Articles for Reference

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SWIMS Act:

• Press release from Representatives Schiff, Feinstein, Huffman, and DelBene - including the co-sponsors and supporters of the SWIMS Act: https://schiff.house.gov/news/press-releases/schiff-feinstein-huffman-and-delbene-introduce-legislation-to-end-future-capture-and-breeding-of-whales-for-public-display

• SWIMS Act bill details via U.S. Senate:  https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/117/s4740/text

• SWIMS Act bill details via U.S. Congress: https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/8514/text?r=1&s=1

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Letter requesting clarity from the USDA for cetacean protections:

• Press release from Congresswomen Maria Elvira Salazar and Suzan DelBene requesting clarity from the USDA as to what protections Tokitae and other animals have if they are not covered under the Animal Welfare Act exhibitor’s license.  https://salazar.house.gov/media/press-releases/salazar-and-delbene-request-update-welfare-miami-orca-lolita

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Tokitae (captive Southern Resident orca) at Miami Seaquarium:

• Recent and past Health and Welfare Assessments for Tokitae (along with the "Day of Listening" report) can be found here: https://www.friendsoftoki.org/indenpendent-health-and-welfare

• The concerning USDA inspection report from June 2021 regarding Miami Sequarium is available for you to read.
  Please CLICK HERE to download the PDF.

• July 2022 - another concerning USDA inspection report. CLICK HERE to read the article from 'Local 10 News' and scroll down to read the full USDA report.

• Miami Seaquarium ‘welcomes’ more county oversight after inspection fallout: https://www.local10.com/news/local/2022/10/31/miami-seaquarium-welcomes-more-county-oversight-after-inspection-fallout

• Oct. 26, 2022 - "Captive orca Lolita’s health ‘bouncing back,’ giving hope she could be moved" - Full article here: https://www.local10.com/news/local/2022/10/26/captive-orca-lolitas-health-bouncing-back-giving-hope-for-release

• ‘Miami Seaquarium ‘100% committed’ to effort to retire captive orca (Tokitae) - https://www.local10.com/news/local/2022/12/13/miami-seaquarium-100-committed-to-free-lolita

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Southern Resident orcas - Critical status, decline, issues, and information:

• US (Environmental Protection Agency) EPA: Southern Resident Killer Whales - https://www.epa.gov/salish-sea/southern-resident-killer-whales

• On June 30, 2022, Orca Conservancy reported: 13 Southern Resident killer whales have been declared "vulnerable" by WDFW due to their body conditions measured by SR3 between September 2021 to April 2022. Out of the 13, twelve J and L Pod members are now in "poor condition" which puts them at higher risk of mortality. More action and policy need to be taken to recover the food source, chinook salmon, in order to recover the Southern Resident Killer Whales. Click here to read the full post

• The Last Generation: Southern resident orcas in danger of extinction - Apr 9, 2019 Q13 News - Simone Del Rosario
  (VIDEO on YouTube) - https://youtu.be/muXBWvarDrQ

• Meet the different ecotypes of Orcas: https://us.whales.org/whales-dolphins/meet-the-different-types-of-orcas

• Southern Resident Killer Whale info page by US Environmental Protection Agency: https://www.epa.gov/salish-sea/southern-resident-killer-whales

• Wildlife groups file petition asking Oregon to ‘step up’ orca protection efforts - https://defenders.org/newsroom/petition-seeks-oregon-endangered-species-protection-southern-resident-orcas

• Chinook threshold decreased for endangered Southern Resident orcas - https://www.goskagit.com/townnews/politics/chinook-threshold-decreased-for-endangered-orcas/article_116e3e70-6145-11ed-9366-3345a8dea698.html

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Captive - Northern Resident orca - Corky:

• More information about "Corky" and the plan to relocate her to a seaside sanctuary: doublebaysanctuary.org/corky

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Breaching the lower Snake River dams:

• November 18, 2022 ‘Momentous’: Feds advance demolition of 4 Klamath River dams. Click here to read the full article

• Letter from Orca Network to Governor Inslee and Senator Murray - Click here to read the full post

• Orca Conservancy - Public Comment Period for Draft Report - https://www.orcaconservancy.org/blog/action-alert-public-comment-period-open-for-draft-report

• Salmon return to the upper Elwha River, first time in 102 years, after dam removal - www.peninsuladailynews.com/news/salmon-return-to-the-upper-elwha-river-first-time-in-102-years-after-dam-removal-2

• “Free the Snake” (VIDEO by Patagonia) - https://youtu.be/Gm290O6Rgr4

• “Artifishal” (VIDEO by Patagonia) is a film about people, rivers, and the fight for the future of wild fish and the environment that supports them. It explores wild salmon’s slide toward extinction, threats posed by fish hatcheries and fish farms, and our continued loss of faith in nature.” https://www.patagonia.com/stories/artifishal/video-79192.html

• July 12, 2022 - The Biden administration released two reports in support of dam removal on the Lower Snake River citing the feasibility of replacing energy produced by the dams and the need for salmon recovery. For the first time, the Administration found that removing the four dams on the lower Snake River would likely be a necessary step to save these species–and the communities that have relied on them for decades. Click here to read the Seattle Times article.

