ORCA RECOVERY CONFERENCE AGENDA

Please Note: several short and long documentary videos will be shown during breaks and lunch periods each day.

Friday, May 31, 2002

  • 3:00 p.m. - Welcoming Remarks
    • David Bain, University of Washington
    • Will Anderson, Orca Recovery Campaign, Earth Island Institute
    • Maria Cantwell, U.S. Senator
    • Bryan Burton, Canadian Consulate, Seattle
    • Sam Wasser, Center for Conservation Biology, UW, Department of Zoology
  • 4:00 - Introductory Session
    • Robin Baird, National Marine Fisheries Service: The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada Report on Resident Killer Whales
    • Martin Taylor, Center for Biological Diversity: The Petition to list Southern Residents under the Endangered Species Act
    • Mike Rylko, EPA: Georgia Basin-Puget Sound Ecosystem Indicators
  • 5:00-5:30 - Break
  • 5:30 - Prey Availability Session
    • TBA, Feeding Habits of Southern Residents
    • Laurie Weitkamp, Northwest Fisheries Science Center: The Status of Fish Stocks in the Pacific Northwest
    • Judith Noble, Seattle Public Utilities: ESA Strategies and Salmon Restoration
    • Sam Wright, Formerly with WDFW, petitioner for ESA listing of Chinook salmon: The essential ESA in inferior state marine waters
  • 6:30-8:00 - Discussion Groups on Prey Availability
Saturday, June 1, 2002
  • 9:00 - Invited: Former Washington Secretary of State Ralph Munro
  • 9:15 - Panel Discussion on Prey Availability
  • 9:45 - Toxins and Disease Session
    • Joe Gaydos, Marine Ecosystem Health Program, University of California at Davis: Disease Risks Faced by Southern Resident Killer Whales
    • Gina Ylitalo, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, NMFS: Toxins in Eastern North Pacific Killer Whales
  • 11:00-12:30 - Discussion Groups on Toxins and Disease
    • Fred Felleman, Orca Conservancy: The risk of oil and other toxic spills
    • Invited: Tim Goodman, Washington Department of Natural Resources: Toxins in Sediments in Puget Sound
    • Invited: Sandra O'Neill, Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program, WDFW: Toxins in Puget Sound Fishes
  • 12:30-2:00 - Lunch
  • 2:00-2:45 - Panel Discussion on Toxins
  • 2:45 - Whale Watching Session
    • Rich Osborne, The Whale Museum: The History of Southern Resident Whale Watching
    • Rob Williams, Sea Mammal Research Unit, St. Andrew's University: Effects of Whale Watching on Northern Residents
    • Jodi Smith, Orca Free: Effects of Whale Watching on Southern Residents
    • Bill Wright, Whale Watch Operators Association, Northwest: Research, Education, and Conservation Activities of WWOANW
  • 4:00-4:30 - Break
  • 4:30-6:30 - Whale Watching Discussion Groups
  • 6:30-7:00 - Break
  • 7:00-8:00 - Whale Watching Panel Discussion
Sunday, June 2, 2002
  • 9:00 - Other Factors Session (incidental mortality in fisheries, noise, the effects of consumer choices on the marine ecosystem, etc.)
    • Scott Smith, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife: Potential Impact of Invasive Species on Ecosystem Structure
    • David Bain, University of Washington: Effects of noise on killer whales
    • Marilyn Dahlheim, National Marine Mammal Lab, NMFS: Effects of Fishery Interactions on Eastern North Pacific Killer Whales
  • 10:00-11:45 - Other Factors Discussion Groups
  • 11:45-1:15 - Lunch
  • 1:15-2:00 - Other Factors Panel Discussion
  • 2:00 - End of Formal Conference
  • 2:30 - 3:30 - Vashon Island Orca Calf A-73, funding the return to her home waters. Walker Ames Room, Kane Hall.
  • 3:30 - 5:00 - Informal Discussions, catered in the Walker Ames Room, Kane Hall.
International Marine Mammal Project
300 Broadway, suite 28
San Francisco, CA 94133
415/788-3666 or fax 415/788-7324
marinemammal@earthisland.org