Your Signature Is Needed: This World Orca Day, endangered orcas are losing the fight for Chinook salmon

 

WORLD ORCA DAY ACTION NEEDED: Endangered orcas are counting on YOU to fight for them today by calling on the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to STOP corporate overfishing of Chinook salmon, or these vulnerable whales could soon be wiped out by starvation. Please add your name now to help save these majestic creatures from EXTINCTION before it’s too late! >> Orcas are among the most iconic marine animals: I’m sure you can just close your eyes and imagine one right now, with its sleek black and white body gliding gracefully through gentle waves. Although orcas are beloved and treasured simply for the natural wonder that they are, these whales also play an important role in our planet’s overall health — their unique role in the food chain contributes to the maintenance of biodiversity in our marine ecosystems, promoting overall ecological balance. But sadly, these endangered sea creatures are hanging on by a thread and clinging to survival right now — so they’re in desperate need of help from environmental activists like you today. Southern Resident orcas are currently being threatened by the corporate overfishing industry that’s HARMING essential Chinook salmon populations, which orcas cannot live without. In fact, Chinook salmon can make up to 90% of an orca's diet! The truth is: unless we restore Chinook salmon populations soon, the last few remaining orcas stand little to no chance of survival and could go EXTINCT before the next generation ever gets to live on an Earth where these magical creatures still exist. In honor of World Orca Day, we’re calling on you to take urgent action now to help stop an industry that is not only harming vulnerable orcas, a beloved keystone species — but also threatening people and the planet — with its reckless corporate greed. Can we count on you to speak up today on behalf of these defenseless whales when they need your activism the most? Add your name now to urge NMFS to rein in corporate overfishing of Chinook salmon immediately! >> SIGN THE PETITION Although the Pacific Northwest was once flowing abundantly with Chinook salmon, nearly HALF of these historic salmon runs have vanished: leaving weak orcas starving, emaciated, and struggling to survive. While climate change, ocean acidification, toxic pollution and other causes also share the blame for orca habitat degradation and food scarcity, there’s simply no denying the direct link between rampant corporate overfishing and a drastic decline in critical Chinook salmon populations. With so much Chinook salmon lost, malnutrition and starvation have been identified as a major leading cause of orca deaths. You can do the math. Most orca pregnancies currently end in miscarriage, often due to lack of nutrients as a result of lack of Chinook salmon. Newborn calves face a mortality rate of up to 50% within their very first year of life. And now, Southern Resident orca populations are at their lowest since the 1960’s with only 75 of these precious whales remaining in the wild. If orcas were to go extinct forever, it would be devastating to all of us who treasure these beloved marine mammals as well as for our planet’s health and fragile ecosystems. But did you know that these majestic animals hold a particularly special cultural and spiritual significance for many indigenous peoples native to the Pacific Northwest region? These tribes often have a deep connection to the whales and view them as an integral part of their heritage. Corporate overfishing not only threatens to tarnish these sacred cultures by pushing cherished orcas closer to extinction — but industrial overfishing also jeopardizes the well-being and socioeconomic stability of local individuals and families who rely on Chinook salmon for their livelihoods. don’t you think that our planet has suffered enough ecological consequences from irresponsible and reckless environmental destruction driven by capitalism and corporate greed? Fortunately, we still have the chance to STOP the corporate overfishing industry from further harming our planet and its living beings — but if we’re truly going to have a meaningful impact, then we urgently need all hands on deck to make a strong public impression building up to World Orca Day in just 2 days. This moment is a key environmental advocacy opportunity for us to amplify awareness and garner enthusiasm around the conservation of this precious marine species: that’s why we’re relying on dedicated environmentalists like you to step up today and help Friends of the Earth hit our ambitious goal of acquiring 9,007 more activist signatures by 11:59 P.M. TONIGHT. So please, will you take urgent action now in service of our orcas, our oceans, and our planet? Sign the petition now >> 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 Learn more: www.foe.org/news www.foe.org/about-us www.foeaction.org Connect:

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