No Glory in Whale Slaughter

[Omaha Steve]

http://hsus.typepad.com/wayne/2007/09/makah-whale-hun.html

September 11, 2007

No Glory in Whale Slaughter

A whale died this weekend near Seattle after being struck with five harpoons and four sealing harpoons and then shot with a .460 caliber rifle—a firearm so powerful that the bullet can travel four miles. The 40-foot-long gray whale eventually succumbed to the grievous wounds and was left for dead in the ocean. It was a miserable and awful death for a gentle creature just swimming around and living life in Neah Bay—a whale who had perhaps come across thousands of boats, many filled with whale watchers, and never saw any reason to fear them.

Five lawbreakers from the Makah tribe in Washington state killed the animal.

The leader of the band of poachers was Wayne Johnson.

After being detained by the U.S. Coast Guard, and then turned over to tribal police, Johnson was anything but contrite.

"I'm not ashamed. I'm feeling kind of proud," he told The Seattle Times. "There is only a few guys in Neah Bay that can get a whale and bring everyone home safely. You think one of the only whaling captains in 77 years could give it up? I should have done it years ago. I come from a whaling family... It's in the blood."

FULL story at link.

[Squatch]

1. When shooting whales, isn't a powerful firearm desirable?

:shrug:

"a firearm so powerful that the bullet can travel four miles."

[yewberry]

2. As far as I know, they weren't actually in Neah Bay.

They were in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, where the whales are supposed to be protected.