Spyhopper, 1999 - no. 1

In May 1999, the Makah Indian tribe of Neah Bay, Washington, killed a three-year-old female gray whale under a permit from the U.S. government, based on the 1855 Treaty of Neah Bay. However, the International Whaling Commission (IWC), which oversees whaling worldwide, did not approve he U.S. permit.

The ACS National Board of Directors recently voted to oppose the Makah gray whale hunt in accordance with existing ACS policy opposing commercial whaling. The IWC defines aboriginal subsistence whaling as "whaling for the purposes of local aboriginal consumption carried out by or on behalf of aboriginal, indigenous or native peoples who share strong community, familial, social and cultural ties to a continuing dependence on whaling and the use of whales." If the Makah hunt does not qualify as subsistence, then it should be considered a commercial hunt.

ACS encourages you to voice your opinion on the Makah hunt. Experience has shown that phone calls, letters, and faxes do make an impact on the people who make policy, particularly members of Congress. If you wish to review a complete copy of ACS' position on the Makah whaling issue, contact ACS National Headquarters via e-mail.

Contact any/all of the following to let them know your opinion of the Makah hunt:

Washington State Governor
	Governor Gary Locke Office of the Governor PO Box 40002, Olympia, WA 98504-0002 governor.locke@governor.wa.gov
Washington U.S. Senators
	Senator Patty Murray 111 Russell Senate Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20510 senator_murray@murray.senate.gov
	Senator Slade Gorton 730 Hart Senate Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20510 http://www.senate.gov/~gorton/webform.html
California U.S. Senators
	Senator Barbara Boxer 112 Hart Senate Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20510 senator@boxer.senate.gov
	Senator Diane Feinstein 331 Hart Senate Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20510 senator@feinstein.senate.gov
Oregon U.S. Senators
	Senator Gordon Smith 359 Dirkson Senate Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20510 oregon@gsmith.senate.gov
	Senator Ron Wyden 516 Hart Senate Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20510 senator@wyden.senate.gov
Washington State U.S. Representative, Neah Bay District
	Norman Dicks (202) 226-1176 Washington, D.C. fax (253) 593-6551 Tacoma, WA fax
House of Representatives Resource Committee
	Rep. George Miller (California) 2205 Rayburn House Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20510 george.miller-pub@mail.house.gov resources.democrats@mail.house.gov
	Rep. Jack Metcalf (Washington) 1510 Longworth House Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20510 http://www.house.gov/writerep
Senate Environmental and Public Works Committee
	Senator John Chafee, (Rhode Island) chair 505 Dirkson Senate Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20510
	Senator Max Baucus, (Montana) ranking Democrat 511 Hart Senate Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20510
Senate Indian Affairs Committee
	Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell (Colorado), chair 380 Russell Senate Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20510
	Senator Daniel Inouye (Hawaii), ranking Democrat 777 Hart Senate Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20510

SELECTED EXCERPTS     MAKAH GRAY WHALE HUNT     IN MEMORIAM -- ROBYN MELLON KONSTANTIN     CETACEAN NEWS THEORIES EMERGE FOR GRAY WHALE DIE-OFF DOLPHIN SAFE LABEL USE EXPANDED     MEMBER SPOTLIGHT -- ALISA SCHULMAN-JANIGER

Here are some vital points about this issue you can use when composing your letter or e-mail:

1. The Makah tribe's gray whale hunt does not meet the IWC definition of a subsistence hunt and the majority of IWC member nations have refused to accept it as a subsistence hunt. The tribe has not hunted gray whales for 70 years and therefore does not rely on whale meat for sustenance nor for social or cultural ties.
2. The Makah hunt is occurring without official permission of the IWC. This undermines the ability of the IWC to oversee whaling.
3. The U.S. circumvented IWC regulations and granted a permit to the Makah to hunt whales. This undermines the U.S. position as an opposition leader to the resumption of commercial whaling.
4. Makah representatives have been quoted in the press as saying the Makah are interested in commercial hunting of gray whales. In its original petition to the U.S. government to reestablish whaling, the Makah Tribal Council (MTC) states, "It should be emphasized, however, that we continue to strongly believe that we have a right under the [1855] Treaty of Neah Bay to harvest whales not only for ceremonial and subsistence purposes but also for commercial purposes." ACS and the U.S. are on record opposing the resumption of commercial whaling.
5. The hunt has been allowed to take place within the boundaries of the Olympic Coast Marine Sanctuary, a refuge for marine life. The gray whale killed in May was within the sanctuary boundaries. Allowing this use defies the purpose and mission of marine sanctuaries throughout the country.
6. The Makah should be encouraged and supported in efforts to develop alternate ways to honor their cultural ties other than by killing gray whales.

HMCS Yukon is a 366-foot decommissioned destroyer purchased by the San Diego Oceans Foundation (SDOF) from the Canadian Royal Navy. The ship will be sunk off Mission Bay as a permanent artificial reef on November 13, 1999.

Sitting in 114 feet of water, it will be visited annually by thousands of divers and marine researchers. Inside one of its watery passageways, the warm glimmer of polished brass plaques on the Wall of Honor will eloquently pay tribute to those who cherished the ocean and the life it supports.

