Whalers reject plea deal

Five tribe members charged with killing a grey whale during a rogue hunt off Washington state have rejected a plea deal after US federal prosecutors said they might seek to curtail the men’s hunting rights.

Defence attorney Jack Fiander said the Makah Tribe members believed they were acting within their tribal rights when they harpooned and shot the whale on September 8 in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

But they acknowledged there was enough evidence for the court to convict them, and each had planned to plead guilty to one misdemeanour count of violating the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Prosecutors agreed today not to recommend jail time but surprised the men when they said the government was interested in seeking to prevent them from whaling while on probation.