June 29, members of Congress signed a bipartisan letter to NOAA & USDA to address Tokitae’s situation and the urgent need to move her.
The letter includes hyperlinks to Louis Aguirre’s investigation (May 23-24) and Themed Reality’s timeline on unsafe structures (May 5). Along with 2017 Hurricane Irma news reports.
The lawmakers expressed alarm about the imminent threat of hurricane season, pointing to the significant damage and debris during Hurricane Irma in 2017.
“In March, the Miami Seaquarium, Friends of Toki, and Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced that Tokitae will be “released” from the Miami Seaquarium after more than 50 years of captivity. However, Tokitae’s health and the enclosure, which received a repair or demolish order in 2021, is a major cause for concern while the complicated process of her transfer is worked out.”
June 25, Charles Vinick, co-founder of Friends of Toki, said the biggest hurricane risk is a chain link fence blocking off the seating area which would be moved out along with “anything that isn’t tied down by a string, rope or zip tie”…
[…]”If a storm of major significance hit right there would we need to move her and where would you move her? Those are tremendously difficult issues. Because there aren’t a lot of options and I think we all know what the primary option would be.”
In July 2022, DelBene called for answers about Tokitae’s legal status and why her enclosure was exempted from a U.S. Department of Agriculture license despite her protected status under the Endangered Species Act.
Howard Garrett of Orca Network responded
“It’s wonderful to see this concern from people in such powerful positions however, they don’t seem to realize that there is no interim location for her. Their best course of action is to use all their influence to expedite her return to the Salish Sea.”
Read: The Seattle Times
“We urge you to expeditiously explore all available options, in both the short-term and long-term, to ensure Tokitae’s safety. This includes consideration of whether Tokitae should be moved, at least on a temporary basis, to a more suitable location until any plans to bring her to a more permanent location can be solidified and the necessary permits obtained We all want what is best for Tokitae, and she should not be made to endure (or fail to survive) another hurricane season in the Whale Stadium, given the risks a major storm poses to the structural integrity of her enclosure.”
Members of Congressb – Suzan K. DelBene, Jared Huffman, Nicole Malliotakis
Press Release – DelBene Urges Relocation of Oldest Captive Orca Ahead of Hurricane Season
Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) is urging immediate action to ensure the safety of Tokitae – also known as Lolita – the world’s oldest captive orca who has lived at the Miami Seaquarium since she was captured from the Puget Sound in 1970.
“We urge you to expeditiously explore all available options, in both the short-term and long-term, to ensure Tokitae’s safety,” the lawmakers wrote. “This includes consideration of whether Tokitae should be moved, at least on a temporary basis, to a more suitable location until any plans to bring her to a more permanent location can be solidified and the necessary permits obtained.”
The lawmakers expressed alarm about the imminent threat posed by the current Atlantic hurricane season, pointing to the significant damage and debris that occurred during Hurricane Irma in 2017.
In March, Miami Seaquarium, Friends of Toki, and Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced that Tokitae will be released from the Miami Seaquarium after more than 50 years of captivity. However, Tokitae’s health and the enclosure she is currently held in, which received a repair or demolish order in 2021, is a major cause for concern while the complicated process of her transfer is worked out.
In July 2022, DelBene called for answers about Tokitae’s legal status and why her enclosure was exempted from a U.S. Department of Agriculture license despite her protected status under the Endangered Species Act.
The letter is signed by Representatives Jared Huffman (CA-02) and Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11).
A copy of the letter can be found here.
