Orca Action Month proclaimed in Blaine

The month of June this year has been proclaimed Orca Action Month in the city of Blaine. Mayor Bonnie Onyon made the proclamation at the June 24 city council meeting.

Onyon noted that the Southern Resident orcas were listed as endangered in November 2005 under the Endangered Species Act, and that major factors in the decline of the Southern Resident orca population include captures for marine parks in the 1960s and 1970s, declining salmon runs, toxic pollution, loss of habitat and increasing vessel traffic and noise levels in Puget Sound and the ocean.

“Bringing attention to the orcas will also bring attention to the need to clean up Puget Sound and restore and conserve important Puget Sound habitats and Chinook salmon spawning grounds,” said Onyon. “We are blessed to have this community of orcas in our midst, know them as individuals and pods and watch them from our ferries, boats and many miles of shoreline.”

Onyon also noted that people have only started to learn about the intelligence and social capabilities of orcas, and that Washington state supports efforts to recover this endangered population of Southern Resident orcas. She said that the Lummi Nation and other organizations are currently engaged in an effort “to educate the public and take action to improve conditions for the survival of the Southern Resident orcas.”

“I encourage all people in our city to focus on the plight of the fragile Southern Resident community of orcas, honor their presence in our waters and speed up efforts to recover the population,” said Onyon.