A petition signed by over 50,000 people has been ignored by energy companies, ExxonMobil and BP, who continue activities in the Gray Western Whale’s summer habitat.

The campaign urged the energy companies to cease oil and gas productions at Sakhalin Island in Russia where the rare whales feed in summer.

However signatures from across the globe opting for a federal wildlife reserve, as well as pleads from WWF, fell on deaf ears.

“It is imperative that all oil companies operating in its feeding area acknowledge the effects of their operations on the whales,” Aleksey Knizhnikov of WWF-Russia explained. “And immediately halt all damaging industrial activities until the whales have left.”

Scientist research from the Western Gray Whale Advisory Panel (WGWAP) has noted a significant decrease in whales since the disturbance caused by ExxonMobil and BP operations.

According to studies of the rare whales only 130 remain making this breed critically endangered, with less chance of survival if relocated from Sakhalin Island.

“Over 50,000 people have joined scientists in calling on these companies to stop their potentially destructive activities at Sakhalin Island,” spoke Doug Norlen, Pacific Environment’s Policy Driector. “Every single one of these people will be watching to see if these companies do the right thing for the Western Gray Whale.”

Positively, others gas and oil companies – Shell and Gazprom – have postponed seismic surveying scheduled in 2009, due to WGWAP’s scientific data that proved the impact of oil production and the need to protect the endangered specie of whales.

Via WWF News.

ADOPT AN ANIMAL WITH WWF