[MARMAM] Oceanus article posted March 30

[Naomi Rose]

I appreciate the managing editor of Oceanus (Lonny Lippsett) posting the
magazine's recent article on the Supreme Court ruling on the US Navy
mid-frequency sonar case
(http://www.whoi.edu/oceanus/viewArticle.do?id=56252§ionid=1000,
posted March 30). I might otherwise have missed this article, which
offers its subscribers an inaccurate summary of the policy and legal
aspects of the ocean noise/military sonar debate. To provide MARMAM
readers with another perspective on this topic, I offer the following
comments.

 

>From the opening paragraph, there appears to be a misunderstanding about
why this particular case "rose to the highest court in the land." Those
who brought the case against the proposed use of active mid-frequency
sonar in US Navy training exercises - the environmental advocacy
organization Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and its
co-plaintiffs - and their allies on the ocean noise issue, including my
organization The Humane Society of the United States/Humane Society
International (HSUS/HSI), agree whole-heartedly that "not every issue is
best settled in court." Almost without exception, every effort is made
to avoid lawsuits, because an unfavorable ruling is never desirable, but
sometimes there is no other option. 

 

The parties involved in the Supreme Court case sought for years to find
common ground on mid-frequency sonar. Among other efforts, they
participated for two and a half years in a multi-stakeholder process
coordinated by the US Marine Mammal Commission (MMC)
(http://www.mmc.gov/reports/workshop/pdf/soundFACAreport.pdf
 ). Despite
these efforts, the Navy eventually decided that it was unwilling to
adopt certain precautionary mitigation measures during exercises off the
coast of California, even though it had implemented most of these same
measures in previous exercises. It also refused to adopt mitigation
requested by the California Coastal Commission. This intransigence led
to the original lawsuit in California district court - legal action was
a last resort. The plaintiffs prevailed in the lower courts and it was
the defendant - the Navy - that chose to appeal to the Supreme Court.

 

Another misunderstanding is that science was "left out of the debate."
Scientists (including at times WHOI researchers Dr. Darlene Ketten and
Dr. Peter Tyack, who were quoted throughout the Oceanus article)
participated in the MMC committee, provided affidavits in the court
cases, were consulted during the years of negotiations, and/or
participated in many of the meetings, workshops, and committees leading
up to the district court case. The proposed mitigation measures that the
Navy sought to avoid by going to the Supreme Court were based largely on
peer-reviewed science and, when the science was not available, on a
precautionary approach. I found the implication in the Oceanus article
that science has been given short-shrift in the debate on ocean noise to
be inexplicable, as science and the law are the foundation on which the
entire debate rests.

 

When Dr. Ketten correctly states, "The ruling was procedural; the case
did not hinge on science," she seems to imply that the ruling was
mis-focused, even though most legal experts considered the focus on
procedure to be a positive outcome for marine life, given the potential
for the Justices to have addressed other aspects of the case with far
more damaging repercussions for the environment. Dr. Tyack then says,
"Neither side wanted to discuss research that has developed new methods
to better protect whales that will still meet the Navy's training
requirements, and I'm not quite sure why." Both statements suggest that
neither side cares as much about the science as it should. However, both
sides of the court case had been discussing new research methodologies
and results for years - the disagreement arose from how to apply that
new information to actual mitigation during Navy training exercises.
Disagreeing on practical, real-time, cost-effective, and for that matter
politically viable application of research results to management is not
the same as disagreeing on (or ignoring) the research results
themselves, a fine point that many scientists who become involved in
policy debates find difficult to grasp. 

 

Contrary to the implication that science was ignored in the court cases,
in fact the science of ocean noise - including much of the work done by
Drs. Ketten and Tyack on this topic in the last few years - has been
promoted and funded as a result of the insistence of watchdog
organizations like NRDC, HSUS/HSI, and our allies that the Navy follow
the law. The Oceanus article seemed to imply that environmental lawsuits
have obstructed research. On the contrary, much new and vital research
in the field of marine acoustics and on the impacts of ocean noise on
marine life has been conducted as the result of these cases, to answer
questions posed in and by the courts. The continu

[MARMAM] Fourth edition of "The Case Against Marine Mammals in Captivity"

[Naomi Rose]

Dear colleagues:

 

The fourth edition of "The Case Against Marine Mammals in Captivity" was
released today and is available at
http://www.hsus.org/web-files/PDF/MarMamCptvtyBklt.pdf.  This joint
publication of The Humane Society of the United States and the World
Society for the Protection of Animals was first published by The HSUS in
1995 - the third edition, published in 2006 by The HSUS and WSPA, was
entirely updated and reformatted.  In the three years since, new
research has been published and many events have occurred (particularly
related to the capture of live dolphins for international trade),
leading to a fourth edition with more than 80 new endnotes and several
new sections and updated information in the main text.

 

If you would like a hard copy of this document, please let me know (and
send your postal address) and I will post one to you as soon as
possible.

 

Best,

Naomi Rose

 

 

___
Naomi A. Rose, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist
International Policy
Humane Society International
700 Professional Drive
Gaithersburg, MD 20879  USA
Ph   301 258 3048
Fax 301 258 3082
Eml nr...@hsi.org
http://www.hsi.org <http://www.hsi.org> 
http://www.hsus.org <http://www.hsus.org/> 


NOTICE: This message is intended for the use of the individual or entity
to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged,
confidential, and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If the
reader of this message is not the intended recipient, or the employee or
agent of the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any
dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is
strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error,
please notify me immediately at the telephone number above. Thank you.

 

 

___
MARMAM mailing list
MARMAM@lists.uvic.ca
https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam

Re: [MARMAM] A request for a review of "The Case Against Marine Mammals in Captivity"

[Naomi Rose]

In response to Eduardo Fernandez's May 27 request for a review of The
HSUS/WSPA booklet "The Case Against Marine Mammals in Captivity, a
critical review is always welcome; among other reasons, it assists in
improving future editions.  However, I would like to note that the
public display community has had (for decades) ample opportunity -
including in U.S. law - to make the argument FOR holding marine mammals
in captivity.  The "pro" platforms are myriad and include "Shamu TV" in
San Diego, the facilities themselves, and any number of web sites,
travel articles in popular media, and so on.  The purpose of The
HSUS/WSPA booklet was and is to respond to and rebut the claims made
from those platforms - I would think an open debate on this topic would
be welcome by both sides.

 

A common argument made by the public display community is that those who
oppose holding marine mammals in captivity have only emotional support
for their position.  The main motivation for producing this booklet is
simply to point out that, on the contrary, there are substantive and
yes, even science-based arguments AGAINST holding marine mammals in
captivity.  The views expressed in the booklet are supported by factual
events, by peer-reviewed literature, and by other science-based
documentation, where it exists.  The rest is based on logic and
organizational ethics and beliefs.  It's a position paper - rebuttals
(that are equally substantive and supported by peer-reviewed and
science-based documentation where possible) are encouraged.

 

 

___
Naomi A. Rose, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist
International Policy
Humane Society International
700 Professional Drive
Gaithersburg, MD 20879  USA
Ph   301 258 3048
Fax 301 258 3082
Eml nr...@hsi.org
http://www.hsi.org  
http://www.hsus.org  


NOTICE: This message is intended for the use of the individual or entity
to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged,
confidential, and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If the
reader of this message is not the intended recipient, or the employee or
agent of the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any
dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is
strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error,
please notify me immediately at the telephone number above. Thank you.

___
MARMAM mailing list
MARMAM@lists.uvic.ca
https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam

[MARMAM] SMM workshop - Lost in Translation: The Science-Policy Intersect

[Naomi Rose]

This is the first announcement for the full day workshop Lost in
Translation: The Science-Policy Intersect on Sunday, October 11, 2009 to
be held in association with the SMM's 18th  Biennial Conference on the
Biology of Marine Mammals in Quebec City, Canada.  

Lost in Translation: The Science-Policy Intersect


It is now rare to find any scientific discovery, theory or even a single
new data point (especially in data-poor fields such as marine mammal
science) that is not being used or mis-used in one or more policy
forums. Should scientists change the way they work and report their
results, or even correct mis-representations of their work by others? If
so, how should this be done? And if scientists get involved in policy,
how deeply should they delve and how can they do so without losing their
objectivity and while preventing bias from affecting their work?  

 

To address these questions, we intend to invite scientists working on
the science-policy boundary to discuss their experiences at this
intersect in short (20- minute) presentations with the hope of providing
cautionary tales and guidance to a wider scientific audience. These
presentations will also consider how science should be used in policy,
as well as how it is actually used in policy. We will also have a legal
expert explain some of the terminology used in laws and regulations to
illustrate the standards that managers must meet. 

 

The workshop will then break into open discussion on the following
topics:  

 

1) If, when, why and how scientists should consider the policy
implications of their work; and 

 

2) How scientists, especially those funded specifically to address a
management concern, can phrase conclusions, statements and
recommendations to optimize their use and minimize potential for misuse.


 

Speakers are currently being scheduled - we will provide the program in
a forthcoming announcement.

To register for this workshop, please go to the SMM web site at: 

http://www.marinemammalogy.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=categor
y&id=918&Itemid=215
 


The workshop will take place on Sunday, October 11, 2009 from 8:30am to
5:30pm in Room 207.

