For the past four years we’ve withstood withering attacks on our marine mammal protection efforts at the hands of the Trump Administration. For all we’re fighting for, it is a huge relief that they have been replaced by President-elect Joe Biden and VP-elect Kamala Harris.
Here at the International Marine Mammal Project (IMMP) of Earth Island Institute, we do have a sense of relief but are NOT relaxing at all. We know that a massive job is now before us:
CONSERVE
PRESERVE
RESTORE
Our founder, David Brower, coined those words as CPR for the Planet. They underscore what we need to do right away – repair the incredible damage that the Trump Administration has done to the environment AND get us back on track for the crucial work to confront threats to the survival of marine life and ocean ecosystems.
Donald Trump is tragically the worst environmental president in our lifetimes. He went out of his way to roll back, undermine and wreck environmental protections and laws, and made the preposterous claim to be a “great environmentalist”.
Here’s just a sampling of the damage done to dolphins, whales and their marine homes during Trump’s four years in office:
Pressed to open 90% of the coast of the United States to disastrous offshore oil drilling and seismic exploration that threatens marine life. The Administration further weakened regulations designed to prevent devastating accidents on offshore oil platforms that can cause massive oil spills.
Became the world’s leading denier of the Climate Crisis, withdrawing the US from the Paris Climate Treaty and reversing dozens of key environmental policies meant to curb greenhouse gases and reduce global warming.
Unleashed destructive commercial fishing in the protected Northeast Canyons and Seamounts National Marine Monument and threatened to do the same to Pacific National Marine Monuments.
Pushed to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to oil drilling, the only place in the US where polar bears den on land.
Attacked the Endangered Species Act, the key federal wildlife protection law, weakening protections for many marine mammals currently facing extinction.
Appointed dozens of industry lobbyists and anti-environmentalists to key jobs in the government. Chaos ensued, as well as rollbacks of many government programs for the environment.
All of these policies must be overturned and reversed – as quickly as possible. Our staff at IMMP has worked closely with President-elect Biden in the past and knows that he cares deeply about the environment.
In 1990, Joe Biden was a key Senate co-author of the Dolphin Safe tuna legislation that we pioneered. IMMP’s Executive Director David Phillips testified before his committee in the US Senate on the importance of Dolphin Safe tuna. We are ready to get to work with our colleagues in seeking opportunities to fix the environmental damage wrought by the Trump Administration.
Even so, IMMP must go beyond that to work around the world on our environmental campaigns that are critical to the health and protection of marine mammals. We need your help to:
End the captivity of dolphins and whales in small concrete tanks.
Intensify pressure on Japan to end captures and killings of whales and dolphins, and we need to work with Russian activists to end the captures of orcas and beluga whales for captivity.
Replace plastics with products that can be properly recycled and stop the scourge of plastic debris in our oceans that is choking sea life.
Make commercial fishing more sustainable and end the uses of plastic nets and lines that regularly strangle whales and dolphins.
Enlist new companies to commit to our Dolphin Safe tuna fishing and monitoring program, which saves approximately 90,000 dolphins yearly from deaths in tuna nets.
Your support is needed more than ever. We hope you will consider a generous donation to the work of the International Marine Mammal Project for whales and dolphins. With your help, we can move forward in ending cruel captivity of cetaceans, preventing the slaughter and entanglement of marine mammals at sea, and safeguarding their ocean homes from pollution and the effects of global warming. Donations given by December 31st are tax deductible for the 2020 tax year. Thanks again for all your support in the past and your future efforts for whales and dolphins. We could not do this work without you. Our IMMP Team wishes wish you and your family a safe, happy and healthy holiday season and new year!
