Declaration/Petition

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Declaration of the Rights of the Southern Resident Orcas

We, the peoples and natural communities of the Salish Sea, do DECLARE the following:

Eight million people and the survival of countless species depend on a healthy Salish Sea. Yet human-induced impacts such as climate change, ocean acidification, increased shipping traffic, dams and other fish passage barriers, as well as wastewater and sewage runoff, have contributed to the pollution and degradation of the Salish Sea.

The Southern Resident Orcas are critically endangered with only 73 remaining. Their survival is dependent on healthy and functioning ecosystems including the Salish Sea, the Fraser River Watershed, the Columbia River Basin, and the lower Snake River Watershed.

Our legal system has proven inadequate in addressing the threats to these ecosystems and to the Southern Resident Orcas. Therefore, we need to join other communities and governments worldwide in adopting a new framework for environmental protection based upon the recognition that Nature has inherent rights and should be heard as a real party and interest in legal actions affecting her rights.

Despite being protected in the United States and Canada as endangered or at risk species, the Orcas do not have a legal right to life. As a result, human interests have outweighed protection and necessary action to recover the species, and the Orcas are not considered a party or stakeholder in policy decisions that may affect their health and life.

Because the Southern Resident Orcas do not acknowledge the border between the United States and Canada, or the difference between such governments and Tribal and First Nations, collective and collaborative action is needed to recover the species.

Therefore, we do PROCLAIM that:

Nature and all living beings have inherent rights to exist, flourish, evolve, and regenerate, and to restoration, recovery and preservation. This includes the Southern Resident Orcas and the Salish Sea.

The rights of the Southern Resident Orcas include, but are not limited to, the right to:

~Life

~Autonomy

~Free and safe passage

~Adequate food supply from naturally occurring sources

~Freedom from conditions causing physical, emotional or mental harm, including a habitat degraded by noise, pollution and contamination.

We have a responsibility to conserve, protect and defend Nature, the Southern Residents and the Salish Sea. We need a transformational shift in our behavioral, societal, and economic relationships, as well as our governance, in order to live in harmony with Nature.

 In accordance with our connection and interdependence with the Salish Sea, we DEMAND the following:

~That national, state, provincial, and local governments and their citizens follow the Tribal and First Nations in recognizing the inherent rights of the Southern Resident Orcas and the ecosystems upon which they depend.

~The immediate creation of a stewardship board for the Salish Sea based on a Rights of Nature framework, including guardian representation for the Southern Resident Orcas.

~ Immediate actions to support the Southern Residents’ needs and address the main threats to their survival, which scientists have identified as prey availability, vessel and noise disturbance, and pollution.

Immediate actions include:

~Restoring wild Chinook salmon populations and their habitats so that the Southern Residents may enjoy their right to life and right to an adequate food supply from naturally occurring sources.

~Reducing noise and disturbance in Southern Resident Orca habitat so that they may enjoy their rights to life, to free and safe passage, to freedom from conditions causing physical, emotional or mental harm, and to autonomy.

~Decreasing the level of pollution and contaminants throughout the range of Southern Resident Orcas so that they may enjoy their right to life and right to freedom from conditions causing physical, emotional or mental harm.

The undersigned do hereby certify that the foregoing Declaration was duly adopted.

*This declaration was created collaboratively with:

Legal Rights for the Salish Sea, Gig Harbor, WA

Earth Law Center, USA

Elizabeth Dunne, Esq., Dam Sense, Port Angeles, WA

Orca Network, Freeland, WA

Toledoans for Safe Water

Boulder Rights of Nature

RAVEN (Respecting Aboriginal Values and Environmental Needs)

Orca Protection and Rescue

Friends of Brooks Point, Pender Island, BC, Canada

Pender Ocean Defenders, Pender Island, BC, Canada

Peter Holcomb, Democracy Awakening, Bellingham, WA

Rethink Captivity, Seattle, WA

Save Our Whales, Pender Island, BC, Canada

Endangered Species Coalition

Kitsap Environmental Coalition

Green Vegans / The New Human Ecology

Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund, USA

PLEASE HELP US GET AS MANY SIGNATURES AS POSSIBLE!

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Declaration of the Rights of the Southern Resident Orcas

Declaration of the Rights of the Southern Resident Orcas

We, the peoples and natural communities of the Salish Sea, do DECLARE the following:

Eight million people and the survival of countless species depend on a healthy Salish Sea. Yet human-induced impacts such as climate change, ocean acidification, increased shipping traffic, dams and other fish passage barriers, as well as wastewater and sewage runoff have contributed to the pollution and degradation of the Salish Sea.

The Southern Resident orcas are critically endangered with only 74 remaining at the time of this declaration (December, 2018). Their survival is dependent on healthy and functioning ecosystems, including the Salish Sea, the Columbia River Basin, and the lower Snake River Watershed.

Our legal system has proven inadequate in addressing the threats to these ecosystems and to the Southern Resident orcas.Therefore, we need to join other communities and governments worldwide in adopting a new framework for environmental protection based upon the recognition that nature has inherent rights and should be heard as a real party and interest in legal actions affecting her rights.

Because the Southern Resident orcas do not acknowledge the border between the United States and Canada, or the difference between such governments and Tribal and First Nations, collective and collaborative action is needed to recover the species.

