Group calls on NMFS to join effort to impose federal criminal penalties, halt whaling approval process
In response to the killing of a California gray whale this weekend, The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) issued a letter to William T. Hogarth, assistant administrator of the National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS), requesting that the agency work with The HSUS to obtain a contempt of court citation against those involved in illegal whaling.
The letter also called upon NMFS to halt consideration of the Tribe's request for approval to resume whale hunting until a thorough investigation of the killing is complete and those responsible are fully prosecuted. The Humane Society of the United States points to recent media reports quoting whaling captain Wayne Johnson as celebrating his illegal and cruel actions. Click here to read the letter.
"Mr. Johnson's expression of 'pride' in the criminal killing of a defenseless resident whale is utterly reprehensible," said Kitty Block, vice president of Humane Society International, the international arm of The HSUS. "These actions were illegal, inhumane, and wasteful. We call upon NMFS to conduct a thorough investigation of this case and to prosecute all those involved to the full extent of the law."
The letter identifies numerous questions that NMFS should answer before proceeding with the process of authorizing future whaling. Among the questions are: When did U.S. government agencies and Tribal government have notice of the hunt; what steps did the Tribal government take to stop the hunt; and how the Makah members got access to the weapons used for the whale hunt if this was not a tribe sanctioned hunt.
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The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization – backed by 10 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education, and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty -- On the web at www.humanesociety.org .
