Sign The Petition: Desperate orcas are still starving after newborn calf dies within a month of birth

 

It was a fleeting moment of hope... Over the 2023 holidays last year, the world welcomed a newborn baby orca into the Southern Resident J Pod. These endangered orcas are on the BRINK OF EXTINCTION with their population at its lowest in over 50 years, so the newborn calf seemed like a miracle.  But things wouldn’t be easy for this newest baby orca that would be fighting for survival from the moment it was born. Chinook salmon populations have been DECIMATED by the corporate fishing industry, eliminating orcas’ primary food source and driving them to starvation and malnutrition. The majority of baby orcas don’t make it through their very first year of life — and sadly, this youngest newborn calf barely even survived its first month before being presumed dead in February. Industrial overfishing is jeopardizing the survival of vulnerable pregnant orcas and their fragile newborn calves. Unless we rein in corporate overfishing and take bold action to repopulate Chinook salmon immediately, Southern Resident killer whales simply won’t stand a chance.  Orcas desperately need us to speak up for them to help STOP corporate overfishing of Chinook salmon — please don’t make these defenseless animals fight this battle alone. Take action now before it’s too late to SAVE orcas from extinction >> SIGN THE PETITION Ensuring healthy pregnancies and prioritizing the survival of newborn calves are CRUCIAL steps toward restoring the Southern Resident orca population. But without enough Chinook salmon to support these starving animals, most orca pregnancies end in miscarriage. And even for successful births, the mortality rate for newborn calves is as high as 50%.  The devastating impacts of overfishing aren’t just bad for orcas. This irresponsible practice also harms nearby coastal communities and threatens traditional fishing practices and the livelihoods of families who have relied on the bounty of the sea for generations. The declining salmon stocks hurt economic stability of the whole region including local business and tourism.  Powerful industrial fishing corporations will use their money and influence to avoid accountability for their environmentally destructive overfishing. But YOU have the power to make a real difference for our planet today by fighting back in defense of both endangered orcas AND coastal communities. Your activism today could literally be what pushes the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to finally address this critical environmental issue.  Can we count on yours to be one of the 4,073 activist signatures we need on our petition by 11:59 P.M. TONIGHT? ADD YOUR NAME: Tell NMFS to END corporate overfishing of Chinook salmon immediately! >> SIGN THE PETITION Thanks for doing your part in protecting these magnificent creatures and securing a sustainable future for their population. Marcie Keever  Oceans & Vessels Program Director Friends of the Earth Contact Us: Friends of the Earth U.S. Washington, D.C. | Berkeley, CA PO Box 7010 Merrifield, VA 22116-7010 1-877-843-8687 Contact us Email Preferences: Click here to unsubscribe Learn more: www.foe.org/news www.foe.org/about-us www.foeaction.org