Therefore, we do PROCLAIM that:

Nature and all living beings have inherent rights to exist, flourish, evolve, and regenerate, and to restoration, recovery and preservation. This includes the Southern Resident orcas and the Salish Sea.

The rights of the Southern Resident orcas include, but are not limited to, the right to:
life
autonomy
free and safe passage
adequate food supply from naturally occurring sources
and freedom from conditions causing physical, emotional or mental harm, including a habitat degraded by noise, pollution and contamination.

We have a responsibility to conserve, protect and defend Nature, the Southern Residents and the Salish Sea; and we need a transformational shift in our behavioral, societal, governance and economic relationships in order to live in harmony with Nature.
In accordance with our connection and interdependence with the Salish Sea, we DEMAND the following:

~That national, state, provincial, and local governments and their citizens follow the Tribal and First Nations in recognizing the inherent rights of the Southern Resident orcas and the ecosystems upon which they depend.
~The immediate creation of a stewardship board for the Salish Sea based on a rights of nature framework, including guardian representation for the Southern Resident orcas; and
~The immediate action to support the Southern Residents’ needs, and address the main threats to survival, which scientists have identified as prey availability, vessel and noise disturbance, and pollution.

Immediate actions include:
~Restoring wild Chinook salmon populations and their habitat;
~Reducing noise and disturbance in Southern Resident orca habitat;
~Decreasing the level of pollution and contaminants throughout the range of Southern Resident orcas.

The undersigned do hereby certify that the foregoing Declaration was duly adopted.

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2,905 Mr AD G. LO/BP, CA 95004 US Jan 24, 2020
2,904 Mr Patrick M. Midland Park, New Jersey 07432 Midland Park Jan 11, 2020
2,903 Ms Maddie S. Bellingham , WA 98225 United States Jan 06, 2020
2,902 Ms Chantal Anna D. Chieti, Chieri italy 66100 Chieti Jan 01, 2020
2,901 Mr Jim C. Bethesda, MD 20814 US Dec 12, 2019
2,900 Mr Stephen B. Port Townsend, WA 98368 United States Dec 08, 2019
2,899 Ms Rish H. Memphis, TN 38116-1804 United States Nov 18, 2019
2,898 Ms Sarah G. Cambridge, Ontario N1s4h9 Canada Nov 15, 2019
2,897 Ms Nancy R. Seattle, wa 98118 United States Nov 14, 2019
2,896 Ms Alicia J. Olympia, WA 98501 United States Nov 14, 2019
2,895 Ms Tarra S. Bremerton , WA 98311 USA Nov 13, 2019
2,894 Mrs Megan E. Salem, MA 01970 USA Nov 13, 2019
2,893 Mr Elisabeth W. NEW YORK, New York 10011 United States Nov 13, 2019
2,892 Dr. Claudia G. Poulsbo, WA 98370 USA Nov 12, 2019
2,891 Mrs BEVERLEY ANN C. DIDIN AYDIN, AYDIN 09270 Turkey Nov 12, 2019
2,890 Mrs Gretchan D. Hansville, WA 98340 United States Nov 11, 2019
2,889 Mr David D. Hansville, WA 98340 United States Nov 11, 2019
2,888 Mr Mohammed B. Jeddah 23526 Saudi Arabia Nov 09, 2019
2,887 Ms Claire O. Seattle, Washington 98122 United States Nov 07, 2019
2,886 Mr Dan P. Rockville , Maryland 20852 Nov 06, 2019
2,885 Ms Elsa P. Conroe, TX 77384 United States Nov 04, 2019
2,884 Ms Andrea A. Portland, OR 97215 USA Oct 28, 2019
2,883 Ms Jasmine V. Cademario, Ticino 06936 Switzerland Oct 25, 2019
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2,881 Ms Camylle L. Quebec Canada Oct 15, 2019
2,880 Mrs Lorna S. Portland , Or 97219 United States Oct 13, 2019
2,879 Ms Katheryn H. Vancouver, British Columbia V6P4R8 Canada Oct 01, 2019
2,878 Miss Annabelle M. Köln, NRW 50933 Germany Sep 30, 2019
2,877 Ms Victoria J. Vancouver, BC V7P 1H2 Canada Sep 28, 2019
2,876 Ms Cathrine S. saskatoon , Saskatchewan S7M 3V9 Canada Sep 28, 2019
2,875 Mr Jake G. Victoria Sep 28, 2019
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2,869 Dr. Taraneh A. Victoria, BC V8W3A4 Canada Sep 26, 2019
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2,866 Ms Selina P. Squamish, British Columbia V8B 0C2 Canada Sep 26, 2019
2,865 Ms Morgan R. Victoria, BV V8X1H8 Canada Sep 26, 2019
2,864 Ms Ivana I. Winnipeg , Manitoba R3G1H4 Canada Sep 26, 2019
2,863 Miss Isabelle P. Vancouver , BC V5Y 2A1 Canada Sep 26, 2019
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2,861 Mr Ravi C. Victoria, BC V5V 3J4 Canada Sep 26, 2019
2,860 Ms Eden P. Vancouver, BC V5V3L1 Canada Sep 25, 2019
2,859 Mr Jamie A. Victoria, BC V9B 3X7 Canada Sep 25, 2019
2,858 Ms Renee S. Sep 25, 2019
2,857 Ms Nicole C. Sep 25, 2019
2,856 Ms Erica H. Nanaimo , BC V9t1m4 Canada Sep 25, 2019
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