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Paying natives to monitor Luna is a 'ripoff'
Boater says orca will still do as he pleases
The Province
Thursday, April 21, 2005
CREDIT: The Canadian Press
Members of the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation have asked for $176,000 to cover costs of monitoring Luna, the wayward orca who has become a bit of a nuisance in Nootka Sound.
A request by a native band for $176,000 to keep an eye on Luna the wayward killer whale was characterized yesterday as a ripoff.
Gold River boater Keith Bell said no amount of monitoring will keep the orca away from boats in Nootka Sound.
If Luna decides to interact with boats, he will, said Bell, calling the Mowachaht/Muchalaht band's request for federal money to prevent conflict "a ripoff."
Ottawa paid the band $10,000 last year to monitor Luna after the band thwarted efforts to capture him and reunite him with his pod.
Despite the band's monitoring efforts, the five-year-old whale bailed up numerous boats last summer, including Bell's.
His sailboat was attacked twice while docked. The whale broke the rudder and tiller and knocked the engine off its mounts.
On another occasion the orca caught up with Bell and a friend as they travelled in the inlet in a dinghy.
"When I was trapped by the whale I was trapped for two and a half hours," said Bell.
"The fisheries officers had to tow me out of the area because the whale wouldn't leave me alone. He was pushing the boat around in circles, more or less toying with it.
"He rips out fish nets, he rips off equipment on the bottom of the boats.
"None of us can go out on the water if you have a sailboat because he terrorizes you.
"He's a bit of a nuisance to people who are trying to run fishing charters because the moment he shows up you have to pull up your lines and go off about six or eight miles."
Scientists believe the whale seeks out boats as a substitute for his lost family.
Orca expert Paul Spong of Alert Bay believes paying the band to monitor Luna would be money well spent.
In addition to the $10,000 Ottawa paid the band last year, it received $5,000 from organizations and spent $5,000 of its own money to try to keep Luna away from boats.
"This was by no means enough, even to cover the later part of the season, last year," said Spong.
"What's needed this year is a full-time presence on the water throughout the entire season beginning in May.
"The fact is that Luna is in Nootka Sound and something has to be done to protect the public from him and to protect him."
© The Vancouver Province 2005
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EDITORIAL
Editorial | Send a letter to the editor
Don't bill taxpayers for babysitting Luna the wayward whale
The Province
April 21, 2005
No one doubts that Canada's amazing wildlife is a magnificent heritage that must be protected for future generations. But a good argument could be made that our most threatened species is not the spotted owl or grizzly bear but the Canadian taxpayer.
There appears to be no limit to the amount of money that special-interest groups seem to think they have the right to wring out of the public purse.
The latest case in point? The $176,000 in taxpayers' cash that a Gold River native band is seeking to monitor the activities of Luna, the wayward whale.
This money apparently is needed to pay the salaries of six -- count 'em -- people to help keep the five-year-old orca away from boat traffic in Nootka Sound.
"The reason the money is so high is that we're going to employ more people to express to the public that the whale is out there," says Jamie James, fisheries manager for the Mowachaht/Muchalaht band.
But wouldn't a simple notice or two, in big, red letters, be just as effective?
Now the reason Luna is still hanging around the sound is because the band believes him to be the embodiment of the spirit of a dead chief. Federal officials had wanted to move him to the Victoria area instead.
That is why, if anybody must pay for Luna's protection, it should be the local natives -- not Canadian taxpayers, many of whom do not share the band's belief.
© The Vancouver Province 2005
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LETTERS
Letters | Send a letter to the editor
'This poor, lonely whale needs to return to his family'
Vancouver Province
April 21, 2005
CREDIT: Gerry Kahrmann, The Province
Luna the orca is being protected by Gold River natives who want $176,000 to keep the wayward whale in Nootka Sound until their November potlatch.
As an animal lover, I strongly believe that Luna should be reunited with his family.
I don't care about the humans involved at all.
This poor, lonely whale needs to return to his family and he needs our help to do it.
The natives are the ones who decided he shouldn't go, so I believe they are the ones who should solely foot the bill for keeping him there.
If it weren't for them, I believe Luna would be back with his family by now.
Diane Ball,
Victoria
© The Vancouver Province 2005
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LETTERS
Letters | Send a letter to the editor
Luna needs protecting
Vancouver Province
April 21, 2005
I support the request by the Mowachaht-Muchalaht for full funding to protect Luna during the entire boating season in Nootka Sound.
This is an important public-education opportunity as well.
As Luna grows larger, the possibility for an accident or injury to Luna or a whale-watching bystander increases.
Until Luna can be reunited with his family, there needs to be an effective plan in place to keep Luna away from people -- as well as people away from Luna.
The money asked for is not out of line with the amount of effort and the number of people needed to do this.
The amount the First Nations people is asking for is much less than what a lawsuit would cost the government, if someone was accidentally injured by Luna and decided to sue.
Susan Berta,
Greenbank, WA
© The Vancouver Province 2005