2000 Archives

14 December 2000

Are grey whales starving to death?

A group of American researchers led by Dr. Le Boeuf has published an article in the most recent issue of the Journal of Cetacean Research and Management concerning the unusually high number of grey whale deaths observed along the West Coast of North America in 1999, a trend that continued in 2000. The mortality count in 1999 was twice as high as in any previous year dating back to 1985. According to these researchers, a lack of food is the cause of these deaths. The main feeding grounds of the grey whale are in the Bering and Chukchi seas where they graze mostly on amphipod crustaceans that burrow into the sandy bottom. The abundance of these amphipods has declined over the last ten years, partly due to changes in water temperature, partly due to increased predation by grey whales. According to Dr. Schell of the University of Alaska, other North Pacific species, such as the Steller sea lion, the Pacific salmon, and several species of marine birds, also seem to be affected. Schell's data, which measure zooplankton production in the Bering Sea as "recorded" in the baleen plates of bowhead whales, suggest that productivity has dropped by 35 to 40 percent when compared to 1965 levels. The Eastern Pacific grey whale population is not endangered. This population has recovered well from commercial whaling in the 1800s. Eastern Pacific grey whales now number over 20 000. It is possible that the high mortality rate is simply a reflection of balance between predator and prey. However, as Fisheries and Oceans Canada researcher Peter Ross points out, it is also possible that these events may be a sign of important changes occurring in the oceans. [Journal of Cetacean Research and Management, Discovery.com, Reuters]

Reference for the article, not available on the web:

LE BOEUF, B. J.; H. PEREZ-CORTES M.; J. URBAN R.; B. R. MATE and F. OLLERVIDES U. 2000. High gray whale mortality and low recruitment in 1999: Potential causes and implications. THE JOURNAL OF CETACEAN RESEARCH AND MANAGEMENT 2(2):85-99.

30 November 2000

Traditional whaling: meeting in New Zealand

The third general assembly of the World Council of Whalers (WCW) was held in Nelson, New Zealand, from November 16 to 19, 2000. The WCW is an international non-governmental group founded in 1997. It provides a forum for traditional community-based whaling peoples. The meeting, which was held in Nelson, New Zealand, attracted representatives of 200 aboriginal communities from a dozen countries, as well as scientists and representatives from various governmental and non-governmental groups. Tom Happynook, a Nuu chah nulth hunter from British Columbia (Canada), presided over the meeting. In interview, he declared that illogical international treaties were having an impact on indigenous people’s rights. He maintained that, over and above sentimental issues, the question needing to be resolved was whether or not whales could be hunted in a sustainable manner. He also stated that indigenous peoples had developed traditional resource management techniques that had been nurtured over the millennia.

As the official position of the New Zealand government is against whaling, the conference raised a certain amount of controversy. Conservation Minister, Sandra Lee, warned indigenous peoples against being used as a screen for nations in favour of the resumption of commercial whaling. A representative for Greenpeace criticized the WCW for having received funding for the organization of the New Zealand conference from countries in favour of resuming commercial whaling. The New Zealand government told its public servants not to attend conference activities. [Environment News Service, WCW, New Zealand Press]

23 November 2000

Narwhal hunt raises concerns

Biologists from Fisheries and Oceans Canada are concerned about reports from Nunavut, where changes in narwhal hunting management strategy have brought about record takes in several communities since last year.

Nunavut is a Canadian territory that has been under Inuit political, economic and cultural control since April 1999. Last year, the Nunavut territorial government established a community based management strategy to replace narwhal hunting quotas established by Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The new strategy was put in place for a three-year period in three regions: Qikiqtarjuaq, Pond Inlet and Repulse Bay. A community can qualify for the elimination of quotas if it adopts regulations that ensure that the hunt remains a subsistence activity, and that the hunting and trapping associations collaborate with Fisheries and Oceans Canada to keep an eye on the status of narwhal populations. However, the number of narwhals taken has increased dramatically in communities where the quota system was eliminated. Biologists from Fisheries and Oceans Canada emphasize that narwhal populations could decline if they are overexploited. The fact that narwhal tusks are highly prized and the fact that the Baffin Bay population is also hunted by Greenland are particularly worrisome. [Nunatsiaq News, Environment News Service]

