1 S/R. The Orcas Can Not Wait for Governments

Carolina Borrero
Writer’s Workshop EAP 2-A
October 23, 2008

Summary Response #1

The Orcas Can Not Wait for Governments

According to West (2007) in her article, “Whale watchers protest a lack of action: ‘I can’t just count them until they’re all gone’” the Killer whales, or Orcas, that roam in Vancouver Island and Washington State’ waters are in risk of extinction, and this risk is caused by the delay of the Canadian government. The author explains the increase of Orcas’ deaths since 2001, and the biggest number of those deaths is from last year when five killer whales died. West said that the Canadian government is following a new federal policy in which they have to define what a “critical habitat”. The author states that one of the most important threats for Orcas is the fact of lack of salmon; one of their biggest food resources, and this problem could affect them in winter, because they do not have a big layer of fat. Finally, West affirms that both sides of the governments, American and Canadian, should recognize that the only way to preserve this species is giving them a large area of critical habitat so that people could be worried about those places and try to find the way to guarantee food for killer whales there.

The author is right when she states the solution for Orca’s problem. Those animals do not have time to wait for government solutions or perfections. They need something to survive, like the author said, a big protected space with food, or simply they would die in the near future. People should realize the importance of the problem. Orcas are part of a food cycle and if they die the ecosystem will lose its balance. In order to protect the whale habitat it is essential to keep people informed about the real problem of killer whales, to not lose time in paperwork, and to support the environmental groups.

The idea of keeping people informed is not just saying that killer whales are in danger. People should know how their actions hurt these animals. People should know how to help the Orcas. To make this possible a lot of money is necessary, because an awareness campaign is not something easy to do, so government and organizations should support this idea and make economic contributions. With this education people will know what small or big changes they can do in order to protect the killer whales or their habitats.

Orcas cannot wait until the government agrees on the way to help them. Those animals do not have time, place, or food to wait for the paperwork that politicians say that they need to do to protect the Orcas. Governments should know that even when the killer whales’ problem is not an issue, like a war or some of the other priorities that a country has, it is a big topic and people have to find a way to fix it. Governments can make quickly but effective proposition, they just have to want do it. Orcas cannot resolve the problem by themselves; they need people’s help.

Currently a lot of environmental groups exist and they are fighting to protect animals at risk, but unfortunately those groups do not have the support of countries, or influential people, so they are fighting without hands. Environmentalists need more than just good intentions; they need support, money, and respect, because without these things they are talking with themselves; they do not have a real impact in people’s minds.

In conclusion, keeping people informed, not losing time, and supporting the environmental groups could be the key to helping and protecting the Orcas. People should be conscious that humans cause the extinction of killer whales, and it is just simply impossible to think that they can survive without people’s help. Humans already made a lot of damage in Orca’s habitats. Now it is time to repair it and give then a decent life.

Reference:

West, C. (2007, January 23). The fight to save the orcas; Whale watchers protest a lack of action: ‘I can’t just count them until they’re all gone.’ The Globe and Mail. p: S3. Retrieved on October 22, 2008, from Lexis Nexis database.