Space is limited - there will be a registration fee of $35.00US, which
will include breakfast (starting at 8am) and coffee breaks - method of
payment will be announced later. Given the large number of great
workshops being offered at this biennial, if you can attend for only a
half-day, we will charge a half-day fee of $10.00US.

 

We look forward to seeing you there.

 

 

 

Naomi A. Rose, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist, HSI-Wildlife
nr...@hsi.org  
t +1 301.258.3048 f +1 301.258.3082

Humane Society International
700 Professional DriveGaithersburg, MD 20879USA
hsi.org  

Join Our Email List  Facebook
 Twitter
 

   

<>___
MARMAM mailing list
MARMAM@lists.uvic.ca
https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam

[MARMAM] Final Announcement for Lost in Translation: The Science-Policy Intersect workshop

[Naomi Rose]

This is the last announcement for the full day workshop Lost in
Translation: The Science-Policy Intersect on Sunday, October 11, 2009 to
be held in association with the SMM's 18th  Biennial Conference on the
Biology of Marine Mammals in Quebec City, Canada.  

Lost in Translation: The Science-Policy Intersect


This workshop will address questions regarding whether, when, and how
scientists should become involved in the policy arena. After
presentations by scientists and a legal expert experienced in working
with marine conservation policy issues, the workshop will break into
moderated open discussion for the afternoon. Please see the full
synopsis for the workshop on the SMM conference web site.

 

Our speakers will be Dr. Naomi Rose, Andrew Wright, Dr. Lance
Barrett-Lenard, Dr. Tim Ragen, and Dr. Howard Schiffman.  The full
program will be sent to registered participants at least one week before
the workshop.

To register for this workshop, please go to the SMM web site at: 

http://www.marinemammalogy.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=categor
y&id=918&Itemid=215
<http://www.marinemammalogy.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=catego
ry&id=918&Itemid=215> 


The workshop will take place on Sunday, October 11, 2009 from 8:30am to
5:30pm in Room 207.

There will be a registration fee of $35.00US, which will include
breakfast (starting at 8am) and coffee breaks - payment (cash or check
in US currency) will be collected at the door. Given the large number of
workshops being offered at this biennial, if you can attend for only a
half-day (no breakfast), we will charge a half-day fee of $10.00US.

 

We have been fortunate to secure a small amount of funding and can now
offer student members a discount of $5US on the full-day fee. Student
registration for the workshop is therefore $30US.  Depending on various
factors, we may be able to offer a further discount to students at the
door.  Please bring proof of your student status to the workshop to
obtain the discount.

 

We look forward to seeing you there.

 

 

 

Naomi A. Rose, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist, HSI-Wildlife
nr...@hsi.org <mailto:nr...@hsi.org> 
t +1 301.258.3048 f +1 301.258.3082

Humane Society International
700 Professional DriveGaithersburg, MD 20879USA
hsi.org <http://www.hsi.org/> 

Join Our Email List <http://www.hsi.org/join> Facebook
<http://www.facebook.com/hsiglobal> Twitter
<http://twitter.com/hsiglobal> 

  <http://www.hsi.org/> 

<>___
MARMAM mailing list
MARMAM@lists.uvic.ca
https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam

[MARMAM] New paper on trends in cetacean literature

[Naomi Rose]

I would like to announce the publication of the following paper:

 

Rose, N.A., D. Janiger, E.C.M. Parsons, and M. Stachowitsch. 2011. Shifting 
baselines in scientific publications: A case study using cetacean research. 
Marine Policy 35: 477-482.

 

Abstract:

 

The marine sciences have undergone a sequence of historical changes related to 
new methodologies, approaches and challenges. Most recently, deteriorating 
natural ecosystems and threatened component species have prompted a renewed 
change in the focus of scientific research on the marine environment. This 
study analyzes the scientific literature on cetaceans during the period 
2005–2008 to demonstrate that a key focus of modern research is on 
conservation-related topics, and then compares it to the period 1970–1973 to 
demonstrate that this new focus represents a shift from basic biological and 
ecological issues. On average, approximately 46% of papers published on whales, 
dolphins and porpoises in 2005–2008 were categorized as conservation oriented 
versus focused on biology or ecology. This contrasts to approximately 10% in 
1970–1973. This shift parallels other marine research subjects, such as benthic 
communities, coral reefs and sea turtles and reflects a general paradigm shift 
in marine research towards anthropogenic impacts. This is important guidance 
for institutions and organizations that wish to base their agendas and 
decisions on state-of-the-art scientific priorities.

 

A .pdf copy can be downloaded from the journal’s website (subscribers only) at:

 

www.elsevier.com/locate/marpol 

 

Or you can send a request for a .pdf to me at 

 

nr...@hsi.org

 

 

 

Naomi A. Rose, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist, HSI-Wildlife
nr...@hsi.org  
t +1 301.258.3048 f +1 301.258.3082

Humane Society International
700 Professional DriveGaithersburg, MD 20879USA
hsi.org  

Join Our Email List  Facebook 
 Twitter  

   

 

 

 

 

 

<>___
MARMAM mailing list
MARMAM@lists.uvic.ca
https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam

[MARMAM] Response to the International Journal of Comparative Pscyhology's special issue on captive marine mammal research

[Naomi Rose]

Dear colleagues:

 

As readers of MARMAM may recall, a two-volume special issue of the
International Journal of Comparative Psychology (IJCP special issue) was
produced last year, focused on the value of captive marine mammal
research. The editor of the special issue, Stan Kuczaj, stated in his
introduction that "[t]he idea for this special issue resulted from the
publication of the Humane Society of America's [sic] recent edition of
The Case Against Marine Mammals in Captivity" (CAMMIC) in 2009. CAMMIC
was a white paper from The Humane Society of the United States and the
World Society for the Protection of Animals in support of their policy
position that marine mammals, particularly cetaceans, are inherently
unsuited to public display. It was not peer-reviewed nor meant to be
objective and did not even focus on captive research specifically. Yet
as editor of the IJCP, Dr. Kuczaj responded to it by compiling a
two-volume special issue on the value of captive marine mammal research.

 

After reading several of the special issue's contributions, we found it
overall to be a valuable exercise and, had it not contained (in Dr.
Kuczaj's introduction and several of the papers) specific and pointed
references to CAMMIC, would have accepted it as a timely means of
summarizing the current state of play of captive marine mammal research.
However, aside from Dr. Kuczaj's reference to the genesis of the special
issue, in his introduction he also noted that "Although the authors of
[CAMMIC] acknowledged the possibility that some research with captive
animals might have been important in the past, they also suggested that
research with captive marine mammals is no longer necessary" (p. 225).
My co-authors and I felt strongly that this latter characterization of
our position, as well as comments on CAMMIC in some of the other papers,
were inaccurate and therefore we submitted a reply to the IJCP. 

 

Dr. Kuczaj, who is also the general editor of the IJCP, after sending
our reply out for review, rejected it. In his email to us, he stated
that "the two-volume special issue of IJCP was not an attack on the HSUS
white paper. In fact, [CAMMIC] is only mentioned a handful of times
throughout the two issues. So a 'rebuttal' of the special issues makes
no sense." We note again Dr. Kuczaj's introduction to the special issue,
in which he states "The idea for this special issue resulted from the
publication of" CAMMIC and goes on to offer a paraphrase of CAMMIC's
position on captive research. Also, despite one of the three reviewers
agreeing that allowing a reply from us was "justified" (albeit with
major revisions), Dr. Kuczaj nevertheless said in his email that "none
of the reviews favor[ed] publication" of our reply. 

 

His refusal to allow a reply to what we perceived as a
mischaracterization of our position - to avoid what he called a "he
said-she said cycle of rebuttal and re-rebuttal" - is troubling to us,
as these kinds of exchanges in the published literature, however lively
they become, are an accepted and common element of the scientific
process. We were open to edits of our reply, of course, and the same
reviewer who acknowledged that a reply from us was justified offered a
number of suggested revisions that we found useful. However, two of the
reviews recommended outright rejection (one review was highly
unprofessional and personal in tone, in our view), and Dr. Kuczaj chose
to follow the latter recommendations. He suggested that instead we draft
an entirely separate paper, a clarification of our position on captive
research, and submit it anew for consideration to the IJCP, with a
separate review.

 

We acknowledge that a clarification of our position on captive research
may be warranted (indeed, we even suggest it might have been appropriate
for Dr. Kuczaj to have solicited such a clarification from us for the
special issue itself - we note that we knew nothing about the
compilation of the special issue until it was published) and we will
keep this in mind in future editions of CAMMIC. However, our purpose in
replying to the special issue was to address characterizations of CAMMIC
that we felt were inaccurate, which Dr. Kuczaj's suggestion for a new
submission expressly precluded. As we are unable to correct the record
in the IJCP, we beg the indulgence of the MARMAM community and do so
here, in the interest of open, collegial debate on a topic relevant to
this community. (If you would like a copy of the original submission to
the IJCP, which has additional text and references that were cut for
space here, please let me know.)