15 November 2000

Whaling: tension between Japan and the United States

President Clinton announced this week that he will make a decision concerning sanctions against Japan after having discussed the whaling issue with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori in a private meeting on November 16 at the Asian Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) summit. On September 13, the American Government ruled that Japan’s whaling programme had violated provisions of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) agreement and that for this reason, it was invoking the Pelly amendment. This amendment gives the American President the power to impose economic sanctions against a country that, through its actions, is diminishing the effectiveness of an international programme for endangered or threatened species. The President had until November 14 to rule on the Japanese whaling issue.

The United States, England and several other nations have been putting diplomatic pressure on Japan to change its whaling policy for several months now, without any results. These countries criticize Japan’s so-called "scientific" hunting programme. They claim that data collected by Japan could be obtained without killing the whales and that the scientific hunting programme is but a roundabout way of supplying Japanese markets and restaurants with whale meat, which is a luxury item. Japan, on the other hand, claims to be working within the provisions of the IWC and states that it will contest all economic sanctions under international trade rules. It affirms that the species it is hunting are not endangered, and that certain whale species may be in fact endangering fish stocks. It also states that it is open to constructive dialogue on the issue.

Japan is to begin the second phase of its annual programme on November 17. A fleet of vessels will head out with the objective of hunting 440 minke whales in the Antarctic Ocean, an internationally recognized sanctuary. The IWC has maintained an international ban on commercial whaling since 1986. Japan began its scientific whaling programme in 1987 with an quota of several hundred minke whales taken annually in the Antarctic Ocean. In 1994, it extended its programme to the north-western Pacific where it kills 100 minke whales per year. The decision by Japan to expand its whaling programme to include 50 Bryde’s whales and 10 sperm whales in the north-western Pacific has renewed international opposition. [Associated Press, Washington Post, Humane Society of the United States, International Fund for Animal Welfare]

2 November 2000

Right whales online

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) has just launched a new web site to promote the protection of the most endangered of the world's great whales; the North Atlantic right whale. The site is a public awareness tool that encourages visitors to put pressure on the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the American governmental agency responsible for the protection of marine mammals. In early October, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) filed suit against the NMFS judging that the take reduction plan, put in place by this agency, was inadequate and would not save the North Atlantic right whale from extinction. Decimated in the past by over-hunting, they number fewer than 300 individuals despite decades of protection. Presently, fishing gear entanglement and ship collisions are the major causes of mortality for this species. HSUS asked the court to order the NMFS to put in place drastic measures to reduce right whale deaths related to human activities. [IFAW, Environment News Service]

19 October 2000

North Atlantic whaling countries get together in Norway

The North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission (NAMMCO) held its 10^th Annual Meeting in Sandefjord, Norway, from September 25 to 28, 2000. The meeting was attended by delegations from the member countries, Norway, Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, as well as observers from the governments of Canada, Denmark, Japan, and the Russian Federation. A number of inter-governmental and non-governmental organisations also attended the meeting. Among other issues, NAMMCO expressed its concern over a decline in the West Greenland beluga population, which is hunted by both Greenland and Canada. It was recommended that Canada and Greenland develop closer links on this subject. In other news, NAMMCO continues to supervise research efforts to measure the impact of marine mammals on commercial fish stocks in the North Atlantic. NAMMCO said it approved similar research that is being carried out by Japan in the north-western Pacific. Other themes covered at this conference included the problem of marine mammal bycatch, hunting methods and research on various populations of marine mammals including the West Greenland narwhal, fin whales and dolphins off the Faroe Islands, and fin whales and minke whales in different areas of the North Atlantic. NAMMCO also offered its support for an inter-governmental group about to be formed in the Caribbean (the Eastern Caribbean Cetacean Commission, or ECCO). [NAMMCO]

