We hope that you and your family are faring well, staying healthy, and finding ways to maintain your connection to the wonders of the natural world. Here at the International Marine Mammal Project (IMMP) of Earth Island Institute, our work moves forward in these difficult times, despite the threat of COVID-19 and the shelter-in-place order. Whales and dolphins are still dying and need our help, although there is good news, too! As you may know, contributions to nonprofit groups like IMMP are down due to the economic dislocation during this pandemic.
Now, more than ever, your donations are needed to support our IMMP team’s critical work on behalf of dolphins and whales.
OUR PLASTIC LAWSUIT TURNS UP THE HEAT
Entanglement and ingestion of plastic are now at epidemic proportions.
Every day, dolphins around the world are washing up injured or dead. Turtles, seabirds, seals, dolphins and whales are all victims to the horrendous scourge of plastics and microplastics dumped into our oceans.
If plastic production isn’t stopped, plastic refuse found in our ocean will tragically outweigh fish in the ocean by 2050.
We are taking action and naming names to stop this fraud, and force the plastic polluters to be accountable for the damages they are inflicting on us all. We’re joining with three other Earth Island projects in a landmark lawsuit against 10 of the worst plastic polluters on the planet, including the Coca Cola Co., Proctor & Gamble, and Clorox Co.
Please consider a tax-deductible donation of $100, $50 or whatever you can afford to support our legal and educational efforts to end plastic pollution of the ocean.
OUR SEAWORLD LAWSUIT IS FINALLY IN COURT
For more than 50 years, the US company, SeaWorld, has been the driving force behind the myth that holding orcas and smaller dolphins in concrete tanks doing tricks for human entertainment is humane. Enough is enough.
Just before the COVID-19 shutdown in March, Anderson v. SeaWorld finally went to trial after five years of SeaWorld’s failed legal maneuvers to have the case dismissed. Two wonderful plaintiffs, Juliette and Kelly, testified about SeaWorld’s false statements regarding the health and welfare of its captive orcas. A decision on the plaintiffs’ legal standing is now expected in June. A favorable ruling will allow this landmark case to proceed to the full trial this fall, when our marine mammal expert witnesses will testify in court debunking SeaWorld’s lies.
SeaWorld claims that orcas are „happy“ and „thrive“ in captivity. With this lawsuit, we’re pulling back the veil to show the cruel reality of what life is like for orcas in captivity. Your support has been critical to the success so far of our SeaWorld lawsuit. Please donate to help continue this work and to end captivity of orcas, beluga whales, and dolphins!
GOOD NEWS – NO WHALING IN ICELAND THIS YEAR
Iceland has been one of the few countries clinging to whaling despite ever-diminishing markets. However, the tide is turning.
Both of Iceland’s whaling companies (one which killed minke whales and one targeting endangered fin whales) did not slaughter whales last year. Recently, both companies announced they would not send out the whaling fleets again in 2020, and one announced it was ending the killing of minke whales permanently due to a lack of markets for whale meat. Norway and Japan remain the only commercial remaining whaling nations.
In related news, brutal drive hunts for pilot whales in the Faroe Islands of the North Atlantic have been stopped due to COVID-19 concerns among the hunters. Hopefully this interruption will prompt a permanent end to the slaughter.
MORE GOOD NEWS – PROGRESS IN RUSSIA
Our Russian colleagues report that the mammal-eating orca populations of the Sea of Okhotsk have been put on the Russian Red List, which will prevent future captures of this population for captivity. This is the same population from which orcas were captured in 2018 and housed in the notorious Whale Jail. Thankfully, these orcas were eventually released back into the wild due the campaign mounted by IMMP and our Russian colleagues.
IMMP recently supported the efforts of Russian conservationists to implement a seal and whale disentanglement project for Sakhalin Island in the Russian Pacific Ocean. With our assistance a group from Russia came to the US and joined IMMP Associate Director, Mark J. Palmer, in learning techniques from experts on how to safely disentangle whales and seals. We recently assisted in the purchase of specialized gear for the group to use in saving entangled whales.
Thanks so much for your ongoing support. You make a real difference by assisting our safeguarding ocean life from harmful plastic pollution and helping our critical campaigns around the globe to keep whales and dolphins wild and free.
The welfare of whales and dolphins remains the heart of our mission. We deeply appreciate your caring and financial sharing.
Your donation of $35, $50, $100, or whatever you can afford will help us keep up the fight. A monthly donation of $10 or more is a great way to take action, and you will be eligible to receive a special campaign gift.
Wishing you good health,
David Phillips, Director
International Marine Mammal Project of Earth Island Institute
P.S. Your tax-deductible donation will help confront the immense problem of plastics in the ocean. IMMP/Earth Island Institute is a 501(c)(3) organization. Our tax ID number is 94-2889684. Please give as generously as you can, and follow our ongoing blog posts at: www.SaveDolphins.eii.org
P.P.S. Thanks for reducing your personal use of plastic. Our premium gifts will help. Donate $100 or more, or become a Monthly Sustaining Donor, and receive our beautiful all-cotton Orca market tote bag. Donate $50 or more and receive our reusable Stainless Straw Set in a marine cotton case or an enamel dolphin zipper pull. (Please note that delivery times will be longer than normal until the shelter-in-place order is lifted.)
The International Marine Mammal Project is a project of the non-profit organization Earth Island Institute network. EII receives high marks from Charity Navigator, demonstrating that we are worthy of your trust.
Photo credits: Dolphin (top) photo by Michael Nolan, Sea turtle photo by Shutterstock, SeaWorld photos by Mark J. Palmer, Entangled Humpback Whale by Dom Biaggini.
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