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JUNE 9, 2000

Having opposed the Makah whale hunt since at least 1996, Representative Jack Metcalf (R Wash) today announced he was pleased with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decision on the federal government's involvement in the Makah whale hunt.

"Today's ruling is a huge victory," said Metcalf. "I have been saying for years that allowing the Makah tribe will open the floodgates to whaling worldwide. This ruling will put an immediate stop to the senseless slaughtering of gray whales."

But Metcalf may not have needed a court ruling to stop the hunt. With less than a month left until the current hunting season ends, the whaling families of the Makah Nation of Washington have yet to catch a whale.

The 2-1 decision by the 9th Circuit today reinstates Metcalf's 1998 challenge to the whale hunt.

In their ruling, the court says the government did not adequately consider the environmental impact of the hunt.

The court has ordered the government to start a new environmental study of the hunt, stating that the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) were violated the first time around.

Officials from the Makah Whaling Commission have been contacted but have not returned requests for comments.

Discussion:
What do you think about the whale hunt? Do you think the government continue to support the tribe? Talk about the recent events in a discussion on The Makah Whale Hunt.
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Lies. Deceit. Fabrication. Paul Watson and the SSCS: An Indianz.Com True Internet Story.
A Top Story of 1999.

Relevant Links:
The Makah Nation: www.makah.com
The Makah Management Plan from the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission: www.nwifc.wa.gov
Rep. Jack Metcalf: www.house.gov/metcalf
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: www.noaa.gov
The National Marine Fisheries Program: www.nmfs.gov
From the Indiana University School of Law: Environmental Decisionmaking