 

 

We believe the special issue's editor and some of its contributors
fundamentally misread our position on captive research. We never
suggested that "research with captive marine mammals is no longer
necessary." Rather we stated that "There may be some research questions
that the study of captive animals can answer most directly (such as
questions regarding cognition or the impacts o

[MARMAM] Taiji pushing through plan for "whale ranch"

[Naomi Rose]

Translated by a colleague - I thought this might be of interest to the 
community:

Taiji pushing through plan for "whale ranch"
Yomiuri Newspaper, Feb. 28th, 2012

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20120227-0680-yom-soci


In the town of 
Taiji, plans are moving forward for a "whale ranch" where visitors can interact 
with whales and dolphins that are confined to the bay. The facility is 
scheduled to open in 5 years, and aiming to attract 300,000 visitors per year. 
Although the town has been the target of criticism following The Cove, town 
officials and businessmen came up with the idea to show how Taiji has "long 
been a place where whales and dolphins coexist [with the townspeople]."

According to the plans, a 40,000 sq. meter area of Moriura Bay in the northwest 
part of town would be portioned off with nets, and minke whales, pilot whales, 
and dolphins would be "ranched" there. Visitors could enjoy being in the 
presence of whales and dolphins in the wild, including swimming with trained 
dolphins and going out into the bay in kayaks.

And this "ranch" does not only serve as a tourist destination--it also will be 
a site for cetacean research. Using part of a closed-down retirement home and 
part of the current town Whale Museum's "Whale Beach Park," the plans are to 
convert these into lodgings and research facilities respectively. The areas 
around the park will become a "scientific research area" and will be open for 
researchers to observe the reproduction of the cetaceans in the bay.



Naomi A. Rose, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist, HSI-Wildlife
nr...@hsi.org
t +1 301.258.3048 f +1 301.258.3082
Humane Society International
700 Professional DriveGaithersburg, MD 20879USA
hsi.org
Join Our Email List
Facebook
Twitter
[Description: Humane Society International - Celebrating Animals | Confronting 
Cruelty | Worldwide]

<>___
MARMAM mailing list
MARMAM@lists.uvic.ca
https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam

[MARMAM] Polar bear comments

[Naomi Rose]

Dear colleagues:

The US Fish and Wildlife Service currently has a comment period open for its 
proposed CITES actions at the next Conference of the Parties in 2013.  They 
have three categories of proposals - those they will sponsor, those they are 
still considering, and those they have decided not to sponsor.  Polar bears are 
in the "still considering" category.  The links below give additional details 
about this situation, if you are interested in submitting public comments on 
this process.

http://www.fws.gov/international/CITES/CoP16/3rdFederalRegisterNotice77FR21798.pdf

http://www.fws.gov/international/CITES/CoP16/3rdFederalRegisterNoticeWeb.pdf

Best regards,
Naomi Rose


Naomi A. Rose, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist, HSI-Wildlife
nr...@hsi.org<mailto:nr...@hsi.org>
t +1 301.258.3048 f +1 301.258.3082
Humane Society International
700 Professional DriveGaithersburg, MD 20879USA
hsi.org<http://www.hsi.org/>
Join Our Email List<http://www.hsi.org/join>
Facebook<http://www.facebook.com/hsiglobal>
Twitter<http://twitter.com/hsiglobal>
[Description: Humane Society International - Celebrating Animals | Confronting 
Cruelty | Worldwide]<http://www.hsi.org/>

From: Teresa Telecky
Sent: Monday, May 07, 2012 5:15 PM
To: Naomi Rose
Subject: Marmam / PB

Hi Naomi,

I think you agreed to post the opportunity to comment to the USFWS on 
submitting the CITES PB proposal onto Marmam? Can you let me know when this has 
been done?

Here are the relevant links:

http://www.fws.gov/international/CITES/CoP16/3rdFederalRegisterNotice77FR21798.pdf

http://www.fws.gov/international/CITES/CoP16/3rdFederalRegisterNoticeWeb.pdf

Thanks!

T

Teresa M. Telecky, Ph.D.
Director, Wildlife Department
ttele...@hsi.org<mailto:ttele...@hsi.org>
t 301.258.1430 f 301.258.3082
Humane Society International
2100 L Street NWWashington, DC 20037USA
hsi.org<http://www.hsi.org/>
Join Our Email List<http://www.hsi.org/join>
Facebook<http://www.facebook.com/hsiglobal>
Twitter<http://twitter.com/hsiglobal>
[Description: Description: Description: Humane Society International - 
Celebrating Animals | Confronting Cruelty | Worldwide]<http://www.hsi.org/>

Humane Society International is rated a 4-star charity (the highest possible) 
by Charity 
Navigator<http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=3848>
 and approved by the Better Business 
Bureau<http://www.bbb.org/charity-reviews/national/animal-protection/humane-society-of-the-united-states-in-washington-dc-3129>
 for all 20 standards for charity accountability.  Our American affiliate, The 
Humane Society of the United States, was voted by Guidestar's 
Philanthropedia<http://www.myphilanthropedia.org/blog/2011/08/24/humane-society-of-the-united-states-hsus-1-expert-identified-animal-rights-and-welfare-nonprofit/>
 experts as the #1 high-impact animal protection group and named by Worth 
Magazine<http://www.humanesociety.org/assets/pdfs/about/worth_top_10_fiscally_responsible_charities.pdf>
 as one of the 10 most fiscally responsible charities in the USA.



<>___
MARMAM mailing list
MARMAM@lists.uvic.ca
https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam

[MARMAM] Release of "Death at SeaWorld"

[Naomi Rose]

Dear colleagues:

For those interested in the issues surrounding the public display of killer 
whales, a new book by journalist David Kirby, which is available in bookstores 
on July 17, discusses the topic thoroughly. "Death at SeaWorld" is not just 
about the death of trainer Dawn Brancheau in February 2010, but also about the 
nearly half century history of the practice of keeping this species in 
captivity. Several members of the MARMAM community, past and present, make an 
appearance in the book.  In the interest of full disclosure, I am prominently 
featured in the narrative, along with Jeff Ventre, a former SeaWorld killer 
whale trainer and current M.D., and three of his former SeaWorld colleagues.

The book is also available on Amazon: 
http://www.amazon.com/Death-SeaWorld-Killer-Whales-Captivity/dp/1250002028.  
Please also visit www.deathatseaworld.com for 
more information.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Naomi A. Rose, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist, HSI-Wildlife
nr...@hsi.org
t +1 301.258.3048 f +1 301.258.3082
Humane Society International
700 Professional DriveGaithersburg, MD 20879USA
hsi.org
Join Our Email List
Facebook
Twitter
[Description: Description: Description: Description: Humane Society 
International - Celebrating Animals | Confronting Cruelty | 
Worldwide]

<>___
MARMAM mailing list
MARMAM@lists.uvic.ca
https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam

[MARMAM] Proposal to import 18 wild-caught belugas

[Naomi Rose]

Dear Colleagues:

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has published a notice of 
receipt of a permit application to import 18 wild-caught belugas into the 
United States. The permit applicant is the Georgia Aquarium, in partnership 
with five other US facilities (the three SeaWorlds and Mystic and Shedd 
Aquariums).

The permit application materials are available at the following:

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/georgia_aquarium_belugas.htm

I strongly urge those who have an interest in the welfare of captive cetaceans 
and those who have an interest in the international commercial trade in marine 
mammals (and all wildlife) to review these materials and consider submitting 
comments by the deadline, October 29. There will also be a hearing on October 
12 in Silver Spring, Maryland at the NOAA headquarters.

Humane Society International is opposed to the capture from the wild of 
cetaceans for public display and will be submitting comments to this effect. I 
would be happy to send talking points I have developed for this permit 
application to anyone who requests them.

Regards
Naomi Rose


Naomi A. Rose, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist, HSI-Wildlife
nr...@hsi.org<mailto:nr...@hsi.org>
t +1 301.258.3048 f +1 301.258.3082
Humane Society International
700 Professional DriveGaithersburg, MD 20879USA
hsi.org<http://www.hsi.org/>
Join Our Email List<http://www.hsi.org/join>
Facebook<http://www.facebook.com/hsiglobal>
Twitter<http://twitter.com/hsiglobal>
[Description: Humane Society International - Celebrating Animals | Confronting 
Cruelty | Worldwide]<http://www.hsi.org/>

<>___
MARMAM mailing list
MARMAM@lists.uvic.ca
https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam

[MARMAM] IWC SOCER 2006 - call for submissions

[Naomi Rose]

SOLICITATION LETTER TO POTENTIAL CONTRIBUTORS TO THE STATE OF THE
CETACEAN ENVIRONMENT REPORT (SOCER)
INTERNATIONAL WHALING COMMISSION SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE
http://www.iwcoffice.org/commission/sci_com/socer2006.htm


This letter is a call for submissions to enable us to produce a draft
State of the Cetacean Environment Report (SOCER) for consideration by
the International Whaling Commission's Scientific Committee. It will be
the fifth SOCER produced. The ultimate objective is to provide
Commissioners (in response to IWC Resolution 2000-7) and other
interested parties with a non-technical periodic summary of events,
developments and conditions in the marine environment that are relevant
to cetaceans. Such developments might range from unusual mortalities to
new legislation protecting marine habitats.

