Summary
On June 6 2023, the City of Depoe Bay, Oregon signed a non-binding Proclamation declaring the rights of the Southern Resident Orcas, which include “the right to: life, autonomy, culture, free and safe passage, adequate food supply from naturally occurring sources, and freedom from conditions causing physical, emotional, or mental harm, including a habitat degraded by noise, pollution and contamination.” The Proclamation also describes the City of Depoe Bay’s support for action by local, state, federal and tribal governments that secure and effectuate the inherent rights of the Southern Resident Orcas.
The City of Depoe Bay is the first Proclamation of the rights of the Southern Resident Orca outside of Washington state, and the first in Oregon. This Proclamation follows similar proclamations in the state of Washington by the cities of Port Townsend, Gig Harbor, and Langley (December 2022), Bainbridge Island (February), Des Moines (March); as well as, Jefferson County, San Juan County, and Pierce County (January-March 2023).
The campaign to recognize the rights of the Southern Resident Orca is led by the Earth Law Center (ELC) and partner, Legal Rights for the Salish Sea (LRSS), to protect and recover their population and the ecosystems on which they depend. The long-term goal is State level recognition of the population’s inherent rights. The campaign was launched in 2018 and in 2022 ELC created a template resolution that serves as the basis for the subsequent local-level proclamations.