We need your help!

Dear Marine Mammal Conservancy family,

We need your testimony. Help tell our story. Think back to the first time you visited an aquarium or marine mammal facility, better yet, the first time you visited MMC, or helped with a rehab or release.  You fell in love with the animals.  You embraced the conservation philosophy and were inspired to share your increased knowledge about the marine environment and conservation issues with your students, family, friends, co-workers and other people.

People who oppose dolphins and other marine mammals living in human care are now attacking marine mammal facilities like Dolphins Plus/Dolphins Cove and even Marine Mammal Conservancy.  They claim that our programs have no educational value, no conservation impact and that the government needs to adopt stricter regulations and oversight. They’ve influenced the United States Congress.  Now the House Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife has scheduled an oversight hearing on April 27, 2010, to hear testimony.

Marine Mammal Conservancy, as well as numerous other marine mammal facilities, including the  Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums believe that we not only educate our visitors, volunteers and even staff , we also empower them to share and act on this knowledge for the good of all marine mammals and the environment.

We need your help.  Would you please take a few moments to write about your experience of Marine Mammal Conservancy and the work in which you have seen and/or taken part.  Share how the educational programs and information made a positive difference in your life and those around you.  We are collecting emails and letters to provide to representatives from marine mammal facilities and the AMMPA who will testify at the hearing in less than two weeks!

Due to the short time period, email is preferred.  You may email your letters to us at: sara@marinemammalconservancy.org .  You can also send it via regular mail to attention Congressional Hearing  at Marine Mammal Conservancy, PO Box 1625 Key Largo FL 33037.

OR take the extra step!  We have provided a list of subcommittee members.  Please pick up the phone, outraged telephone calls, the direct human element, can be even more effective.  If you live in the district of one of these members of the House, would you please also write to them directly?  (Many only accept letters from people who live in their district.)

Help us tell our story.

Thank you in advance.

The Marine Mammal Conservancy Board of Directors

House Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife: Committee Membership

Madeleine Bordallo (D-GU) [Chair] http://www.house.gov/bordallo/contact.shtml
Dale E. Kildee (D-MI)  http://www.house.gov/kildee/contact_form.shtml
Eni F. H. Faleomavaega (D-AS) faleomavaega@mail.house.gov
Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) http://www.house.gov/pallone/contact.shtml
Gregorio Camacho (Kilili) Sablan (I-MP) kilili@mail.house.gov
Donna M. Christensen (D-VI)  https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
Diana DeGette (D-CO)  http://www.house.gov/formdegette/dcs_zip_auth_v2.shtml
Ron Kind (D-WI)  http://www.kind.house.gov
Lois Capps (D-CA)  http://capps.house.gov/send-an-email.shtml
Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH)  http://forms.house.gov/shea-porter/webform/issue_subscribe.htm
Frank M. Kratovil, Jr. (D-MD)  http://kratovil.house.gov
Pedro Pierluisi (D-PR) http://pierluisi.house.gov/english/contact-us.html
Henry E. Brown, Jr. (R-SC) http://brown.house.gov/Contact/writebrown.html
Don Young (R-AK) https://donyoung.house.gov/Contact/default.aspx
Jeff Flake (R-AZ)  https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
Doug Lamborn (R-CO) http://lamborn.house.gov
Rob Wittman (R-VA) https://forms.house.gov/wittman/IMA/webforms/issue_subscribe.htm
John Fleming (R-LA)  http://fleming.house.gov
Jason Chaffetz (R-UT)  https://forms.house.gov/chaffetz/contact-form.shtml
Bill Cassidy (R-LA) http://cassidy.house.gov