They're not dynamic. They're not charismatic. They're small, cryptic, obscure species, and they aren't going to bring people in, either financially or emotionally, the way killer whales do. I don't know. That question seems to fall on deaf ears.
Nobody wants to talk about the status of the habitat.
Especially in the marine world, there's an assumption that it's out there, and it's okay. And I'm not sure that's the case at all. So, maybe we're really worried about the wrong thing. I certainly don't disagree with people being concerned about individual organisms. I have no problem with that.