OLYMPIA, Wash. — A Washington state woman is on a hunger strike to raise awareness of a lack of food for orca whales.
Lanni Johnson says she began her protest April 1 and intends to continue for a total of 17 days to highlight a lack of action on behalf of southern resident orcas in the Pacific Ocean.
The 71-year-old Snohomish resident sits in front of the Washington State Capitol building each day with a sign reading, "Solidarity with starving Southern Resident Orcas."
Johnson says scientists have determined the orcas, also known as killer whales, need an increased food supply over the next four years or they will go extinct.
The population of Southern Residents briefly dropped to 74 last summer, which was an over 30-year low. A new calf, L124, was identified in January and appears to still be alive and healthy, offering a bright spot in the ongoing plight of the Southern Residents.
The Washington legislature created an Orca Task Force in March 2018 to develop a plan to aid the whales.
Among their three dozen recommendations were proposals to improve salmon habitat, implement a temporary ban on whale watching tours, reduce boat noise near orcas, and further study tearing down dams to improve fish migration.
Three bills making their way through the Legislature aim to aid the struggling orcas by reducing boat noise and pollution.
A fourth measure, House Bill 1579, aims to boost the orcas' dwindling prey and has passed both chambers.