Dear Friend of the Whales,

In 1995, all of the crew on board the conservation ship Edward Abbey were privileged to meet a young, friendly whale we named Buddy. Buddy is a resident Gray whale off Cape Flattery, Washington, who feeds along the cliffs there year-round. This October, Buddy may be blasted to death against those cliffs, near the reservation at Neah Bay. We cannot let this happen. This letter is going to be short and to the point. This is the call to action you have been waiting for. You and I both know where we stand on this issue, or you wouldn't be reading this. This is not an abstract environmental issue being debated by scientists and politicians thousands of miles away. This slaughter will happen in Washington state waters! Once whales are killed here, the status of the U.S. as a whale-protecting nation will be fatally compromised. Global whaling will begin again in late 1998 because the United States -- now a whale-killing nation -- cannot oppose other countries if they, too, decide to kill whales. You know what that means for the Gray whales, which now number only in the thousands: They will become extinct in our lifetime. Once again, the great Blue whale, the Humpback and Orca will be slaughtered without mercy -- for sushi.

The Federal government is subsidizing this hunt with hundreds of thousands of dollars. The Coast Guard is being used to support it. The Makah Nation is devoting its own considerable reserves to the effort of breaching the last legal defenses for marine mammals in the U.S. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society made a commitment to the defense of these creatures over 20 years ago, and we will keep that commitment. We have established the Whale Guardians Network so that citizens can help protect the whales from hunting initiatives that are now proliferating in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. and Canada. It is no longer enough to keep talking about saving whales. We need to act now. This is happening in your state. The only people who can stop this are the people who really care. I'm sorry to be blunt, but this is simply what the situation is. The time has come. Sea Shepherd is going to be on the water with every vessel we have. We need you to keep our ships running. And these whales need you. You can help in two ways: Through your donation of time, and your donation of money to keep our ships on the scene. We don't send out millions of generic "direct mail" solicitations that seek to use an issue in order to raise funds -- if you've been following the news, you know this is a project we are deeply committed to.

Please carefully read the information in this letter to find out how you can directly assist. If you can help in any way, please answer the questions completely and return it as soon as possible (preferably via FAX). If you can think of something else you can do that we didn't cover on the form, please call us and let us know. The clock is ticking. Time is running out. We need you now. For the Whales, Lisa Distefano Expedition Leader Gray Whale Protection Campaign

THE STORY BEHIND THE MAKAH TRIBE'S WHALE HUNT PLAN

In May of 1994, Dave Sones, Fisheries Director for the Makah Indian Tribe of Western Washington state, won a five-year battle to remove the Western Pacific Gray whale from the U.S. endangered species list. (Impressing for the de-listing of the Gray whale, the Makah's lobbyists asserted that this move was "aimed not at allowing the hunting of gray whales but so that research money can be shifted to other species in need of monitoring, such as salmon or marine birds.") The Makah are the only Native American tribe to have reserved the right of killing whales by treaty. On May 2, 1995, the Makah signed an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to construct a new breakwater and improvements to their marina. The environmental impact study they submitted listed fishing, tourism, and whale watching as the reasons for the improvements. Three days later, after five state and federal agencies committed to funding the new marina complex, the Makah informed the Department of Commerce of their intention to hunt whales. There are several problems with the Makah proposal, other than the prospect of whales once again being killed within the waters of the continental United States. First, no Makah has hunted a whale since 1926 and no living person can teach traditional whaling methods. (The Makah have purchased and propose to use military .50-caliber assault rifles - the same weaponry mounted in attack helicopters). Second, the Makah's intention to land five whales per year means they may strike and mortally wound up to 20 whales in the effort to land five. Finally, the Makah's bid has opened the door to whaling by every Indian band on the coast of British Columbia (the B.C.-based World Council of Whalers received $20,000 in startup money from Norway and Japan in 1996), over a dozen of whom have expressed their intention to press for rights to kill Gray whales, Orcas, and Humpbacks as an extension of their fishing treaties should the Makah receive final authorization from the International Whaling Commission and U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service. If the U.S. succeeds in allowing the Makah to kill whales, it will effectively undermine the integrity of the United States' whale protection stance in the IWC.

THE REAL MOTIVE

The prospect of commercial whaling and the millions of dollars to be made from the black market trade in whale meat in Korea, Taiwan, and Japan is more than likely to overcome assurances of "local consumption only" and "ceremonial use" by the Makah, who have already established a lucrative sea urchin and sea cucumber trade with the Japanese. The crucial passage in the formal proposal of the Makah to the U.S. State Department and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is the explicit statement that "...We have a right...to harvest whales not only for ceremonial and subsistence purposes but also for commercial purposes." (Tribal council chairman Hubert Markishtum, May 5, 1995). On May 25, 1995, a Seattle Times columnist reported that Makah fisheries manager Dave Sones told him "the tribe hopes in the future to do some commercial whaling. There are markets overseas for the meat and oil.... The value of a Gray whale is estimated at a half-million dollars."

