The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ordered a new study of environmental risks. The order will take effect later this summer.
The case goes back to federal court in Tacoma, Washington. The decision brings back the lawsuit filed by Rep. Jack Metcalf, R-Wash., sending it back before U.S. District Judge Franklin Burgess. Burgess had dismissed arguments from the congressman and animal rights groups that the environmental assessment for the hunt was not up to par.
Keith Johnson, president of the Makah Tribal Whaling Commission, has called the ruling a temporary setback that will not have much of an effect on the hunts. By the time the ruling is in place, in 52 days, the spring whaling season will be over.
Of course this is, supposedly, a great victory for the Anti-Whalers and they are hoping the study of environmental risks will be a long and drawn out process. The Northwest regional office of the NMFS will do the study and they are not sure how long it will take. "It normally takes a couple of months. But this will certainly be subject to court scrutiny, so I know we will want to be careful," said Brian Gorman, spokesman for the NMFS. (See Links #2, 3)
It just makes one wonder how much money that they have been granted (put in their pockets) for their up and coming studies and how many "jobs will have been saved". And what else is being studied at the cost of the Makah losing their right to hunt Gray Whales. I sure hope they take a bit of that money to find out why so many Gray Whales are starving to death and are washed up on the Beaches on the Puget Sound. (See link #4) Including a whale that was washed up on the beach in front of a Bed and Breakfast that happens to be owned by Rep. Jack Metcalf, R-Wash. and his wife. Mrs. Metcalf said, on local TV, that it was bad for Business because of the smell. For the life of me and I do not understand why Rep. Metcalf is so involved in the stopping of the Makah Whale hunt while he is not concerned by the fact so many Gray Whales are dying. You do the math....
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