The report is compiled on an annual basis, with pre-selected regions to
be treated each year. These regions include: Mediterranean and Black
Seas; North and South Atlantic; North and South Pacific; Arctic and
Southern Ocean; Indian Ocean; and Global.

This year will be devoted to the INDIAN OCEAN.

Every 4-6 years, the regional reports will be combined, along with
important additions pertaining to the various regions that occurred in
the intervening period, into a complete global SOCER.

We are asking for submissions of information that in your opinion merit
inclusion in this report. This should primarily include information on
events from 2004, 2005 and the months of 2006 before the submission
deadline, although earlier data may be submitted if relevant over the
long term. You may submit information in two ways:

*Send an email to one of the SOCER editors (see contact information
below) and include the relevant scientific paper(s) as an attachment; 

*Use the standardised data entry form (please go to
http://www.iwcoffice.org/commission/sci_com/socer2006.htm). Please fill
out all the relevant fields. Any additional information provided (see
item VIII: 'additional information and remarks') will assist the
editorial decision-making process regarding inclusion in the SOCER. If
an event or development does not fit the format of the form, but you
nonetheless believe it warrants inclusion, please specify this in Item
VIII. The relevant scientific papers should be submitted with the
submission form or otherwise drawn to the attention of the editors. 

With few exceptions, only information stemming from published scientific
papers and reports or other authoritative sources can be accepted.
However, any supporting documentation for an event or development - such
as news items - may also be submitted with the form.

THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS FOR THE 2006 SOCER IS: April 1, 2006.

The SOCER will also contain a glossary of technical terms. The draft
version of this report will be written by the principal SOCER editors
(Michael Stachowitsch, Naomi Rose and Chris Parsons) and circulated as a
Scientific Committee document in advance of the Scientific Committee
meeting, where its content and format will be evaluated. Please note
that, due to editorial considerations (succinct format for
Commissioners), not all submissions may be incorporated (or incorporated
in full) into the SOCER.

We would greatly appreciate your input into this endeavor, which we
intend to be a useful contribution to international understanding,
particularly at the policy level, of cetaceans and their changing
environment.



 
Michael Stachowitsch
Dept. of Marine Biology
University of Vienna
Althanstrasse 14, A-1090
Vienna, AUSTRIA
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]

Naomi Rose
Humane Society International
2100 L Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20037
USA
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]

Chris Parsons
Department of Environmental Science and Policy
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA 22030
USA
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]

___
MARMAM mailing list
MARMAM@lists.uvic.ca
http://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam

[MARMAM] IWC SOCER solicitation - reminder

[Naomi Rose]

I am posting the following as a gentle reminder, especially to those
researchers who work in the Indian Ocean (if you cannot get us your
information by the April 1 deadline, please still send it through, as we
still may be able to include it):


SOLICITATION LETTER TO POTENTIAL CONTRIBUTORS TO THE STATE OF THE
CETACEAN ENVIRONMENT REPORT (SOCER)

This letter is a call for submissions to enable us to produce a draft
State of the Cetacean Environment Report (SOCER) for consideration by
the IWC's Scientific Committee. It will be the fifth SOCER produced. The
ultimate objective is to provide Commissioners (in response to
Resolution 2000-7) and other interested parties with a non-technical
periodic summary of events, developments and conditions in the marine
environment that are relevant to cetaceans. Such developments might
range from unusual mortalities to new legislation protecting marine
habitats.

The report is compiled on an annual basis, with pre-selected regions to
be treated each year. These regions include: Mediterranean and Black
Seas; North and South Atlantic; North and South Pacific; Arctic and
Southern Ocean; Indian Ocean; and Global.  

This year will be devoted to the Indian Ocean.

Every 4-6 years, the regional reports will be combined, along with
important additions pertaining to the various regions that occurred in
the intervening period, into a complete global SOCER.

We are asking for submissions of information that in your opinion merit
inclusion in this report. This should primarily include information on
events from 2004, 2005 and the months of 2006 before the submission
deadline, although earlier data may be submitted if relevant over the
long term. You may submit information in two ways:

1. Send an email to one of the SOCER editors (see contact information
below) and include the relevant scientific paper(s) as an attachment;
2. Use the standardised form for data entry, which can be downloaded
from http://www.iwcoffice.org/SCWEB/socer.htm. Please fill out all the
relevant fields. Any additional information provided (see item VIII:
"additional information and remarks") will assist the editorial
decision-making process regarding inclusion in the SOCER.  If an event
or development does not fit the format of the form, but you nonetheless
believe it warrants inclusion, please specify this in Item VIII. The
relevant scientific papers should be submitted with the submission form
or otherwise drawn to the attention of the editors. 

With few exceptions, only information stemming from published scientific
papers and reports or other authoritative sources can be accepted.
However, any supporting documentation for an event or development - such
as news items - may also be submitted with the form.

*The deadline for submissions for the 2006 SOCER is: April 1, 2006.

The SOCER will also contain a glossary of technical terms. The draft
version of this report will be written by the principal SOCER editors
(Michael Stachowitsch, Naomi Rose and Chris Parsons) and circulated as a
Scientific Committee document in advance of the Scientific Committee
meeting, where its content and format will be evaluated. Please note
that, due to editorial considerations (succinct format for
Commissioners), not all submissions may be incorporated (or incorporated
in full) into the SOCER.

We would greatly appreciate your input into this endeavor, which we
intend to be a useful contribution to international understanding,
particularly at the policy level, of cetaceans and their changing
environment.

Michael Stachowitsch    Naomi Rose
Dept. of Marine Biology Humane Society
International
University of Vienna2100 L Street,
N.W.
Althanstrasse 14, A-1090Washington, D.C.
20037 USA
Vienna, Austria Email:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]

Chris Parsons
Department of Environmental Science and Policy
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA 22030 USA
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 

___
MARMAM mailing list
MARMAM@lists.uvic.ca
http://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam

[MARMAM] Panama dolphin capture proposal

[Naomi Rose]

Hello MARMAM members:

 

I have just returned from a three-day visit to the Republic of Panama.
For the past two years or so, a company called Ocean Embassy
(www.oceanembassy.com   and see press
release below) has been seeking permission of the Panamanian government
to build a resort featuring captive dolphins and to stock this
dolphinarium with dolphins captured from local waters (from both sides
of the isthmus).  If you would like to see the original proposal or
other materials related to this situation, I would be happy to send them
to anyone on request.

 

I am posting to MARMAM because, in my opinion, Ocean Embassy is
misrepresenting several conservation, science, and education concepts as
part of its marketing strategy.  For example, the proposal is to capture
dolphins before any population surveys are completed.  (Panama's coastal
waters have never been surveyed for dolphin abundance.)  The proposal
states that initially 28 dolphins will be captured - I was present when
an Ocean Embassy representative stated that this number is now 18 - and
a quota of 80 dolphins has been established for the following five
years.  A research program is set to begin after the initial captures
occur (and the quota of 80 will be taken while abundance surveys are
on-going) and only one Caribbean dolphin population will be studied at
all (in the Bocas del Toro region), although dolphins will be captured
on the Pacific side. This plan is presented in Ocean Embassy's materials
as "precautionary" and the captures and a planned captive breeding
program as "essential to the study of this species."  Ocean Embassy
rhetoric even implies that captive breeding is a mandatory element of
any dolphin conservation program in the Caribbean (see the press release
re: the SPAW Protocol).  I also heard the same Ocean Embassy
representative state that capturing dolphins before doing research was
necessary to establish a "control group," although a control for what
was not made clear.

 

No mention is made in the proposal of plans to conduct international
trade in these animals, but the proposed quota (as many as 80 dolphins
over five years) and the plans for captive breeding suggest strongly
that this is the ultimate intention.

 

I am appalled at the misrepresentation of scientific and conservation
concepts currently taking place in Panama.  In the 14 years I have been
working in the field of marine mammal protection advocacy, I have never
seen quite such an egregious and propagandistic misuse of science and
conservation to sell this type of business development plan.  I think
purely as a matter of principle, regardless of one's position on
captivity or capture, marine mammal biologists should speak out against
this project.  If companies like Ocean Embassy can masquerade as
research and conservation organizations with impunity, when they not
only are just business ventures but are actually perverting scientific,
conservation, and management principles to further their own commercial
interests, then we can hardly expect governments to continue to respect
and heed legitimate science.  If there is a growing number of
politicians and decision-makers who are dismissive of legitimate
science, then some of the blame must rest with scientists who don't
think they should get involved in politically charged or controversial
issues.

 

I would like to call on anyone on MARMAM who is equally appalled at this
situation to write letters to the president of Panama (who so far
supports Ocean Embassy and its proposal), to clarify for him that the
manner in which Ocean Embassy represents science and conservation is
inconsistent with that of the international marine mammal science,
conservation, and management communities.  He needs to hear this from
many quarters, but particularly from independent researchers - to date,
calls for a proper scientific basis for quotas, which are coming from
the environmental and animal protection communities, are being dismissed
as "radical" and "self-serving".  During my visit to Panama, my concerns
were summarily dismissed by Ocean Embassy, and I myself was
characterized as someone who "calls herself an expert on dolphins, but
has no experience working with dolphins.  She has never held a baby
dolphin, nor worked with adult dolphins.  She has never studied
dolphins, conducted research on dolphins, nor rescued injured or
stranded dolphins." [My Spanish is rudimentary, but I think I have the
gist; however, I would be happy to provide anyone with the original
Spanish version of this statement, which was distributed at an Ocean
Embassy press conference in Panama City on March 6, 2007.]

