Dear Mr. Thom,

The Southern Resident Killer Whales were listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 2005. There are fewer individuals in this population today than at any time since 1976. They struggle to survive due to insufficient wild Chinook salmon throughout their range from Washington to California.

Commercial and recreational fisheries continue to fish for wild Chinook, and a catch limit is set each year for these fisheries, as well as a tribal allocation. However, the whales – the original fishers of this species – are not allocated a share. Without this, they cannot thrive or survive. Animals are dying in their prime, females are unable to bring calves to full term, they’re susceptible to infectious disease, and stressors from pollution, vessel noise, and climate change are amplified without sufficient food.

As the Government Agency with the authority and mandate to recover this species by law, you must act now to save them from extinction. As a matter of urgency, I ask you to allocate a portion of the West Coast Chinook salmon harvest to these whales, until such time as wild salmon rivers and habitats can be restored, to ensure that these wild Chinook salmon – also listed as endangered – are able to recover to historic population levels.

Sincerely,

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