Animal Protection Groups Denounce Government's Denial Of Gray Whale Listing Petition

ARCHIVED 2002–2016: Originally distributed via the eWire press wire service. Preserved as historical record.

Animal Protection Groups Denounce Government's Denial

Of Gray Whale Listing Petition

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TO NATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDITORS:

Animal Protection Groups Denounce Government's Denial

Of Gray Whale Listing Petition

WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, Jun. 20 -/E-Wire/-- Today, The Fund for Animals and Australians for Animals released a statement criticizing the recent decision by the National Marine Fisheries Service to deny a petition filed in March 2001 to list the gray whale as a threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. The groups identified several blatant biases and errors in the government's analysis of the listing petition.

"Instead of recognizing the serious threats to gray whales and their habitat, the government would prefer to stick its head in the sand to avoid the need to recognize the threats of global warming, bottom trawling, tribal slaughter, and other issues adversely impacting these magnificent animals," said D.J. Schubert, a wildlife biologist who prepared the listing petition for the groups. "The government's refusal to recognize the threats to the gray whale and its habitat is scientifically corrupt and will only serve to further the demise of this species."

The petition contained substantive and compelling evidence documenting the direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts of global warming, bottom trawling, gray whale killing by the Makah tribe of northwest Washington and Russian natives, toxic contamination, and a host of other factors on gray whales and their habitat. The petition also questioned the veracity of government gray whale population estimates and made it clear that gray whales and their habitat have no protection under current law. In denying the petition, the government flatly refused to admit to any of the threats to gray whales and their habitat without providing a scintilla of evidence to refute the evidence contained in the petition.

"The government has clearly decided that politics, not science, will dictate gray whale management regardless of the deadly consequences of its actions," added Michael Markarian, executive vice president of The Fund for Animals. "This decision facilitates the government's continuing and inexplicable desire to allow the Makah tribe to slaughter gray whales despite the strong opposition from the vast majority of Americans."

The Fund for Animals, founded by author Cleveland Amory, is an animal protection organization headquartered in New York City. Australians for Animals is an animal advocacy organization based in Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia. The listing petition and the statement released today are both available at http://www.fund.org.

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The Fund for Animals

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