5 October 2000

Brazil: A new right whale sanctuary in the Southern Hemisphere

Last September 14 the Brazilian government approved the creation of a sanctuary aimed at protecting the calving area of the southern right whale. The sanctuary encompasses an area of 156 000 hectares situated along the southern coast of Brazil, in the state of Santa Catarina. The creation of the sanctuary was recommended by the scientific committee of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in 1998. It becomes part of a network of protected areas in the South Atlantic, joining Peninsula Valdés in Argentina and the new marine park off Hermanus, South Africa. Uruguay is also working towards the creation of a protected area near the cape of La Paloma. Whale watching is a new industry in the area covered by the Brazilian sanctuary. Brazil is in fact spearheading a movement to have the IWC protect the rights of developing countries to use whales non-lethally in opposition to the increasing threat of the resumption of commercial whaling by Japanese fleets. However, no human activities are to be forbidden beforehand within the limits of the sanctuary, and the management plan is yet to be defined. Regulations will be enforced mainly by the State Military Police of Santa Catarina. [Environment News Service]

September 21, 2000

End of the Japanese whaling season in the north-western Pacific

Japanese whalers have returned home from their research hunting mission after spending two months in the north-western Pacific Ocean. Their total take of 88 whales includes 43 Bryde's whales, 5 sperm whales and 40 minke whales. Japan plans to continue the hunt next year with the same quotas it set for itself this year; 100 minke whales, 50 Bryde's whales and 10 sperm whales. These last two species were added to their scientific hunting programme just this year. The expansion of the hunt was met with considerable criticism by the United States, as well as 14 other countries. On September 13, US President Bill Clinton announced that Japan would be refused fishing rights in US waters. He also directed his cabinet to analyse other possible ways to respond, including trade sanctions. These potential actions must be reported to Congress within 60 days. James Baker, head of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, offered US help for Japan to develop a safe and humane whale research programme. US farm and agribusiness groups are worried that possible sanctions against Japan could damage sales to the biggest US agricultural export market. Japan declared that it would oppose American sanctions and take its case to the World Trade Organisation, and that it hoped to establish a constructive dialogue with the United States. Japan ended its commercial hunt in 1986 in compliance with a moratorium put in place by the International Whaling Commission (IWC). It began its scientific whaling programme in 1987. Every year, the IWC adopts resolutions requesting that Japan refrain from hunting whales, however Japan is not obliged to follow these resolutions. Japan maintains that the species it hunts are abundant. It also states that its scientific hunting programme is attempting, among other things, to determine whether or not whales are endangering certain fish stocks. For its part, the IWC has not yet been able to give population estimates for whale species currently hunted by Japan in the north-western Pacific. [Environment News Service, CRS on MARMAM, Associated Press, Reuters]

August 31 2000

Whale watching: a worldwide industry worth US$ 1 billion

A report by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), written by Erich Hoyt and released last August 22, describes the growth of the whale watching industry between 1994 and 1998. According to the report entitled "Whale watching 2000: worldwide tourism numbers,

expenditures, and expanding socioeconomic benefits", whale watching generated at least US$ 1 billion in 1998 and involved nine million people in 87 countries. Forty seven percent of these activities took place in the United States where 4.3 million people went to encounter whales. Since 1994 the number of people having participated in a whale watching cruise has risen by 40% and 22 countries have started whale watching activities. Apart from economic interests, the report underlines the importance of this industry for public awareness, environmental protection, science and diverse socio-economic factors.[IFAW]

17 August 2000

Nunavut Innuit land a bowhead whale

Hunters from Coral Harbour managed to harpoon and land a bowhead whale from the Hudson-Foxe Basin population last August 11. The whale flensing will be accompanied by traditional festivities. Muktaaq from the whale will be distributed among Nunavut's 26 communities.This was the third bowhead taken since the Nunavut land claims agreement was signed in 1993. Previous hunts took place in Repulse Bay in 1996 and in Cumberland Sound in 1998. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada is in charge of issuing permits and supervising the hunt. DFO officers inspect the hunting equipment, ensure that all hunters are trained and make sure that arrangements have been made for butchering and transporting the kill. Canada has not been a member of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) since 1982, but continues to issue whaling permits. The IWC voted in resulutions in 1996,1998, 1999 and 2000 inviting Canada to rejoin the IWC and abstain from issuing further whaling permits for bowhead whales in the meantime. The bowhead whale is a fragile species and the IWC is concerned about the consequences of a hunt that is outside its jurisdiction. [Northern News Services, IWC]