One of the names on that wall will be Robyn Mellon Konstantin, whose own life tragically ended in a car accident on April 6, 1999. She was 46.

Robyn was a member of ACS' San Diego Chapter since 1991, serving on its board as Sales Chair as well as delegate to the ACS National Board until her untimely death. Robyn's other passion was the SDOF, where she worked as a volunteer coordinator, most recently on their white sea bass holding-pen and release project. Through a donation by ACS, a plaque in Robyn's name will be placed on the Yukon as a memorial to her love of the sea and her enthusiastic work for both organizations.

A New York native, Robyn received her B.S. in marine biology at Long Island University in Southhampton. She worked as a research assistant at the University of Texas, Galveston and as a lecturer at the former Searama park there. She then worked for the Department of Wildlife in Mobile, Alabama testing and doing research on oyster beds. In San Diego, she worked for the NMFS' gray whale census project. It was there she became "hooked" on cetaceans.

Robyn was a popular lecturer on whales and other marine life and was frequently interviewed by the local media for her expertise on cetaceans and other aquatic life. She formed her own whalewatching company, Whales 4U, and led excursions to the gray whale calving lagoons in Baja California, Mexico.

Robyn is survived by her husband, Phil, a step-daughter, her parents, three sisters, and a brother.

CALIFORNIA - A record number of gray whales have washed up dead on the West Coast beaches of North America this year, and several theories on the cause of this phenomenon are being advanced.

The deaths of nearly 150 gray whales have been documented this year along their migration route from Washington State and Baja California, Mexico, where more than 65 of the deaths were recorded. The rising number of whale deaths coincided with a sharp drop in calf production this season.

The number of gray whale deaths has increased steadily as the population recovered over the past two decades. Gray whales were removed from the Endangered Species List in 1994, and the latest population estimate is 26,000 individuals.

One theory for the die-offs is that due to the recovery, there are more gray whales than the ocean environment can sustain, competing for limited resources. The die-offs have also been connected to "global warming," where unusual ocean temperatures cause disruption of the whales' food sources, or breeding and migration patterns. Other theories blame the deaths on toxins in the whales' environment and habitat degradation.

While this was a record season for gray whale deaths, the limited amount of data about the circumstances of the deaths means the exact cause of the die-offs can not be immediately discerned. (AP/UPI)

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Commerce Department in May moved forward with a plan to allow the use of the "dolphin-safe" label on tuna caught with modified purse-seine nets. Use of the "dolphin-safe" designation is being allowed despite criticism that the impacted dolphin populations have not shown sufficient recovery from years of depletion in the eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO).

Government officials cited the success of cooperation from the countries participating in the International Dolphin Conservation Program Act (IDCPA), which went into effect in 1997. IDCPA countries fishing in the EPO post observers on vessels to certify dolphins have not been killed or severely injured during the hunt. Supporters of the IDCPA say continued support from the U.S. will help international efforts to protect dolphins and other marine life.

Critics say no change should be made in the rules for the use of the "dolphin-safe" label if there is any harm to the dolphins during the hunt. Whether or not dolphins are killed, they believe the stress of the chase and capture can be linked to the lack of recovery of the dolphin population.

Published reports place the number of dolphins killed in the EPO in 1998 at fewer than 2,000, as compared with 133,000 in 1986 before the advent of the U.S. tuna embargo and "dolphin-safe" labeling.     (AP)

If you're out on a boat or standing on land looking at orcas, put the binoculars down and look back over your shoulder. Chances are you'll see Alisa standing right behind you. It seems that no matter where on the west coast orcas are reported, Alisa will try to figure out a way to get there.

Alisa is indefatigable in her quest for more information on her favorite cetacean species. She is one of leaders, along with Nancy Black and Richard Ternullo (Monterey Chapter past president), of an ongoing orca photo-identification project, whose first catalog of photos was published last year by the National Marine Fisheries Service.

When she's not looking for orcas, Alisa is Director/Research Coordinator of the Gray Whale Census and Behavior Study at Point Vicente Interpretive Center in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. This program, in its fifteenth year, utilizes thousands of volunteer hours during the gray whale migration season, observing and recording numbers and behaviors of marine mammal species in the Santa Catalina Channel between the Palos Verdes Peninsula and Santa Catalina Island.

When the grays are gone for the year, Alisa's out doing her own research or assisting others with theirs, writing her next paper, serving as naturalist on cruise ships, or kayaking with her husband Dave Janiger. As if this weren't enough to keep any other mortal busy, Alisa is a full-time educator. She was an on-board instructor for 10 years in Sea Education's Afloat Program, whose students range from pre-school to college level. Since 1991, Alisa has been a science teacher at the Marine Science Magnet of San Pedro High School. She gives her students extra credit for attending ACS/LA's monthly chapter meetings and encourages them to donate community service hours toward ACS projects and other marine-related activities.

Because of her vast knowledge, Alisa is one of the first experts the media interview for comment or explanation of cetacean issues. She's also an accomplished, published photographer.

Alisa's seemingly endless energy and passion for cetacean conservation have made her one of ACS' most valuable resources. Cetaceans are very lucky to have her on their side, and so are we! Thank you, Alisa!