 

If you are interested in additional information on this situation and/or
in writing a letter to the government of Panama, please email me.
Again, I am not asking for letters protesting captivity or even capture
- I am asking for letters offering the decision-makers in Panama a
description of genuine concep

[MARMAM] Publication of US Animal Welfare Act standards policy paper

[Naomi Rose]

Dear Marmamers:

I would like to announce the publication of a paper in the Journal of 
International Wildlife Law and Policy, based on the May 2016 comments my 
organization submitted to the US Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, 
during the public comment period for a proposed rule to amend the Animal 
Welfare Act regulations governing the care and handling of captive marine 
mammals.

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13880292.2017.1309858

It is open access. There is no abstract, but in summary it outlines 
deficiencies in the proposed rule and recommends changes for the agency to 
consider when finalizing it. The recommendations are based on the best 
available science and industry best practice.

Regards,
Naomi Rose



[13_AWILogo_ONLY]

NAOMI A. ROSE, PH.D.
Marine Mammal Scientist

ANIMAL WELFARE INSTITUTE
900 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
Washington, DC 20003
na...@awionline.org<mailto:na...@awionline.org>
T: +1 202 446 2120 ~ F: +1 202 446 2131 ~ C: +1 240 401 4269
www.awionline.org<http://www.awionline.org/>

P  Please consider the animals and their habitat before printing.

___
MARMAM mailing list
MARMAM@lists.uvic.ca
https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam

[MARMAM] The Case Against Marine Mammals in Captivity

[Naomi Rose]

Fellow MARMAMers:

I am pleased to announce the publication of the 5th edition of "The Case 
Against Marine Mammals in Captivity." The 4th edition of this white paper, 
first published by The Humane Society of the United States in 1995, was 
released in 2009. After a decade, the Animal Welfare Institute and World Animal 
Protection have published an updated version, released on March 8, 2019. It is 
available here for download: 
https://awionline.org/sites/default/files/uploads/documents/AWI-ML-CAMMIC-5th-edition.pdf.
 If you are interested in a hard copy, please contact me.



[13_AWILogo_ONLY]

NAOMI A. ROSE, PH.D.
Marine Mammal Scientist

ANIMAL WELFARE INSTITUTE
900 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
Washington, DC 20003
na...@awionline.org
T: +1 202 446 2120 ~ F: +1 202 446 2131 ~ C: +1 240 401 4269
www.awionline.org

P  Please consider the animals and their habitat before printing.

___
MARMAM mailing list
MARMAM@lists.uvic.ca
https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam

[MARMAM] Don Baur: In Memoriam

[Naomi Rose]

Dear Marmam colleagues:

Don Baur, a mentor to many in the marine mammal policy world, passed away on 
December 15 from cancer. Don joined Perkins Coie in 1987, after working as a 
lawyer for the Department of the Interior and serving as General Counsel for 
the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission. He was promoted to partner at the firm in 
1993 and rose to become a cornerstone of the firm's environmental practice. 
Through Vermont Law School, he helped trained a generation of environmental 
lawyers. He was a superb practitioner who was widely respected throughout the 
country. His wisdom, calm pragmatism, and generous spirit were widely valued 
within the marine policy world.

Don taught at Vermont Law School, Golden Gate School of Law and the 
Environmental Law Institute. He edited two editions of the American Bar 
Association's books "Endangered Species Act: Law, Policy, and Perspectives" and 
"Ocean and Coastal Law and Policy," and he co-authored "Best Practices for 
Protecting Natural Resources on Tribal Lands." Don's deep interest in and 
dedication to marine mammals, the marine environment, and national parks were 
central to his professional legacy. He spent hundreds-more likely thousands-of 
hours doing pro bono work to help whales, sea otters, parks, and the 
environment. He never seemed to sleep and made himself available whenever he 
was needed.

Don served on the boards of numerous organizations, including the National 
Marine Sanctuary Foundation, the Shenandoah National Park Trust, the Park 
Institute of America, and the Pegasus Foundation. He was legal counsel for the 
Whale Sanctuary Project. He received the Marine Wildlife Conservation Award 
from the Center for Marine Conservation, the 1872 Award for Service to the 
National Parks from the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees, and the 
Animal Welfare Advocacy Award from the Pegasus Foundation. At Perkins Coie, Don 
received the 2022 Shan Mullin Community Leadership and Service Award and the 
2019 Pro Bono Leadership Award.

For so many of us in the marine mammal policy world, Don was our colleague, 
mentor, and most importantly our friend. It is difficult to express how deeply 
he will be missed. He did not seek the limelight, but was behind so many 
efforts to protect marine mammals. His first response to any issue brought to 
his attention was, "How can I help?" His loss leaves a profound vacuum in the 
marine mammal advocacy community.

For anyone who wishes to make a donation in Don's honor, his family has 
suggested the Apostle Islands Historic Preservation 
Conservancy-these islands meant a 
great deal to him personally. There are plans for a memorial service by his 
friends and colleagues in the new year. Please feel free to reach out to me at 
na...@awionline.org for more information.


[13_AWILogo_ONLY]

NAOMI A. ROSE, PH.D.
Marine Mammal Scientist
ANIMAL WELFARE INSTITUTE
T: +1 202 446 2120 ~ C: +1 240 401 4269
www.awionline.org

P  Please consider the animals and their habitat before printing

___
MARMAM mailing list
MARMAM@lists.uvic.ca
https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam

[MARMAM] Panel discussions at the Biennial in Dunedin

[Naomi Rose]

If you go to the home page for the Society of Marine Mammalogy, you will see 
the following announcement:

Panel discussions at the conference


There will be two very interesting panel discussions at the conference. One on 
humane killing of marine mammals, on the afternoon of Monday 9 December. The 
other on killer whales in captivity, on the evening of Thursday 12 December. 
See the conference programme page for more information. Society members will be 
able to send in questions for these panel discussions very soon.


Just a heads-up - please revisit the site soon for more information on how to 
submit questions for these events.

Naomi



[13_AWILogo_ONLY]

NAOMI A. ROSE, PH.D.
Marine Mammal Scientist

ANIMAL WELFARE INSTITUTE
900 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
Washington, DC 20003
na...@awionline.org
T: +1 202 446 2120 ~ F: +1 202 446 2131 ~ C: +1 240 401 4269
www.awionline.org


The Animal Welfare Institute is proud to be the only animal charity currently 
rated A+ by the American Institute of Philanthropy. Please join us in our work 
to protect animals - visit our website to find out more and to sign up for AWI 
eAlerts: 
www.awionline.org.

P  Please consider the animals and their habitat before printing.

<>___
MARMAM mailing list
MARMAM@lists.uvic.ca
https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam

[MARMAM] Panel discussion on captive killer whales in Dunedin, New Zealand

[Naomi Rose]

Hello everyone:

I understand there have been numerous inquiries as to when the transcript of 
the panel discussion on captive killer whales, held at the SMM biennial 
conference in Dunedin, New Zealand, would be posted on the SMM website. The 
website, on the page with the questions submitted by conference registrants, 
noted that a transcript would be posted and Doug Wartzok, the facilitator of 
the discussion, announced from the podium the night of the event that the 
discussion would be recorded and posted to the website.

In correspondence I have since had with Doug and Helene Marsh, I was told that 
the board had made a decision after the conference not to post the transcript. 
Having not seen any announcement of this decision on the website (which in 
several places still promises the transcript), it seemed a general announcement 
to MARMAM would be useful, to forestall future inquiries.

Please direct any questions to Doug Wartzok or Helene Marsh.

Naomi Rose



[13_AWILogo_ONLY]

NAOMI A. ROSE, PH.D.
Marine Mammal Scientist

ANIMAL WELFARE INSTITUTE
900 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
Washington, DC 20003
na...@awionline.org<mailto:na...@awionline.org>
T: +1 202 446 2120 ~ F: +1 202 446 2131 ~ C: +1 240 401 4269
www.awionline.org<http://www.awionline.org/>


The Animal Welfare Institute is proud to be the only animal charity currently 
rated A+ by the American Institute of Philanthropy. Please join us in our work 
to protect animals – visit our website to find out more and to sign up for AWI 
eAlerts: 
www.awionline.org<http://capwiz.com/compassionindex/mlm/signup/?ignore_cookie=1>.

P  Please consider the animals and their habitat before printing.
<>___
MARMAM mailing list
MARMAM@lists.uvic.ca
https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam

[MARMAM] War of the Whales

[Naomi Rose]

Dear Marmamers:

As some may know, War of the Whales, a book focused on Joel Reynolds of NRDC 
and Ken Balcomb of the Center for Whale Research and their work addressing the 
impact of military sonar on marine mammals (particularly beaked whales), is now 
in bookstores. I would like to urge the community to read it - it's a good 
summer read, engaging and informative, and has been getting excellent reviews. 
I learned a lot I didn't know about the history of this issue and I've been 
working on it myself for 20 years! The link at Amazon is here: 
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1451645015/.