4 August 2000

Hunting of Bryde’s and sperm whales by the Japanese in the Pacific: a general outcry of protest

Japan has gone ahead with its project to target Bryde’s and sperm whales in the north-western Pacific as part of its scientific hunt in spite of recommendations by the International whaling Commission (IWC). Japan had announced this project in May, however the proposition was rejected at the most recent conference of the IWC which was held in Adelaide, Australia, from July 3 to 6. Nonetheless, between July 11 and 31 Japan sent six whaling vessels out into the North Pacific. Their goal is to harvest 40 minke whales, 10 sperm whales and 50 Bryde’s whales . These last two species have not been hunted since the beginning of the international ban on commercial whaling in 1986. Although Japan complied with the IWC ban in 1987, it began a limited hunt under a clause which permitted scientific hunting. United States President Bill Clinton and British Prime Minister Tony Blair have sent letters of protest to Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori. Elsewhere, the World Wildlife Fund is pushing for economic sanctions against Japan, an option which is being considered by the U.S. administration. Japan hopes to convince other countries of the validity of its position through dialogue. [Environment News Service, IWC, Reuter]

On Whales Online

20 July 2000

Mass deaths of seals in the Caspian sea: still a mystery

An official of Kazakhstan's Emergency Situations Agency reported June 11 that the cause of the deaths of 11 000 seals (Phoca caspica) last spring in the Caspian sea remains unknown. Several environmental groups point the finger at oil pollution while officials blame this year's inclement weather. The first deaths were observed in April 2000, and seals have continued to die in small numbers ever since. Preliminary analysis suggests that a bacteria of the type Pasteurella might be involved. This bacteria brings about a lung disease known as pasteurellosis, however it is most often a secondary infection following a traumatism. Several months will probably be necessary to shed light on these mass deaths. The Caspian seal is a vulnerable species. This species, that lives only in the Caspian sea, numbered 420 000 individuals after the last census in 1989. This seal is threatened by environmental degradation in the Caspian sea, lack of food, disease, commercial hunting, pollution and human disturbance. Canine distemper virus was isolated from one of these seals during another mass death event. This highly contagious virus brought about the deaths of 17 000 seals along the European coast in 1988 and 1989. Researchers are therefore considering the possibility that these mass deaths are related to an epidemic. [CRS on MARMAM, Pagophylus, Maurice Lamontagne Institute]

7 July 2000

The International Whaling Commission holds its annual meeting in Australia

Representatives of 35 nations and environmental groups came together for the 35^th annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) which was held in Australia from July 3 to 6. The representatives voted on various propositions. A proposition must have 75% support in order to be adopted. New Zealand and Australia were campaigning for the creation of a South Pacific whale sanctuary. This proposition was rejected. Eighteen nations voted in favour, 11 nations against, 4 abstained and 2 were absent during the voting. Not all countries that refrained from voting in favour of the proposition practise whaling. A group led by Ireland believes that the sanctuary would not be an efficient way to control whaling stating that any IWC country that lodges an objection to the sanctuary will be permitted to continue hunting whales without international control. The group proposes instead that the international ban on whaling, which has been in place since 1986, be lifted. It would continue to be enforced on the high seas, however, hunting in national waters would be permitted. Quotas would be set according to the Revised Management Procedure that was put in place by the scientific committee of the IWC. This project has not yet been voted on by the member countries of the IWC. Other aspects of the hunt, such as inspection and control have yet to be determined before the lifting of the ban. Moreover, Japan will go ahead with its project to add two new species, sperm whales and Bryde’s whales, to its scientific hunting program in the North Pacific, against a recommendation from the IWC. [New Zealand Press, ENS, IWC]

