Summary
On February 7, 2023, San Juan County, Washington, signed a non-binding proclamation declaring the rights of the Southern Resident Orcas, which include the “right to life, culture, free and safe passage, adequate food supply, and freedom from conditions causing physical, emotional, or mental harm, including a habitat degraded by noise, pollution and contamination.” The proclamation also describes San Juan county’s support for “action by state, federal and tribal governments that secure and effectuate the rights of Southern Resident Killer Whales and of the ecosystems upon which they depend.”
This declaration follows similar proclamations in the state of Washington by the cities of Port Townsend, Gig Harbor, and Langley in December 2022, as well as Jefferson County in January 2023. San Juan is the second county to pass such a proclamation.
The campaign to recognize the rights of the Southern Resident Orca is led by the Earth Law Center (ELC) and local partner organization, Legal Rights for the Salish Sea (LRSS). The long-term goal is state-level recognition of the population’s inherent rights to protect and recover their population and the ecosystems. 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.
Involved Organizations
Related Initiatives
Suggested Citation:
Kauffman, Craig, Catherine Haas, Alex Putzer, Shrishtee Bajpai, Kelsey Leonard, Elizabeth Macpherson, Pamela Martin, Alessandro Pelizzon & Linda Sheehan. Eco Jurisprudence Monitor. V2. 2025. Distributed by the Eco Jurisprudence Monitor.https://ecojurisprudence.org/initiatives/san-juan-county-u-s-proclamation-of-the-rights-of-the-southern-resident-orcas/.
When using our data, please follow the FAIR and CARE Principles for data governance outlined in our Ethics Statement. We are doing our best to be correct in the information we provide, but if you notice any omission or inaccuracy, please report this to us immediately at info@ecojurisprudence.org so we can correct it.
Eco Jurisprudence Tracker is licensed under CC BY 4.0
