Save
the Whales
Hi, my name is Sena. This is my website. If you
would like to join this little group you can please send us your name and phone
number (email addresses are below, or mail to: 253 Maple Road, Mansfield, CT
06268). You can print out this pamphlet, this is all stuff about
whales. I made the first page, my Dad and the president of Cetacean
Society International helped me with the rest (Sena decided the topics).
Sena has a table at the Storrs Farmers' Market, in Storrs, CT, between the high school and town hall on Rt 195 from 3-4 on Saturdays.
Sena in-the-media
Sena did a Public Service Announcement in July 2010 that is played on the University of Connecticut's radio station, 91.7 (Listen)
An article was written about Sena by Cetacean Society International in April 2010, Page 4 (www.csiwhalesalive.org).
Whale populations, that once numbered in the millions, have decreased to thousands, and in some species, hundreds. Many whales are endangered. Their current precipitous state is further threatened by a number of factors that we have tried to outline in this pamphlet. Look for the W to skip to solutions you can put into practice.
POLLUTION / ENVIRONMENT
Pollution from many sources is threatening the whales. Pollutants that persist in the environment are accumulating in the blubber of certain types of whales. The first-born whales of such species often do not survive because of the influx of toxins from the mother when nursing.
Other forms of pollution, for example, garbage in the oceans, are causing whale deaths. Some types of whales mistake plastic bags for squid. The bags end up in the whale’s digestive system, killing the whale. Garbage kills whales in other ways as well.
W Consider the impacts of all your purchases. Whether buying a shirt, a car or a tomato, what will the impact be on the environment? Are there alternatives? How was it manufactured / grown? Ask questions wherever you shop.
W A few websites have been created to try to answer questions regarding the environmental impact of your purchases. Visit them before you purchase.
links from csiwhalesalive.org
W Consider helping clean-up beaches, roadways, and rivers. There are numerous local organizations you can join to assist in cleaning up these locales. And remember, dispose of it properly!
Phosphates from agricultural runoff and home detergents cause dead zones in rivers, lakes and oceans. This further destroys the shrinking habitat for whales.
W Using detergents in your home that do not contain phosphates will help protect our rivers, lakes, and oceans. If you visit a drycleaner, ask what they are using for detergents.
W When making food choices, spend the time to find food that was grown without synthetic fertilizers.
W Runoff from roadways impacts the rivers and the oceans. Keep your car leak free.
Climate change will also have an impact on whales. Some whales will lose their habitat if the ocean temperatures rise too much. And, our oceans’ survival is threatened due to acidification from increased carbon dioxide threatening all ocean life, and therefore our own.
W Be green! Using less electricity, less fuel, etcetera will help our environment and that of the whales.
BY-CATCH / ENTANGLEMENT
Certain methods of fishing cause harm to a number of fish and mammals, including whales and dolphins.
If you eat fish, learn about how the fish is caught. The Monterey Bay Aquarium puts out a Sustainable Seafood Guide. WVisit the following site when making seafood choices at seafoodwatch.org.
W
If you spend time on the ocean, you may see a whale or other marine
mammal entangled in a net or rope. If so, call the following organizations:
Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies (RI & MA) 1-800-900-3622
Mystic Aquarium (CT) 860-572-5955
NOAA (US) 1-800-853-1964
The Provincetown Center for Coastal Research inspired Sena by their efforts to save whales in a book they published: Ibis, A True Whale Story, by John Himmelman. Here they are in the spring of 2010 disentangling a whale.
OCEAN SONAR
Human-made sounds can deafen, disorient and kill marine mammals. Naval sonar has resulted in mass strandings of whales and dolphins.
W Contact Cetacean Society International to learn how you can help make the Navy lessen or stop the harm caused by active sonar tests and training.
WHALING
Since 1986 there has been a ban on commercial whaling. In spite of the ban, the Japanese companies have been slaughtering over a thousand whales per year, which they claim is necessary in the name of “research”. In addition, exceptions to the ban are made for indigenous populations in the US, Canada, and Russia.
The International Whaling Commission makes decisions regarding whether whales can be hunted. Many organizations are lobbying their governments and are attending the International Whaling Commission meetings to influence the outcome.
W If you would like to learn the latest and/or support organizations trying to prevent whaling, here is a list of organizations that are helping and need your support.
Cetacean Society International <csiwhalesalive.org>
NY4Whales <ny4whales.org>
Animal Welfare Institute
Whale & Dolphin Conservation Society
They can help you to find the most effective ways to fight whaling.
W Ask your Senators to co-sponsor Senator Kerry’s bill S.3116 to protect the whales. Requesting your representatives to be co-sponsors of this bill may help end commercial whaling.
WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO
Do you want to help by joining Sena’s efforts? Let Sena know if you want to team up with her to help protect the whales, and so much else, by contacting her through her parents (contact info in the grey box below) or the Cetacean Society International, P.O.Box 953 Georgetown CT 06829, 203-770-8615, or <rossiter@csiwhalesalive.org>.
CSI wants to help Sena voice her concerns because:
She speaks for many children who know more about what’s happening around them than we may be aware of or even comfortable with;
When children tell us of their concerns we must listen and answer as honestly as we can;
When we do not have answers the effort to find them helps us as well as the children;
Their questions simplify and focus issues and concerns that may seem insurmountable to us;
But Sena’s generation has a right to ask about the world that they will inherit from us;
And we have a duty to leave them and all future generations the Earth they deserve.
This webpage was created because of Sena’s desire to help whales. We (her parents) had no previous interest in whales. We thank CSI, Cetacean Society International, for their generous help. In particular we thank William Rossiter, the organization’s president.
Please consider making changes to your life style to honor Sena's hard work and consider making a donation to CSI to further their efforts.
Sincerely (Sena’s parents), Edward Wazer and Raluca Mocanu Edward.Wazer@gmail.com RalucaMocanu@yahoo.com