2 June 2000

Mass beaching of false killer whales in Mexico

Over 60 false killer whales beached themselves in the mangrove swamps at Campeche, in the southern Gulf of Mexico during the last week of May. It is the first stranding of its type in this area according to local fisheries authorities. For 48 hours, fishermen attempted to push the whales back out to sea using small boats and ropes. They managed to save 19. The cause of the mass stranding is still unknown. Specialists from the Mexican Environment Ministry's Regional Centre for Fishing Research (CRIP) took samples from 22 of the sperm whales. Officials fear that the 120 tonnes of decomposing matter will cause contamination. [Agence France Presse]

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19 May 2000

Japan wants to resume the hunt of Bryde's and sperm whales

Japan recently lodged a proposal with the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to add two new species, Bryde's and sperm whales, to its lethal whale research programme in the North Pacific. Several countries and environmental groups have already made known their opposition to this proposal. The IWC will be holding its 52nd annual meeting in Adelaide, Australia, between July 3-6, 2000 and will be debating this proposal, among others. Japan, which is a member of the IWC, has a scientific permit and hunts several hundred minke whales a year in the Antarctic Ocean and the North Pacific. Whales hunted under this permit are sold in Japan for human consumption. However, CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) prohibits the international trade of whale products.[Reuter]

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24 March 2000

CITES: no to international whale trade

Representatives of the 150 Parties of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) held their biennial conference in Nairobi, Kenya, from April 10 to 20. The proposals made by Japan and Norway to resume international trade of whale products were rejected. Four whale populations were included in these proposals: Eastern and Central North Atlantic, Okhotsk Sea-Western Pacific and Southern Hemisphere minke whales as well as the Eastern North Pacific grey whale. These populations are included in Annexe I of the Convention, which prohibits international trade. Japan and Norway proposed downlisting them to Annexe II which allows for controlled and limited trade. According to scientific studies, the populations in question are abundant and would not be endangered by a controlled commercial hunt. Representatives opposed to these propositions, along with various environmental groups, maintain that the resumption of international trade in whale products would lead to abuses similar to those that, in the past, decimated the majority of whale populations around the world. Japan and Norway continue to hunt whales despite the moratorium decreed by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in 1996, thanks to a legal provision of the IWC. However they are not allowed to carry out international trade without breaking CITES’ rules. Norway consumes only the whale meat, accumulating blubber in freezers while waiting to re-initiate trade with Japan. The two countries have formulated objections to the fact that populations of minke whales are listed in Annexe I of CITES. They may disregard the CITES decision, in which case Norway would export minke whale blubber to Japan. [Environment News Service, CITES]

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24 March 2000

Cetacean strandings in the Bahamas: a consequence of American military manoeuvres?

On March 15, seventeen cetaceans stranded on beaches on the northern Bahama Islands. The large number of simultaneous strandings, as well as the fact that these cetaceans belonged to at least four different species, make this event a very rare one. There were two species of beaked whales, probably two species of rorquals and one species of dolphin. Nine cetaceans died and scientists were able to examine six of these. On March 15, in the same area, the American Navy began a series of tests of new technology which included acoustic elements. These events are reminiscent of two others involving the stranding of cetaceans following acoustic tests by the Army; one in the early 1990s in the Canary Islands and the other near Greece in 1996. Powerful sound pulses could disorient marine mammals. Scientists studying cetaceans in the Bahamas since 1991 report an average of one or two strandings per year in this area. Beaked whale strandings are particularly rare. The American Navy refuses to admit the possibility of a cause and effect relationship between recent military activities and the stranding of cetaceans intthe Bahamas [Bahamas Marine Mammal Survey, Hal Whitehead, CRS sur MARMAM]