All the best,
Naomi Rose


[13_AWILogo_ONLY]

NAOMI A. ROSE, PH.D.
Marine Mammal Scientist

ANIMAL WELFARE INSTITUTE
900 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
Washington, DC 20003
na...@awionline.org<mailto:na...@awionline.org>
T: +1 202 446 2120 ~ F: +1 202 446 2131 ~ C: +1 240 401 4269
www.awionline.org<http://www.awionline.org/>


The Animal Welfare Institute is proud to be the only animal charity currently 
rated A+ by the American Institute of Philanthropy. Please join us in our work 
to protect animals - visit our website to find out more and to sign up for AWI 
eAlerts: 
www.awionline.org<http://capwiz.com/compassionindex/mlm/signup/?ignore_cookie=1>.

P  Please consider the animals and their habitat before printing.

___
MARMAM mailing list
MARMAM@lists.uvic.ca
https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam

[MARMAM] SeaWorld's new "Ask SeaWorld" Twitter campaign

[Naomi Rose]

Dear MARMAMers:

As some here may know, SeaWorld has launched a new Twitter campaign, "#Ask 
SeaWorld." The link below takes you to a March 28 question and response from 
the related website.

http://ask.seaworldcares.com/?p=276

>From my knowledge of the literature and my time in the field, I know that 
>killer whale teeth generally do not suffer severe apical wear (and only very 
>rarely exhibit breakage) and when they do, this wear occurs at the population 
>level and is associated with prey type (e.g., in the Pacific offshore ecotype, 
>severe tooth wear is associated with feeding on sharks; Ford et al. 2011) or 
>feeding method (e.g., in Type 1 North Atlantics, severe tooth wear is 
>associated with suction-feeding; Foote et al. 2009). Pacific transient ecotype 
>teeth suffer moderate lateral and apical wear, associated with feeding on 
>other marine mammals (Ford et al. 2011). Generally mammal eaters show lateral 
>wear more than apical wear (Caldwell & Brown 1964). Pacific resident ecotype 
>and Type 2 North Atlantic teeth suffer no apical and little lateral wear (Ford 
>et al. 2011; Foote et al. 2009). In all these papers, tooth wear is 
>hypothesized to be due to prey type or feeding method, not to general 
>manipulation of objects in the environment, since some populations generally 
>suffer little to no wear and must also manipulate objects in the environment.

Almost all captive killer whales suffer moderate to severe apical wear and 
occasional breakage. If you follow this link, you will see several photos of 
captive orcas showing various levels of tooth wear and breakage:

https://theorcaproject.wordpress.com/2010/09/25/the-hidden-cost-of-captivity-oral-health-of-killer-whales-exposed/

You can see drilled out teeth, teeth worn to the gums, and broken teeth in 
these photos (I have other higher resolution photos, if anyone wishes to see 
them). While less than a handful of juvenile to adult captive killer whales 
suffer no wear or breakage (such as Lolita), this is the exception rather than 
the rule. These photos are representative of most captive killer whale teeth.

Given that captive killer whale teeth rarely or never touch the fish they are 
fed (thawed frozen fish are dropped directly into the open mouths of the 
animals and are rarely handled by the animals' teeth in any way), this begs the 
question of how their teeth wear or break like this. The response on SeaWorld's 
web page consists of two major points: 1) that moderate wear occurs when the 
whales' teeth "brush against" abrasive surfaces such as the walls (the 
suggestion is that this happens only occasionally and even inadvertently and is 
more than a slight touch but far less than a concentrated grinding); and 2) 
that "a lot" of stranded killer whales have poor dentition, which is the result 
of simple "manipulation" of objects in their environment. This claim does not 
distinguish the populations from which such stranded whales come; it simply 
implies that many whales from all populations have teeth similar to those of 
captive killer whales and for similar reasons. In short, SeaWorld's reply is 
saying that captive killer whale dentition is "normal."

This is incorrect and I personally believe that it is incumbent upon our 
community to clarify for SeaWorld that this is incorrect, so the company will 
stop misleading the public, including the media, about this issue. Captive 
killer whales, as far as I understand it from what I have read and heard, break 
and wear their teeth because they persistently grind their teeth on the 
concrete walls and metal gates of their enclosures as a stereotypy. I would 
prefer to have a peer-reviewed reference to offer here for this claim, but 
unfortunately the public display facilities holding killer whales have 
published very little of substance on captive killer whale dentition. The only 
relevant paper I was able to find was in Zoo Biology (Graham & Dow 1990), 
describing one whale's damaged dentition and the treatment for it. This paper 
clarified that the teeth of this one animal were worn by "biting a cement 
structure in the pool." Indeed, they note that for whales in net pens, "there 
are no hard surfaces to chew on, so tooth wear is not evident after several 
years in captivity."

For whatever reason, SeaWorld is misleading the public about the facts related 
to captive (and wild) killer whale dentition. As the leading marine mammal 
scientific society, I believe the Society for Marine Mammalogy should pen a 
letter to SeaWorld's executives, asking them to correct this misinformation, 
especially since it is being disseminated in an active public relations 
campaign purporting to "set the record straight."
References:
Caldwell, D.K. and Brown, D.H. 1964. Tooth wear as a correlate of described 
feeding behavior by the killer whale, with notes on a captive specimen. 
Bulletin So. Calif. Academy Science 63: 128-140
Ford, J.K.B., Ellis, G.M., Matkin, C.O., Wetklo, M.H., Barrett-Len

[MARMAM] SeaWorld response to MMS paper on age milestones in killer whales

[Naomi Rose]

Dear MARMAMers:

Once again, I am compelled to post on SeaWorld's current public relations 
efforts. A recent paper in Marine Mammal Science, which went through 
comprehensive peer-review, indicates that while survivorship rates have 
improved in captive killer whales, survival to certain age milestones is still 
poor compared to the wild. (It also found age milestones at which survivorship 
declined in captivity, suggesting that husbandry practices during these life 
stages are particularly problematic, such as separating juveniles from their 
mothers.) A popular article about this paper was just published, in which Dr. 
Doug DeMaster was quoted, as well as Dr. Todd Robeck, a veterinarian at 
SeaWorld. The article is here: 
http://www.hakaimagazine.com/article-short/tanked-killer-whales-captivity. Any 
members of the Society can read the original paper, by John Jett, Ph.D. and 
Jeff Ventre, M.D., online at 
https://www.marinemammalscience.org/journal/read-the-journal-now/ (the article 
is available under "early view").

Dr. Robeck, in his capacity as a representative of SeaWorld, is highly critical 
of Marine Mammal Science and frankly of the peer-review process. (And I must 
confess, it has not been MY experience that the Society has a "large 
anti-captivity sentiment in a lot of [its] members.") This is typical of 
SeaWorld - when the company does not like the facts as presented, it attacks 
the presenter, whether it is an individual or a journal or an academic 
association. In short, its typical response is the ad hominem attack, when it 
should be a presentation of data that counters the claims of the analysis it is 
criticizing. SeaWorld, in its ongoing PR campaign, has told people that captive 
whales live as long as wild ones (see http://ask.seaworldcares.com/?p=131), 
which is not supported by the peer-reviewed science. If the company has data 
suggesting otherwise, it should publish it.

I call again for the Society for Marine Mammalogy to write to SeaWorld's 
executives and ask them to stop misinforming the public about marine mammal 
science and Marine Mammal Science. I strongly urge marine mammal scientists to 
publicly respond to this PR campaign. This campaign is how many people are 
learning about killer whales right now and they are being misinformed.



[13_AWILogo_ONLY]

NAOMI A. ROSE, PH.D.
Marine Mammal Scientist

ANIMAL WELFARE INSTITUTE
900 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
Washington, DC 20003
na...@awionline.org
T: +1 202 446 2120 ~ F: +1 202 446 2131 ~ C: +1 240 401 4269
www.awionline.org

P  Please consider the animals and their habitat before printing.

___
MARMAM mailing list
MARMAM@lists.uvic.ca
https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam

[MARMAM] CORRECTION: Announcing Workshop on Sea Pen Sanctuaries at SMMC 2015

[Naomi Rose]

Due to some conflicts in scheduling, the sea pen sanctuary workshop:
Sea-Pen Sanctuaries: Progressing Towards Better Welfare for Captive Cetaceans
https://www.marinemammalscience.org/conference/workshops/#seapen
has been rescheduled to Sunday, December 13, 2015; 8:30am-5:30pm

Thank you and apologies for any inconvenience.



[13_AWILogo_ONLY]

NAOMI A. ROSE, PH.D.
Marine Mammal Scientist

ANIMAL WELFARE INSTITUTE
900 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
Washington, DC 20003
na...@awionline.org<mailto:na...@awionline.org>
T: +1 202 446 2120 ~ F: +1 202 446 2131 ~ C: +1 240 401 4269
www.awionline.org<http://www.awionline.org/>

P  Please consider the animals and their habitat before printing.

