Three Quick Actions for Whales in Congress
By Mark J. Palmer
Have you ever contacted your elected representatives in Congress?
With today’s electronic communication tools, it is easier than ever to get in touch with your representatives in Congress and give them your opinions on how they should vote. Always be polite, and don’t shy away if your member of the House of Representatives or the Senate are from a different political party from you. Members of Congress are sworn to represent all the people, not just those who voted for them.
Here are three quick actions this 4th of July weekend you can take to inform legislators of your views – with Congress in recess, their staffs check incoming messages daily.
Exercise your democracy and help whales and other marine life. Information on how to contact Congress is given below.
Action #1: Ask Your Members of Congress to Oppose HR 8509, Weakening North Atlantic Right Whale Protections:
HR 8509 is pending in the US House of Representatives and would threaten the lives of endangered North Atlantic right whales. Right whales continue to die due to many causes, but entanglement in plastic fishing ropes is a major threat, cutting into the skin and causing drowning.
Alternative ropeless gear (also called “pop-up” gear) is being experimented with, but HR 8509 would prohibit any limits on lobster and crab fishermen until the year 2035. This is absurd: We need to deploy alternative gear faster, not put it off.
Urge your member of the House to oppose this measure. You can also urge your Senators to oppose. There are also similar anti-right whale amendments lurking in budget legislation (where it technically doesn’t belong).
Action #2: Ask Your Members of Congress to Support H.R. 7332, the Whale Charts Act:
Ship strikes are a serious danger for gray, fin, humpback, and blue whales along the Pacific Coast. Representative Doris Matsui’s H.R. 7332, called the Whale Charts Act, would require the National Marine Fisheries Service to map whale movements along the California coast in real time, helping the Coast Guard warn ships of the proximity of whales, thus providing time to slow down and change course. It is a vital part of helping direct ship traffic to avoid hitting and killing whales in our oceans.
Action #3: Urge Your Members of Congress to Support the ESA and MMPA:
You can also urge your Representative and Senators to protect the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) from being weakened. There are several pieces of legislation and amendments to appropriation legislation that would delist species such as wolves and grizzly bears, as well as delay protections for whales and other marine mammals.
The federal ESA and MMPA are our most important wildlife laws. Congress should respect the need to protect wildlife, especially endangered species. All amendments to weaken the ESA and MMPA should be rejected by your Representative and Senators.
How to Contact Your Representative and Senators in Congress:
Here’s how to find the Representative and the two Senators who represent you: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member
Each member has a website where there is either a direct link to the office, an email address, or a phone number.
You can also call your member’s office in the Capital and leave a message. Call the Congressional Switchboard (202) 224-3121, and ask to be connected.
If you wish to send a letter, you can reach your members with the following addresses:
To Representative…
US House of Representatives
House Office Building
Washington DC 20515
******************************
To Senator…
US Senate
Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Write or call your members of Congress and urge them to strongly oppose HR 1897. Endangered species need priority protection, or we will lose them forever. Cite your own feelings for the importance of our wildlife heritage.
You can urge them to support the Whale Charts Act, HR 7332, to provide information to avoid ship strikes.
Also, urge your representative to protect the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act from being weakened.
Thank you!
