Five people where caught and convicted for killing a grey
whale off the western tip of Washington
State this weekend.
It was headed out to sea on Saturday when the Coast
Guard found it. A preliminary report showed that the whale was shot
with a .50 caliber machine gun. A harpoon was also used in the hunt.
The whale died a few hours after being found.
The five people arrested are believed to be members of the
Makah Tribe. They have not yet been charged. The Makah Tribe does have the
right to hunt whales for subsistence; however, this particular whale may have
been shot illegally.
The Humane Society of the United States reacted to the news
Sunday by saying the incident was “deeply disturbing.”
According to reports, the animal did not die until hours
later despite being harpooned and shot with a machine gun, experiencing
prolonged suffering before death. The matter is being investigated by the U.S.
National Marine Fisheries Service and the Makah Tribal Police.
“The death of this whale is extremely disturbing, not only
because this is a flagrant violation of federal law but also due to the
inhumanness of the hunt and the amount of suffering the whale had to endure,”
said Kitty Block, vice president of Humane Society International. “In light of
this illegal killing, we ask that consideration of waivers for the Makah tribe
cease until a full investigation into the matter has been completed.”
Less than two weeks ago at a meeting of the U.S. Marine
Mammal Commission, members of the Makah tribal government publicly stated that
they would not kill any resident whales, like this California gray, that are
feeding and therefore more vulnerable.
The Makah tribe claims a treaty with the federal government
allows them to hunt whales. However, they must still follow proper legal
procedures by providing a thorough review of potential environmental impacts of
a hunt in order to receive waiver exemption from the Marine Mammal Protection
Act, which protects whales in U.S.
waters.