINE:

http://www.actionstudio.org/public/page_view_all.cfm?option=begin & pageid=832

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With your help we can take all steps necessary to protect the whales and the

place they call home.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Lash

Executive Director

 

 

Robson Bight is summer home to the Northern Resident orca whales who

frequent the area to feed and rub on the pebble beach. At the time of the

spill, seven orcas from " I " Pod were in the reserve, and swam through the

diesel spill at least four times.

By the next day, 50 whales had spent considerable time swimming through the

fuel. Whale researchers believe that up to 25 percent of the entire Northern

Resident population have inhaled diesel vapours which could cause lung

lesions, pneumonia and other potentially lethal health consequences. There

are 230 Northern Resident orcas and they are listed as a threatened species.