• Governor Inslee and Senator Murray’s five page response to the final report is available. “The federal and state governments should move forward with a program to replace the benefits provided by the Lower Snake River Dams...” (page 2 on the response PDF)  Click here to download the PDF.

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Stopping the Trans Mountain pipeline:

• “Trans Mountain: tar sands oil to and from our coast” (Raincoast Conservation) - https://www.raincoast.org/trans-mountain-pipeline

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THREATS to cetaceans: Entanglement, bycatch, noise pollution, vessel strikes, etc.

• Deep sea mining noise poses harm to blue whales, scientists warn - https://amp.theguardian.com/environment/2023/feb/14/deep-sea-mining-noise-poses-harm-blue-whales-scientists-warn

• Black Sea - Cetaceans washing ashore [deceased] possibly due to military sonar - https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20221222-how-the-war-in-ukraine-is-killing-marine-mammals

• Rally regarding ocean noise pollution (sonar mapping, etc) - Hundreds attend rally to save whales in Point Pleasant Beach - https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2023/02/20/hundreds-attend-rally-to-save-whales-in-point-pleasant-beach

• US Rep. Smith requests Biden Administration research ocean noise pollution - https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=411241

• Rescue team and whale's acrobatics help save it from entanglement in B.C. - https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/rescue-team-whale-tanglement-bc-strait-of-georgia-1.6629426

• Court Victory: Federal Failure to Protect Right Whales from Deadly Entanglements Violates Law
  https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/court-victory-federal-failure-to-protect-right-whales-from-deadly-entanglements-violates-law-2022-07-08

• Bycatch/entanglement is the leading cause of death to cetaceans worldwide at a rate of 300,000+ annually. Please check out Peggy Oki's 'Entanglement' art installation here: cetaceans.org/peggyoki-artinstallations

• Collaboration is key to reducing whale entanglements in Scotland - https://hwdt.org/news/entanglement-news

• Humpback whale left with broken spine after vessel strike makes her "last journey" – a 3,000-mile swim to Hawaii https://www.cbsnews.com/news/moon-humpback-whale-broken-spine-vessel-strike-last-journey-canada-hawaii

• An investigation into the effects of climate change on baleen whale distribution in the British Isles - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X22012474

• Dead Sperm whale found on Kauaʻi had fishing nets, plastic bags in its stomach - https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/local-news/2023-02-02/dead-whale-kauai-fishing-nets-plastic-bags-in-its-stomach

• North Atlantic Right Whale Updates - Tracking of entanglements and the deceased - NOAA - https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/endangered-species-conservation/north-atlantic-right-whale-updates

• Collaboration is key to reducing whale entanglements in Scotland - https://hwdt.org/news/entanglement-news

• US lobster put on ‘red list’ to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales from entanglement - https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/sep/08/us-lobster-put-on-red-list-to-protect-endangered-north-atlantic-right-whales

• U.S. Federal Government Violated the Endangered Species Act (Entanglement) - https://www.speciesunite.com/news-stories/us-federal-government-violated-the-endangered-species-act-by-failing-to-protect-right-whales-from-lobster-industry-judge-rules

• Stanford research: Whales consume up to 10 million pieces of microplastics per day - https://news.stanford.edu/2022/11/01/whales-eat-colossal-amounts-microplastics

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Critically Endangered Cetaceans

• Delay hits cameras on boats programme in Māui dolphin habitat. (Nov. 17,2022, from Stuff.co New Zealand news) Now oceans advocates say the Government is failing to ensure there is independent and comprehensive monitoring of the commercial fleet and enforce the rules. https://bit.ly/3u9rS9m

• Māui Dolphin population estimate 14 per cent lower than five years ago - https://www.nzherald.co.nz/environment/maui-dolphin-population-estimate-14-per-cent-lower-than-five-years-ago

• Please help take action for the Maui's and Hector's Dolphins of New Zealand! More info here: lets-face-it-dolphins.com/let-s-face-it

• Highly endangered North Atlantic right whale calf found dead -North Carolina coast - https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/01/10/endangered-north-atlantic-whale-calf-dead-east-coast/11022850002

• We Must Save the North Atlantic Right Whale to Save Ourselves - TIME - https://time.com/6245181/save-north-atlantic-right-whale

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Speed of sound underwater

• Does sound travel faster in water or air? https://soundproofliving.com/does-sound-travel-faster-in-water-or-air

• Speed of Sound in Water - https://hypertextbook.com/facts/2000/NickyDu.shtml

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Captive Cetaceans - Exploitation, reports, actions, etc.

• Article and report via World Animal Protection US regarding travel companies that continue to exploit captive cetaceans (including companies that have improved and discontinued supporting captive dolphin encounters etc) 
  https://www.worldanimalprotection.us/blogs/new-report-reveals-major-travel-companies-are-failing-wild-animals   https://www.worldanimalprotection.us/sites/default/files/media/WAP_TRAVEL_IND._Report_FINAL.pdf

• Take Action via Dolphin Project - Contact travel sites that continue to profit from captive cetacean facilities https://www.dolphinproject.com/campaigns/captivity-industry/travel-sites-profiting-from-captive-facilities