GETTING AROUND THE LAW

The Makah have said they do not believe they need the authorization of the International Whaling Commission to resume whaling, but have sought that permission as a courtesy to the U.S. government. In 1996, concerted international opposition at the IWC denied them that permission and turned back their bid to breach the global ban on non-subsistence whale hunting. In October 1997, the Makah tribe again approached the International Whaling Commission with a request to kill Gray whales, and despite broad opposition and criticism from the majority of other nations present, the United States managed to employ a deceptive strategy - "trading" five Bowhead whales from their Alaskan Eskimo quota for four Gray whales from the Russian government, who receive a quota of 120 Gray whales per year for Russian Chukchi Eskimos. The quota trade did nothing to qualify the Makah tribe to hunt whales, as they cannot demonstrate a "subsistence need" under the rules of the IWC. But through this "horse trading" the United States has proclaimed the Makah may now kill Gray whales. The Makah anticipate killing their first whale in the fall of 1998. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society believes that the conditions that allowed the Makah a subsistence whaling clause in a 1855 treaty do not pertain more than 140 years later. The Makah must not be allowed to strike or kill a California Gray whale, and we will do everything possible to protect the Gray whales from Makah riflemen.

THE MAKAH CANNOT LEGALLY HUNT WHALES BECAUSE –

The whaling clause in the their 1855 treaty is superseded by the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling -They do NOT have a "subsistence need" for whale meat -They do NOT have an "unbroken tradition" of whaling -There is no such thing as a "cultural whaling need" -- if the U.S. administration and the Makah succeed in establishing such a precedent, no whale will be safe within 200 miles of any coastline in the world.

TO PROTEST THE MAKAH WHALING PROPOSAL

write to:
William Daley Secretary of Commerce
1315 East West Hwy.
Silver Springs, MD 20190-3232
phone: 202-482-6076

Mary Beth West
Deputy Asst. Secretary for Oceans & Environmental Affairs
Department of State
2201 C. Street NW
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: 202-647-2396
Fax: 202-647-0217

Makah Tribal Council
P.O. Box 115
Neah Bay, WA 98357
phone: 360-645-2788

The Hon. Jim Buck
House of Representatives
406 John L. O'Brien Bldg.
Olympia, WA 98504-0600

The Hon. Slade Gorton
U.S. Senate
Washington DC 20510
phone: 202-224-3441

The Hon. Patricia Murray
U.S. Senate
Washington DC 20510
phone: 202-224-2621
Fax: 202-224-0238

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY:

Write to the President, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and your Congressional representative.

Advise them that you expect the United States to stand firm to maintain the moratorium on whaling -
whether its violators are the governments of Japan, Norway, or Canada, or U.S. native tribes.

President Bill Clinton
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington D.C. 20500
phone: (202) 456-1111
FAX: (202) 456-2461

Will Daley,
Administrator NOAA
Herbert C. Hoover Bldg., Room 5128 14th & Constitution Ave., NW
Washington D.C. 20230
phone: (202) 482-2112
Fax: (202) 482-2741

To determine the names & telephone numbers of your Representative, call (202) 224-3121.

WHALE GUARDIAN NETWORK SEA SHEPHERD CONSERVATION SOCIETY

Thank you for volunteering your time and support to the Whale Guardian Network (WGN).
We are looking for volunteers both at port and at sea.
Please provide us with the following information so that we can properly apply your expertise in order to help us prevent the whale hunt from beginning this October.

Do you own a boat or kayak?:____

Boat Name (if applicable): _____________________________

We need crew members for Sea Shepherd vessels! If you are interested in volunteering please leave your information on the 1-888-Whale22 toll-free number. Please note: We need crew right away for minimum 2 weeks periods as soon as possible.

Are you willing to charter/rent a boat to join the WGN protest?____(If you do so, please notify us).

Will you be able to join us with your boat with as little as 24-48 hours notice?____

Please specify your availability (Days; times):

Can you drive/shuttle volunteers in and around Neah Bay and around Lake Union?

Check off services you are able to offer (both at sea and/or while in port):

Soliciting Donations_____

Deckhand/Crew_____

Photography/Video_____

Telephone Calls_____

Mechanical work_____

Dock/Boat Security (watch duties)_____

Public Outreach_____

Electrical work_____

Cooking/meals (during campaign)_____

Transportation_____

Master's License_____

Organize "Volunteer Work Party" for Ship_____

Additional services/skills that you can contribute or obtain from other interested people (i.e., pro-bono legal, transportation, faxing, photocopying services; use of vehicle, etc.):

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR OPERATIONS WITH A TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATION FORFUEL, FOOD & SUPPLIES!

$15_____ $25_____ $35_____ $50_____ $100_____ $200_____ Other $______

Please Send Me the Following:

Whale Guardian Network T-Shirt(s) @ $18.00 Each plus $3.00 S&H (shipping & handling) for each shirt * 8.25% Sales tax applicable for California residents only
Size - Sm _____, Med _____, Lg _____, XL _____ Qty _____ Sub Total_____ Sales Tax*_____ S&H_____ Total Enclosed_____

Name:

Street Address:

City:

State/Province:

Postal/Zip:

Home Phone:

Work Phone:

Fax:

Email:

The U.S. IRS recognizes your canceled check* as your receipt, so you may wish to take this opportunity to save trees and postage by choosing not to receive a receipt:

No, I do not need a receipt_____

Yes, I do want a receipt_____

*Donations of $250.00 or more will automatically receive a receipt.

Please fill out and return as soon as possible to:
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
P.O Box 628
Venice, CA 90294
Fax: (310) 574-3161

PREVENT THE KILLING OF GRAY WHALES IN WASHINGTON!

=====================================

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
P.O. Box 628
Venice, CA. 90294 USA
e-mail: seashepherd@seashepherd.org
Web Site: http://www.seashepherd.org
Tel: 310-301-SEAL(7325)
Canada: 604-688-7325
Fax: 310-574-3161

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