US budget cuts endanger North Pacific humpback whales
Posted by Page (in Amsterdam)
One of the many noxious trademarks of the Bush administration has been its spending priorities. The war in Iraq costs a staggering $8.4 billion per month, and Bush has requested an additional $700 billion for defense spending in 2008.
I'll bet you can guess which national programs have suffered. That's right - among others, it's the national parks, animal sanctuaries, and environmental programs whose budgets have been slashed.
Our gentle friends, the humpback whales, could be additional casualties of budget cuts. From an April 24, 2007 Associated Press article:
A popular program that sends more than a thousand volunteers out to count whales and another that sends help to whales entangled in deadly fishing lines are in danger of getting cut back as the Hawaiian Island Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary contends with another budget crunch.Last year the sanctuary's budget was slashed by 17 percent and this year the budget lost an additional 10 percent adding up to about $500,000 less than what the sanctuary had to spend in 2005, said Naomi McIntosh, the sanctuary's superintendent.
"Ten percent from last year doesn't sound like a lot but it was just with the addition of the year before ... it starts to cut a little bit deeper and a little bit deeper," she said.
In their own words, the sanctuary is:
Dedicated to the Endangered Humpback Whale and its Habitat...... According to scientists, the shallow, warm waters surrounding the main Hawaiian Islands constitute one of the world's most important habitats for the endangered humpback whale. Nearly two-thirds of the entire North Pacific population of humpback whales migrates to Hawai`i each winter. Here, they engage in breeding, calving and nursing activities critical to the survival of their species.
The AP article goes on to say that the budget cuts would affect a wide range of whale rescuers' basic needs, from boat repairs to traveling between islands. The program can accept private donations, which is unusual for a federal program; perhaps there are enough whale lovers out there to help with both donations and volunteer time.
More information on the sanctuary:
Click here to read the saga of one of their whale rescues. You can read a report about the 2006-2007 accomplishments of marine sanctuaries here (8.4 MB pdf); the Hawaiian Island Sanctuary update is on page 23. Also, for the map lovers out there, click here and here for maps of the sanctuary.
Finally, check out the sanctuary's volunteer opportunities. If you live too far away, you can still help defend the whales through Greenpeace! Sign up, and you can launch your own campaign, post blog entries, and have fun! The whales are depending on you!
