The May 23rd "Save the Whales-Again" demonstration at Morro Rock was a great success and San Luis Obispo county did an exceptional job of speaking up in support of continued and expanded protections for whales. About 600 signatures were gathered county-wide on a Whale Petition that was sent to President Obama. It read, in part:
"Please honor the pledge you made to strengthen the moratorium on commercial whaling and oppose any proposal
that would legitimize commercial whaling. For nearly a quarter of a century, the International Whaling Commission's (IWC) moratorium on commercial whaling has helped keep endangered species of whales from being hunted to extinction..."
Led by event coordinators Mandy Davis and Andrew Christie, The Santa Lucia chapter of the Sierra Club hosted an array of local officials and whale advocates who addressed the enthusiastic crowd of about 400 attendees. There were simultaneous demonstrations in all coastal counties, coordinated by the Wan Conservancy.
Along with signing the petition at Morro Rock, many whale lovers created postcards and "whale promise flags," to eloquently demonstrate their affection and profound regard for whales. A sampling follows:
The IWC meets in June. People interested in protecting whales are still able to email the White House contact to ask that the U.S. support continuing the moratorium on commercial whaling. For further actions and information, call 543-8717.