18 February 2000

Towards the creation of a system of marine protected areas in the United States

On Wednesday, the Marine Conservation Biology Institute and the Cousteau Society announced the results of their workshop which was aimed at submitting recommendations to the American Government for the creation of a national system of marine protected areas. The workshop was held in Washington DC and brought together a dozen scientists from around the world. In their report, submitted to President Clinton and Vice President Gore, they underline the fact that 11.4 million km2 of submerged land are under United States jurisdiction and that these territories harbour unequalled biological diversity. Although several government actions have been undertaken to protect this wealth of marine life, there is continued degradation of the marine environment because there is no national system in place. With this in mind the scientists propose several steps that, according to the results of the workshop, will lead to an adequate protection of the marine environment under United States jurisdiction. These steps will span 15 years and include immediate action such as the creation of a high level federal process. According to the report, the main goal within the next five years should be the creation of marine protected areas, representative of the biological and geographical diversity of the marine environment, covering 2% of the American marine environment.

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4 February 2000

First fatality of the year for the fragile North Atlantic right whale

A right whale was found dead by fishermen off the coast of Rhode Island at the end of January. Researchers from the New England Aquarium studying this species, of which only 325 individuals remain in the North Atlantic, were able to identify the animal as a three year old female known by the number 2071, by distinctive markings present on its belly. The carcass could not be recovered due to inclement weather. For this reason, the cause of death of this whale is not known. However, video images showed that she had fishing gear wrapped around her tail. This female had last been seen on September 12, 1999, in the Bay of Fundy without fishing gear. The right whales of the North Atlantic are on the verge of extinction. The target of intensive hunting in the past, this population is now very vulnerable to boat collisions and incidental entanglement in fishing gear. Two other females died in 1999: one following a boat collision, the other of wounds inflicted by fishing gear. According to experts from the New England Aquarium, the chances of survival of this population diminishes every time a female dies. In an attempt to reduce the risk of fatalities associated with human activity, all merchant vessels entering two zones off New England and the winter calving zone, situated off Georgia and Florida, must report to the United States Coast Guard to get information on the most recent sightings of right whales. This system has been in place since July 1, 1999. Other measures aimed at reducing death due to entanglement in fishing gear are being studied. [Environment News Service, New England Aquarium]

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20 January 2000

Environmentalists mark a point against Mitsubishi

Last January 11, the California Coastal Commission adopted a resolution asking Mitsubishi to withdraw plans for a salt evaporation plant that they are proposing to put into operation along with the Mexican government at Laguna San Ignacio, Baja California. This site is a sanctuary for grey whales of the eastern Pacific, a Biosphere Reserve and a World Heritage Site. The project has raised controversy because the plant could endanger local ecology, although promoters disagree. They point out their track record at two other salt plants in Mexico where the local fauna appears to be doing well. On the other hand, according to a UN report approved by the World Heritage Committee, the proposed plant poses a threat to the integrity of Laguna San Ignacio. For their part, local politicians approve of the project, stating that the plant would generate jobs in a very poor area. However, local residents are against the plant because they fear it will pollute the very environment on which they depend for their livelihoods. An environmental impact study will be delivered by international scientists in February. The debate could be settled at this time, for the Mexican government has stated that the project will not go ahead if it is found likely to damage the ecology. If the project is approved, Mitsubishi would become the world’s largest producer of salt, which is used for consumption by a growing human population and in the production of, among other things, textiles, glass, aluminum and PVCs. [CRS in MARMAM, Reuter]

7 January 2000

Update on ´ dolphin-safe ª logo of canned tuna

Last January 3, the United States National Marine Fisheries Service published the Interim Final Rule following up on the International Dolphin Protection Program in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. This ruling will change the standard for ´ dolphin-safe ª labels starting February 2, 2000. In the past this label was used to designate tuna that had been captured without encircling dolphins. As of February 2, it will be used to denote tuna that has been captured without an official observer seeing a dolphin being injured or killed. The ruling will also establish general requirements to track and verify tuna imports from the Eastern Tropical Pacific where encircling of dolphins is most common. The public comment period for this Interim Final Rule closes on April 3, 2000. [NMFS, CRS on MARMAM]

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