From: MARMAM [mailto:marmam-boun...@lists.uvic.ca] On Behalf Of Lori Marino
Sent: Thursday, June 18, 2015 6:46 PM
To: marmam@lists.uvic.ca
Subject: [MARMAM] Announcing Workshop on Sea Pen Sanctuaries at SMMC 2015

Dear Friends and Colleagues - This is to let you know about an exciting 
workshop organized by myself and Naomi Rose on sea pen sanctuaries for captive 
dolphins and whales! YOU CAN SIGN UP NOW AND RESERVE YOUR ATTENDANCE AT:
https://www.marinemammalscience.org/conference/workshops/#seapen
Thanks,
Lori Marino
Description
Sea-Pen Sanctuaries: Progressing Towards Better Welfare for Captive Cetaceans

Date/Time: Saturday, December 12, 2015; 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM

Organizers and contact email: Lori Marino 
(marinol...@outlook.com<mailto:marinol...@outlook.com>) and Naomi Rose 
(na...@awionline.org<mailto:na...@awionline.org>)

Description: In this full-day workshop we will explore the potential for the 
development of sea-pen, retirement sanctuaries or refuges for captive cetaceans 
in North America. In light of increasingly strong evidence for a failure to 
thrive in captive cetacean facilities (dolphinariums), a growing number of 
scientists and other cetacean welfare experts support a science-based plan for 
transfer of cetaceans from dolphinariums to sea-pen sanctuaries.

Sea-pen sanctuaries would provide a more autonomous life for cetaceans who are 
currently on display and trained to perform and used in captive breeding 
programs in dolphinariums. But there are currently no established sea-pen 
sanctuaries for orcas or other cetaceans anywhere in North America. The lack of 
such sanctuaries restricts the feasibility of arguments to progress to this 
next phase of captive cetacean welfare.

In this workshop we will explore the critical elements needed for an effort to 
establish North American sea-pen sanctuaries for orcas and other cetaceans by 
bringing together experts in marine mammal science and veterinary practice, 
training and husbandry, law, engineering, sanctuary accreditation, including 
marine mammal captivity experts, who will provide insights and discuss 
realistic steps towards achieving this overall goal.

The first half of the workshop will include brief presentations, highlighting 
relevant components of this effort, followed by an afternoon session devoted to 
substantive discussion of critical issues, both logistical and theoretical.

Confirmed and tentative participants include:
* Lori Marino, Naomi Rose (co-organizers), Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara, 
Julie Woodyer, Dave Phillips, Don Baur (tentative), Michael Parks (tentative), 
Michael Gosliner (tentative), Pierre Gallego (tentative), Courtney Vail, John 
Hargrove. Others TBD.

Cost: $80 (Early Bird); $90 (After September 15, 2015)


Lori Marino, Ph.D.
Executive Director
The Kimmela Center for Animal Advocacy
4100 Kanab Canyon Road
Kanab, Utah 84741
(435) 644-4436
lorimar...@kimmela.org<mailto:lorimar...@kimmela.org>

___
MARMAM mailing list
MARMAM@lists.uvic.ca
https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam

[MARMAM] Latest killer whale life history paper

[Naomi Rose]

Dear MARMAMERs:

The Journal of Mammalogy has published an early-view paper by Robeck et al. 
entitled "Comparisons of life-history parameters between free-ranging and 
captive killer whale (Orcinus orca) populations for application toward species 
management" 
(http://jmammal.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2015/07/09/jmammal.gyv113). 
Based on the paper's analyses, the authors suggest that it is likely that "the 
estimated ages assigned to [northern and southern resident killer whales] at 
the start of the study period (1973 - Bigg et al. 1987; Olesiuk et al. 1990) 
were inaccurate." They go on to say "Our analysis supports a proposed longevity 
of between 60 and 70 years for females and 50 and 60 years for males, with the 
vast majority (>97%) of animals dying by age 50. This is substantially less 
than the longevity of 80-90 years for females and 60-70 years for males that 
have [sic] been previously suggested."

The authors also state that "Reproductive senescence in killer whales, often 
erroneously termed menopause, has been proposed as a relatively unique strategy 
for the transmission of information related to population fitness (Foster et 
al. 2012; Brent et al. 2015; Whitehead 2015) or reproductive success (Ward et 
al. 2009b). However, reproductive and actuarial senescence is common in 
mammalian species studied to date (for review, see Nussey et al. 2013) and it 
therefore should not be considered an unexpected finding in killer whales."

Finally, they note "While life tables would provide a more accurate 
age-specific estimation of longevity, they are inappropriate for the 3 
populations analyzed in this study [that is, southern and northern resident 
killer whales and SeaWorld killer whales] since no known-age animals have died 
in the older age groups...Thus, for the time being, [mean life expectancy] and 
[average life expectancy] based on overall population [annual survivorship 
rate] may be the most accurate measure [sic] of longevity."

Given that this paper concludes that concepts long-accepted in the marine 
mammal science community for killer whales are or are likely incorrect, those 
who have examined killer whale life history traits and social structure in the 
past might wish to know of and read/review this paper.

Naomi


[13_AWILogo_ONLY]

NAOMI A. ROSE, PH.D.
Marine Mammal Scientist

ANIMAL WELFARE INSTITUTE
900 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
Washington, DC 20003
na...@awionline.org
T: +1 202 446 2120 ~ F: +1 202 446 2131 ~ C: +1 240 401 4269
www.awionline.org

P  Please consider the animals and their habitat before printing.

___
MARMAM mailing list
MARMAM@lists.uvic.ca
https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam

[MARMAM] Do bottlenose dolphin females fight and sometimes kill infants?

[Naomi Rose]

Dear MARMAMers:

A weeks-old calf has died at Planète Sauvage, a dolphinarium in France. Here is 
the short press item on this death:

http://www.presseocean.fr/actualite/port-saint-pere-un-jeune-dauphin-meurt-a-planete-sauvage-29-08-2015-168169

For those who don't speak French, the article says:

A dolphin calf died following a fight between two adult females Friday in 
Port-Saint-Père. She was born on August 16.
"When a female gives birth, it is always a risky life stage," warned Martin 
Boye, scientific director of Wild Planet (Planète Sauvage).
"We placed the mother Tarel and her female calf in the nursery pool with 
another female. The whole team was mobilized to monitor this first-time birth. 
Friday, before the afternoon performance, there was an altercation between the 
two females," reported Boye. "The little one was struck. It was immediately 
fatal to her. The veterinary examination confirmed this," he added, clearly 
upset.

According to my sources, Boye also claimed that the death of this calf was 
"totally normal" and that females killing calves (accidentally or deliberately, 
is not clear) occurs in free-ranging populations. He also said that a video 
from a free-ranging population recording this kind of calf death exists, but 
hasn't been seen outside the scientific community.

I am aware that bottlenose dolphins kill harbor porpoises and that male 
bottlenose dolphins kill calves; however, I have never heard of females killing 
calves, accidentally or deliberately, during fights. Is this something that has 
been observed in free-ranging populations and if so, does video exist of it?

Thank you to the community for any information relevant to this situation.


[13_AWILogo_ONLY]

NAOMI A. ROSE, PH.D.
Marine Mammal Scientist

ANIMAL WELFARE INSTITUTE
900 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
Washington, DC 20003
na...@awionline.org
T: +1 202 446 2120 ~ F: +1 202 446 2131 ~ C: +1 240 401 4269
www.awionline.org

P  Please consider the animals and their habitat before printing.
___
MARMAM mailing list
MARMAM@lists.uvic.ca
https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam

[MARMAM] Hemochromatosis in captive dolphins

[Naomi Rose]

Dear MARMAMers:

A recent paper (Mazzaro et al. 2012) has come to my attention, regarding iron 
indices in dolphins:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3527756/pdf/cm2012000508.pdf

The authors conclude that “Compared with those in managed collections, wild 
dolphins were 15 times more likely to have low serum iron (100 μg/dL or less), 
and this measure was associated with lower haptoglobin. In conclusion, 
bottlenose dolphins in managed collections are more likely to have greater iron 
stores than are free-ranging dolphins.” In addition, the authors note that a 
“25-y retrospective study of one population [the dolphins in the Navy Marine 
Mammal Program] demonstrated that 67% of dolphins [who had died] had excessive 
hepatic hemosiderin deposition at time of death, 92% of which had hemosiderin 
deposition in Kupffer cells; hemolytic anemia, anemia of chronic disease, and 
viral infections were not associated with hemosiderin deposition, and the 
primary hypothesis is that dolphins in managed collections may be susceptible 
to iron storage disease,” and “A total of 25% (28 of 115) of samples [from 
living dolphins] from managed collections had high serum iron (exceeding 300 
μg/dL).” They point out that “determining why this situation occurs among some 
dolphin populations [presumably those in captivity] and not others [presumably 
those in the wild] may improve the treatment of hemochromatosis in dolphins.”

