Orca Action Month wouldn’t be designated as such without orca-lovers, like you, acting on behalf of the Southern Residents.
To help raise awareness on the impacts of toxic chemicals on orcas, salmon, and human communities, and to increase protections for the Southern Resident orcas, Orca Action Month has listed two petitions – one for Washington and one for Oregon – that can be filled out below!
Southern Resident orcas off Whidbey Island. Courtesy Bonnie Gretz.
Tell Washington to Ban Toxic Chemicals that Harm Orcas, Salmon, and People
Toxic chemicals in consumer products are a major source of pollution, impacting the health of people, fish, and wildlife in Puget Sound. From products like tires, electronics, and plastics, toxic chemicals can leach into air, dust, soil, and water, threatening the health of local species like coho salmon and orcas.
Safer Products for Washington is a law that gives Washington’s Department of Ecology (Ecology) the ability to regulate different toxic chemicals in products. This year, Ecology is proposing to prioritize PPDs, brominated and/or chlorinated substances, formaldehyde, BTEX substances, siloxanes, lead and cadmium for regulatory actions. Many of these chemicals are known to have toxic effects on aquatic life.
Sign here to tell the WA Department of Ecology and Governor Inslee to ban these harmful chemicals from consumer products to keep our environment safe!
Chinook salmon returning, at Hiram Chittenden Locks, Seattle. Courtesy Tom Reese.
Tell Oregon Fish & Wildlife: Do More for Southern Resident Orcas
Earlier this year, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission unanimously voted to list Southern Resident orcas under the Oregon Endangered Species Act, opening the way for Oregon to implement additional protections for these critically endangered whales. Unfortunately, the Survival Guidelines adopted with the listing do not commit the state to significant recovery actions.
Within the next year, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) and other stage agencies will develop a species management plan for Southern Resident orcas, which will provide another opportunity to establish meaningful state protections. Sign our letter here asking ODFW and the Commission to develop a plan with ambitious protections and an accessible public comment process.
There are only 74 Southern Resident orcas alive today, and Oregon plays a key role in their survival. The whales rely heavily on dwindling Chinook salmon populations from the Columbia Basin and other Oregon costal rivers. Without significant recovery actions, we could lose this species permanently within 50 years.
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