Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
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Makah tribe to use high-caliber military assault weapons against migrating Gray whales

Sea Shepherd outraged by Makah's continued "ceremonial" whaling arguments

July 30, 1997

Sea Shepherd has confirmed that the Makah Band of Western Washington will now use high-caliber military firearms against Gray whales during their planned 'ceremonial' whale hunt in the spring of 1998. Recent reports indicate that members of the Makah Tribal Whaling Commission have obtained at least 4 to 7 of these weapons.

Sea Shepherd believes that the military-grade ordinance could also be used to intimidate or threaten National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) enforcement officers -- and other environmentalists -- from attempting to prevent any subsequent illegal whale hunting. "The Makah tribe claims they will simultaneously spear Gray whales with stainless steel harpoons, while also shooting at their skulls with these massive, .50-caliber assault rifles," says Michael Kundu, Sea Shepherd's Pacific Northwest Coordinator in Seattle, "Coincidentally, these are the weapons normally mounted on military assault helicopters and Navy gunboats -- they can efficiently shatter a ship's hull a mile away. There isn't a trace of 'ceremonial aboriginal whaling' in this plan -- it's blatant, undeniable whale warfare!" A quote from a letter by Makah tribal Chairman Hubert Markishtum describes the bullets employed as being:

"-- a .50-caliber, copper-jacketed, lead-core, hollow-point round with a mass of 600-700 grains, fired at high velocity with a muzzle velocity of 3,000 feet-per-second and muzzle energy of 14,000 foot pounds. This has about 10 times the energy of a standard assault rifle."

This October, the Makah tribe, with assistance from the United States Department of Commerce, will ask permission from the International Whaling Commission (IWC), the world body that governs the harvest of whales, to shoot up to 15 Gray whales annually. While recent reports indicate that the Makah will not be awarded the quota by a majority of IWC signatory nations, Sea Shepherd is concerned that the Makah tribe may violate federal laws and proceed with a Gray whale hunt regardless of the IWC decision.

"The presence of these weapons is certainly a concern for us, as it should be for anyone who is opposed to a recommenced tribal whale hunt," says Kundu, who argues that the tribe does not meet the criteria established by the IWC to receive an aboriginal quota. "If the IWC does not approve the Makah quota in October, any subsequent tribal whale harassment will be subject to prosecution under federal law," adds Kundu, "That's when we may find these weapons, which we suspect have been supplied by the government, being turned on citizens of the US."

Sea Shepherd has been working to build opposition to a resumed Gray whale hunt by the Makah Tribe since 1994; maintaining regular surveillance patrols of Neah Bay and marshaling political and tourism industry opposition to the aboriginal hunt. Sea Shepherd maintains that the resumed killing of Gray whales is being lead by international pro-whaling nations using the 'aboriginal' loophole to gain ground for a new commercial whaling industry globally. "Ben Johnson of the Makah tribe has reported that the Japanese and Norwegians have offered them funding to support their lobbying attempts," adds Sea Shepherd International Director Lisa Distefano, "Norway and Japan are shrewd: from a PR perspective, they're acutely aware that a 'traditional native ritual' hunt sounds more palatable than the more sinister reality of commercial whaling."