Makah tribal members who killed gray whale fined 20 dollars

[Annces]

Makah judge fails to empanel jury to prosecute whalers

They promised tough prosecution, but in the end the Makah Nation couldn't put together a jury to try five whalers who were charged with illegally killing a gray whale off Neah Bay last fall. Tribal Judge Stanley Myers on Wednesday instead granted the men one-year deferred prosecution and promised to dismiss the charges if they committed no offenses during that time. The whalers also were each ordered to pay a $20 fine.

The deferral came after the judge summoned more than 200 people from the remote village of Neah Bay on the Olympic Peninsula to serve as potential jurors. But the judge gave up on empaneling a jury because just about everyone was either related or said they had strong feelings about the case, according to one of the whalers, Wayne Johnson.

It was a far cry from last fall, just after the five men shot and harpooned a gray whale in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The animal slowly bled to death and died some nine hours later.

Then, a tribal council held a news conference and flew to Washington, D.C., to promise swift and sure prosecution. With a request pending before the federal fisheries service for a waiver to enable the tribe to whale legally, the rogue hunt was a major embarrassment.

"We are a law-abiding people and we will not tolerate lawless conduct by any of our members," they said in a prepared statement at the time.

Meanwhile, a public comment period is now under way on a federal draft environmental-impact statement on the tribe's proposal to legally whale under their treaty. A public hearing is scheduled in Seattle on June 2.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004415609_makah16m.html



HOW TO COMMENT ON WHALING

Read the draft proposal for a whale hunt: goto.seattlepi.com/r1421

Submit comments until June 8 by e-mail to [e-mail], subject line Attn: 2008 Makah DEIS; by mail to Steve Stone, NOAA Fisheries Northwest Region, 1201 N.E. Lloyd Blvd., Suite 1100, Portland, OR 97232; or by fax to 503-230-5441, Attn: 2008 Makah DEIS.

Attend a public meeting 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., May 28, at the Vern Burton Memorial Community Center, 308 E. Fourth St., Port Angeles, or 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., June 2, at the Lake Union Park Armory-Great Hall, 860 Terry Ave. N., Seattle.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/362594_makah10.html


Comments

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[panzerfaust]

1. That is a more severe outcome than I predicted they would get