Makah members found guilty of illegal whale hunt

It has been announced today (8 April 2008), that the members of the Makah tribe who led an unsanctioned gray whale hunt in September 2007 have been convicted of federal misdemeanor charges by a US court.

The judge found them guilty after they admitted their role in the hunt and were convicted of conspiracy to violate the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and unlawfully taking a marine mammal. Sentencing is set for June 2008 and the men face a maximum of one year in jail for each count.

The Makah do have treaty rights to hunt whales, however they must obtain a waiver under the MMPA before exercising this right - something the tribe has been working for several years to try to obtain.