I was unaware of the prevalence of hemochromatosis and related indices in 
captive dolphins until some days ago, when it was brought to my attention that 
two dolphins in a facility in Finland are suffering from the disease. Mazzaro 
et al. (2012) conclude that the “primary hypothesis” is that captive dolphins 
may be more susceptible to the disease, but from my perspective, that 
hypothesis seems to be supported by the data in Mazzaro et al. (2012) itself 
(which looked at two separate captive populations, as well as two separate 
free-ranging populations). The next step, therefore, would be to consider 
hypotheses as to why captive dolphins are more susceptible to this disease than 
free-ranging dolphins – and also to ask the question of whether cetacean 
species other than bottlenose dolphins (in captivity or free-ranging) are 
susceptible to the disease or its related indices.

I have inquired with colleagues on this point and apparently no one is yet 
looking into these questions. There is some research ongoing with free-ranging 
dolphins regarding numerous health issues (including conditions related to iron 
indices) that may be associated with or exacerbated by climate change, oil 
spills and so on, but no one appears to be looking into the question as to why 
such a large percentage of captive dolphins suffer from some degree of 
hemochromatosis, a disease that can lead to diabetes, chronic pain, organ 
failure, etc. I know of at least one instance where a captive dolphin was 
euthanized as a result of suffering from hemochromatosis.

The first idea I had was that the inability of captive dolphins to dive deeply 
and the general lack of the need to breath-hold might make iron-based 
adaptations to breath-holding (i.e., greater amounts of hemoglobin and 
myoglobin) a liability in captivity, in terms of contributing to excessive iron 
loads. The fact that phlebotomy appears to be a relatively successful treatment 
for hemochromatosis in captive dolphins seems to bear this idea out. I am not a 
physiologist, but regardless of the likelihood of that etiology, it seems that 
this relatively recent discovery of what amounts to a significant welfare 
concern for captive dolphins should be a primary research question among public 
display facilities holding cetaceans. I am concerned that this does not appear 
to be the case and would welcome feedback from the marine mammal community, 
including anyone who can point me to evidence that I am wrong about the lack of 
ongoing research into this question.

Naomi Rose


[13_AWILogo_ONLY]

NAOMI A. ROSE, PH.D.
Marine Mammal Scientist

ANIMAL WELFARE INSTITUTE
900 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
Washington, DC 20003
na...@awionline.org<mailto:na...@awionline.org>
T: +1 202 446 2120 ~ F: +1 202 446 2131 ~ C: +1 240 401 4269
www.awionline.org<http://www.awionline.org/>

P  Please consider the animals and their habitat before printing.
___
MARMAM mailing list
MARMAM@lists.uvic.ca
https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam

[MARMAM] USDA APHIS proposed rule on care and maintenance conditions for captive marine mammals

[Naomi Rose]

Dear MARMAMers:

For those interested in the welfare of captive marine mammals, the USDA's 
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has published a proposed rule to 
amend several provisions of the regulations governing the care and maintenance 
of captive marine mammals (see the Federal Register notice here: 
https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2016-02-03/pdf/2016-01837.pdf). Revising the 
USDA care and maintenance regulations for captive marine mammals was first 
proposed in 1994. Some provisions were updated in 2001. The rest were the 
subject of an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) in 2002. This 
proposed rule is the outcome of the agency's consideration of comments received 
in response to that ANPR, as well as during a negotiated rulemaking panel 
process undertaken in 1995-1996.

The proposed rule was published on February 3 and the comment period is 60 days 
- the deadline for public comment is April 4.

I would like to highlight one element of the proposed rule in particular, which 
may be of interest to field researchers who have been examining ranging and 
dive behavior and fine-scale movement patterns of various species of marine 
mammals in recent years. On p. 5635 of the Federal Register notice, the agency 
writes:

"We are proposing to make a number of changes to § 3.104, as discussed in 
detail below. However, we are not proposing changes to the minimum space 
requirements (i.e., minimum horizontal dimension (MHD), depth, volume, and 
surface area) at this time. In light of the disparate recommendations by the 
ANPR commenters (2002) and the limited scientific data available on this issue, 
we do not have sufficient scientific or other supporting data to propose space 
requirements changes at this time. We would appreciate  any published 
literature, science-based data or other studies that would support changes in 
the space requirements for any marine mammals."

Please note the current space requirements for up to 2 bottlenose dolphins:
Minimum horizontal dimension (e.g., diameter of a circular tank, width of a 
rectangular/square tank, or narrowest width of an irregular shaped tank) = 24 
ft or 7.32m
Minimum depth = 6 ft or 1.83m
(There are additional requirements for minimum surface area and minimum volume)

For up to 2 orcas, they are:
Minimum horizontal dimension = 48 ft or 14.64m
Minimum depth = 12 ft or 3.66m

For up to 2 polar bears, they are:
Minimum area of dry resting and social activity surface = 400 sq ft or 37.16 sq 
m
Minimum horizontal dimension of pool = 8 ft or 2.44 m
Minimum depth = 5 ft or 1.52 m

The current regulations can be found at 
https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2014-title9-vol1/pdf/CFR-2014-title9-vol1-part3-subpartE.pdf



[13_AWILogo_ONLY]

NAOMI A. ROSE, PH.D.
Marine Mammal Scientist

ANIMAL WELFARE INSTITUTE
900 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
Washington, DC 20003
na...@awionline.org
T: +1 202 446 2120 ~ F: +1 202 446 2131 ~ C: +1 240 401 4269
www.awionline.org

P  Please consider the animals and their habitat before printing.

___
MARMAM mailing list
MARMAM@lists.uvic.ca
https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam

[MARMAM] New paper comparing killer whale and bottlenose dolphin literature in Animal Behavior and Cognition

[Naomi Rose]

Dear MARMAMERs:


The journal Animal Behavior and Cognition has published a paper by Hill et al. 
entitled "An inventory of peer-reviewed articles on killer whales (Orcinus 
orca) with a comparison to bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)," available 
at 
http://animalbehaviorandcognition.org/downloads/Vol3-Issue%203-August%202016/03.Aug2016-Hill_et%20al_Final.pdf.



The authors conducted a literature search, with the goal, as stated in the 
methods, of producing "an objective, representative sample of the peer-review 
published literature and not an exhaustive review of all research produced on 
the two species examined." However, after analysis of this "representative 
sample," the authors concluded that "there is little empirical knowledge of 
killer whales as compared to a species of bottlenose dolphins, limiting the 
evidence available to inform public policy decisions on the welfare and 
management of killer whales."



The killer whale biologists in the MARMAM community might wish to know of and 
read/review this paper.

Naomi


[13_AWILogo_ONLY]

NAOMI A. ROSE, PH.D.
Marine Mammal Scientist

ANIMAL WELFARE INSTITUTE
900 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
Washington, DC 20003
na...@awionline.org
T: +1 202 446 2120 ~ F: +1 202 446 2131 ~ C: +1 240 401 4269
www.awionline.org

P  Please consider the animals and their habitat before printing.

___
MARMAM mailing list
MARMAM@lists.uvic.ca
https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam

[MARMAM] Open letter on Iberian orcas

[Naomi Rose]

This open letter from a number of experts may be of interest to the MARMAM 
community.

As many will be aware, the critically endangered subpopulation of orcas that 
inhabit the waters surrounding the Iberian Peninsula has been interacting with 
boats (sometimes to the grave detriment of the vessel) for some years now, 
bumping, ramming, striking, and otherwise interacting primarily with the 
rudders, occasionally disabling the boat to the point where it cannot navigate. 
Five vessels have been sunk during these interactions. There have been a 
minimum of 483 interactions to date.

The media have reported extensively on this situation and many of these 
articles portray these interactions as "attacks" - there are several narratives 
associated with these interactions as well, including that the orcas are 
seeking revenge for past wrongs etc. Mariners have been seeking to deter orcas 
from their vessels, even before any interaction starts - they are dropping 
firecrackers, pouring diesel fuel on the water surface, and throwing things at 
the whales - these actions have not only not succeeded in deterring the 
animals, but the interactions have escalated and expanded within the population 
(at least 15 individuals have been identified during these interactions, in a 
population of about 40).

Management options (for the whales, in terms of non-harmful deterrence and 
mitigation, and for mariners, in terms of advice on what to do if orcas 
approach in the region) are being discussed within several bodies, including 
the Grupo de Trabajo Orca Atlantica (GTOA, the Atlantic Orca Working Group), 
several members of which have signed the letter. This letter is not intended to 
proffer management recommendations, but is simply an effort to reframe the 
narrative publicly.

While many experts have been approached for interviews and have done their best 
to reframe the narrative, there has not yet been a group effort to make an 
expert statement. This open letter was an effort to address that.

We are still taking signatures from experts. We will put out an updated 
version, with these additional signatures, later in September. The letter is 
being distributed by the signatories - via social media, traditional media, 
websites, and so on. The link below is only one of several that may now exist 
for this document.

https://awionline.org/sites/default/files/uploads/documents/Open-Letter-Iberian-Orcas.pdf

Thank you,
Naomi Rose

[13_AWILogo_ONLY]

NAOMI A. ROSE, PH.D.
Marine Mammal Scientist
ANIMAL WELFARE INSTITUTE
T: +1 202 446 2120 ~ C: +1 240 401 4269
www.awionline.org<http://www.awionline.org/>

P  Please consider the animals and their habitat before printing

___
MARMAM mailing list
MARMAM@lists.uvic.ca
https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam