Streaming Media
Presentation Abstract
A Moral Debt: History, Science, and Our Obligation to Southern Resident Killer Whales Today, there is no more prominent symbol of the transnational Pacific Northwest, and particularly the Salish Sea, than orcas. Scientists, policymakers, and journalists regularly comment on the plight of the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales in particular. Yet few explore the transformative role this population has played in regional (and global) environmental values, as well as their broader impact on the scientific study of whales. Southern Residents are the most influential cetacean population in human history, but they have paid a steep price for our change and education. This presentation will explore the historical importance of the Southern Residents as well as the question of our responsibility toward them. Although biologists and policymakers commonly view the population’s struggles as a discrete environmental problem, to be managed and solved, we might better view ourselves as having a moral debt to the Southern Residents—an obligation to ensure that they can continue their lifeways in our shared marine space.
Session Title
Ethics and Southern Resident Killer Whales Recovery 1
Conference Track
SSE7: Ethics, Environmental Justice, & the Future
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2022 : Online)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
SSE-traditionals-17
Start Date
26-4-2022 11:30 AM
End Date
26-4-2022 1:00 PM
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author's written permission.
Type
Text
Language
English
A Moral Debt: History, Science, and Our Obligation to Southern Resident Killer Whales
A Moral Debt: History, Science, and Our Obligation to Southern Resident Killer Whales Today, there is no more prominent symbol of the transnational Pacific Northwest, and particularly the Salish Sea, than orcas. Scientists, policymakers, and journalists regularly comment on the plight of the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales in particular. Yet few explore the transformative role this population has played in regional (and global) environmental values, as well as their broader impact on the scientific study of whales. Southern Residents are the most influential cetacean population in human history, but they have paid a steep price for our change and education. This presentation will explore the historical importance of the Southern Residents as well as the question of our responsibility toward them. Although biologists and policymakers commonly view the population’s struggles as a discrete environmental problem, to be managed and solved, we might better view ourselves as having a moral debt to the Southern Residents—an obligation to ensure that they can continue their lifeways in our shared marine space.
