June 24, 2004

LUNA CAPTURE OPERATION SUSPENDED

Gold River, BC: Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) announced today that they will suspend the Luna reunification effort until such time as issues are resolved with the Mowachat-Muchalaht First Nations people.

The Aquarium is disappointed that the reunification effort cannot proceed at this time, but understands that DFO and First Nations need time for discussion. The Aquarium got involved with the effort from the outset because we believed reuniting a social animal like Luna with his family group was the right thing to do (just as was done with Springer, another juvenile killer whale in 2002).

It has become increasingly clear that Luna has become more familiar with boats, planes, canoes and paddles than with other orcas. To his detriment, he has ingested junk food and beer and suffered injuries from boat propellers. He has damaged boats and prevented them from moving, obstructed a floatplane as it touched down, and damaged rudders off of others. When Luna bumps small boats or planes for attention, he also puts people at risk. His behavior causes those objects to move or break, and the force of these nudges will only grow as Luna matures, and becomes more habituated to people. For this reason, the Aquarium continues to request that people and boats keep their distance from Luna.

The team from the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre, which has been in Gold River for the operation, will be coming back to Vancouver tomorrow. Led by the Aquarium's Vice President of Operations, Clint Wright, the Aquarium had offered its animal care and veterinary expertise to the effort for the careful capture, transport and release of Luna (L98).

Luna's pod (L-pod) is part of the southern resident killer whale group, officially endangered with only 83 individuals remaining. With his absence, they are missing a healthy young male with many breeding years ahead of him. If Luna were to be successfully reunited with them it could also help to ensure the long-term survival of his species.

The Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre will await the outcome of talks between DFO and the Mowachat-Muchalaht First Nations people. At that time, the Aquarium's Board of Directors will reconvene to determine whether or not we have the resources to pick up the effort where it left off.

To read the statement issued by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), click here.

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For more information, please contact:

Angela Nielsen                                                          

Vancouver Aquarium                                                  

604-659-3516                                                            

604-735-4506                                                         

or

Lara Sloan

Fisheries and Oceans

604-666-0903  

604-868-3162  

For past press releases, please click here.