SAN FRANCISCO— Friends of the Earth, Pacific Environment, and the Center for Biological Diversity, national and international conservation organizations with a combined membership of more than 120,000 people, today joined a notice of intent to sue the National Marine Fisheries Service (submitted by the Environmental Defense Center in August) for the agency's failure to implement the 1998 Blue Whale Recovery Plan. Among other actions, the recovery plan mandates that the Fisheries Service identify and implement methods to eliminate or reduce blue whale mortalities from ship strikes. The agency has failed to take this required action for more than a decade, despite the ship-strike deaths of at least five blue whales in Southern California in 2007, and two additional ship-strike mortalities along the California coast in October 2009.

"Recovery plans serve as the primary 'road map' of actions necessary to both protect and recover our nation's most imperiled wildlife species," stated Brian Segee, an Environmental Defense Center staff attorney. "The blue whale deaths in October again demonstrate that it is long past time for the Fisheries Service to carry out the Blue Whale Recovery Plan's mandate to implement measures that will eliminate or minimize ship strikes."

Driven to the brink of extinction by whaling in the mid-20th century, blue whale populations have begun to slowly increase in many areas, and the species is now sighted during the summer along many areas of the California coast.  While this is cause for optimism, population numbers remain at a small fraction of their historic levels — today 10,000 animals globally, compared to at least 350,000 before whaling. The species is also now confronted with a host of new and emerging threats, including climate change, ocean acidification, and noise pollution.

"Abundant blooms of krill have brought blue whales to our coast, which has given many people a wonderful opportunity to see this rare, mammoth creature," said Andrea Treece, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity. "Unfortunately, as more whales have gathered off busy ports, more have been hit and killed by ships. The Fisheries Service's refusal to address threats like ship strikes threatens to erase all the hard-won progress this species has made so far."

Stated Jackie Dragon, Marine Sanctuaries Campaign program director for Pacific Environment: "The California coast is a major gateway for commercial shipping traffic and a prime feeding ground for the largest population of blue whales in existence. It is imperative that we find ways to reduce the threat of lethal ship strikes in waters where these whales are most vulnerable."

"The exponential increase in shipping off our coasts presents an ongoing and increasing threat of ship strikes to these magnificent animals," said Marcie Keever, Clean Vessels Campaign director at Friends of the Earth.  "The National Marine Fisheries Service, the agency charged with stewardship of the nation's living marine resources, has remained indifferent to the plight of the blue whales for over a decade now. With this notice, we seek to finally compel the Service to take the protective actions required by law."

Recovery plans play a vital role under the Endangered Species Act by identifying not only the actions necessary to prevent further population declines and habitat loss, but the proactive steps needed to recover imperiled species. Despite the fact that more than a decade has passed since the Fisheries Service approved the Blue Whale Recovery Plan, the agency has failed to carry out key provisions of the plan intended to both minimize and eliminate threats caused by ship strikes, pollution, and other harmful activities, as well as to improve the agency's limited knowledge concerning blue whale populations and habitat needs.

Contact Info: Andrea Treece, Center for Biological Diversity, (415) 436-9682 x 306
Brian Segee, Environmental Defense Center, (805) 963-1622
Marcie Keever, Friends of the Earth, (415) 5440790 x 223
Jackie Dragon, Pacific Environment, (415) 399-8850

Website : Center for Biological Diversity