Sept. 8, 2007: Five members of the Makah Indian Tribe hunted and killed a gray whale in the Strait of Juan de Fuca in a hunt that was not authorized by the tribe nor by NOAA's Fisheries Service. This unauthorized hunt did not comply with numerous provisions and restrictions defined in the tribe’s application. Both the tribe and NOAA Fisheries made statements condemning the unlawful hunt.

Statement of NOAA Fisheries Service Director (PDF 23KB)