Appeal court decision affirms protection for killer whales
» Take notes PETA. It might not be animal welfare related but the case was logical at least.
CANADA - The federal Court of Appeal has upheld a precedent-setting ruling that confirmed the federal government is legally bound to protect killer whale habitat, according to a judgment released today.
In its judgment, the Court of Appeal unanimously dismissed nearly all aspects of the federal government’s appeal and ordered the government to pay the associated costs. This means that essentially all of the original ruling, which found that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) had failed to legally protect killer whale critical habitat, has been upheld.
“Ecojustice and our clients are very pleased with the Court of Appeal’s decision,” said Margot Venton, staff lawyer at Ecojustice. “In upholding the original ruling, the Court of Appeal has confirmed that it’s time to get on with the business of actually protecting these killer whales.”
Ecojustice, representing a coalition of nine environmental groups, successfully argued in Federal Court last year that DFO had not met its legal obligation to protect killer whales. The court ruled that the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans must legally protect all aspects of killer whale critical habitat — including their food supply and the quality of their marine environment.
Source (Ecojustice)
False Killer Whale Disguised Dolphin
Photo and caption by Clark Miller
Scientists have long known that false killer whales form associations with bottlenose dolphins, but the socialization has never been captured before up close before. I dived down to have a look, and as I approached them they became curious and approached me to see if I might be their next meal. They stopped about 2 meters from my camera. At first we just stared at one another and I could see all eyes upon me as I managed to take five quick shots. Scientists still do not know much about false killer whales and even less about the bizarre association with bottlenose dolphins.
Dutch judge rejects pleas for killer whale freedom
By Anna Holligan BBC News, The Hague
A Dutch judge has ruled that a rescued killer whale can be sent to a Canary Islands amusement park, despite pleas to release the animal into the wild.
The case of Morgan the orca sharply divided opinion in the Netherlands. The orca was rescued by a dolphinarium in Harderwijk after being found exhausted and starving in shallow waters in the Waddenzee in June 2010.
Conservationists are devastated by Monday’s ruling, fearing the move to the Canaries will kill Morgan. The judge in Amsterdam decided however that the orca would have no reasonable chance of survival in the wild.
The plan is to transfer Morgan within days to Loro Parque on Tenerife, where she will join five other orcas in a big tank, on show to the public. Ahead of the judge’s ruling the campaign website of the Free Morgan Foundation had been getting more than 50,000 hits a day.
Read More: Source (BBC)
Lying belly-down on Antarctic sea-ice at the edge of a small hole, a cameraman gets a shock when a killer whale mother and calf explode out of the water in front of his face. The only way to get underwater images was to hand-hold a camera on a pole in the icy water, wait and hope. As the orcas came up to breathe they would eye-ball us with curiosity and spray oily breath all over our faces. To be on your stomach precariously perched on the edge of the ice with a killer whale staring down at you was simultaneously terrifying and awe-inspiring. Ross Sea, Antarctica.
Picture: BBC/Chadden Hunter
