The Minke Debate

I suggest trolling the blogosphere, when you get a chance, specifically to look at how people are actually somewhat divided on the issue of whaling.

In this recent post from Greenpeace, they have put together a petition to pressure Obama to enact trade sanctions on countries that allow commercial whaling. This is to remind him to make good on his promise to help reform the IWC. In another post, Robert Bennett of fish4travel appeals directly to individuals by asking would-be tourists to boycott Iceland until Icelandic whaling stops.

One can find dozens of other similarly minded blogs and articles. Where is the division? While people generally accept that the hunting of certifiably endangered whales should be illegal, some support the hunting of Minke Whales.

According to this post put up by ‘Dr. M’ of the Deep Sea News, the issues surrounding Iceland’s whaling practices are not scientifically based but more ethical. He sites that in 2003 Iceland took a total of 562 Fin, Sei and Minke whales compared to Japan’s nearly 13,000. Dr. M points out that since then Iceland's whaling has significantly decreased as they concentrate more and more on Minkes. He goes on to argue that while Fin and Sei whales are endangered, we simply do not know enough about Minke whales to make any conclusions on their population numbers. He says that there are some studies where Minke whales have actually been seen in some areas in great abundance. He argues that one should stay away from eating endangered whales because there is sound scientific evidence of their population numbers, and that this is not necessarily the case with Minkes. When it comes to Minke whales, there is not enough evidence to say they are endangered with absolute certainty, thus the same rules regarding hunting should not apply to them.

Deficient data aside, in this realm it is safest to assume the worst and act on the premise that Minke whales may be endangered and they deserve the same protection as Fin, Sei and other protected whales. To assume the best possible scenario with no regard for the equally possible worst is simply irresponsible.

That there is any debate on this at all can be shocking at times. Surely the anti-whaling community is aware of arguments like those addressed above. While the world’s anti-whaling community is much larger than their opposite, these days this does not necessarily make them louder or more powerful. This debate highlights why a continued great effort is still absolutely necessary in order to push the world away from whaling, for good.

SONAR and Whales

Watching pieces like this, we’ve seen how individuals and organizations are working to stop Navy practices that endanger whales. What does the Navy have to do with whales, beyond sharing the same ocean? One major concern is the issue of bio-acoustics.

Bio-acoustics is the study of sound production and its reception among living things. In the case of whales, many researchers find that they have extremely sensitive hearing and that cetaceans rely on songs and sound both for communication and to keep themselves oriented. When naval ships engage sonar practices near the paths of whales, it is the common hypothesis that this causes whales to panic just as humans often do when we hear distressing sounds. This may cause whales to surface too quickly, causing the bends. Whales may also desperately try to swim to areas where the noise is less painful, which in many cases means swimming up to shore, stranding themselves.

There are numerous findings of correlations between the conduction of such sonar exercises and the occurrence of whale strandings and surface-deaths. The problem is that, according to the US Department of Defense (DOD), there is no absolute evidence of causation between the two events.

While some activists are calling for international regulation of sonar practices under the International Law of the Sea, the DOD is opposed to any international regulation on the issue. It will certainly be an uphill battle to change these whale-harming practices.

Krill: 1 species, 2 enemies

About 90 scientists and support staff set sail on the Aurora Australis, out of Hobart, Australia last week. Their ship will be dragging a small device that traps plankton. Specifically the group is interested in krill, which are at the base of - and one of the most important aspects to - the Antarctic food chain. Dr. Graham Hosie, who is leading the group says that over the years, with similar studies, his group has been finding fewer and fewer krill.

“They are extremely sensitive to their environment. We’ve found that even subtle changes in pattern across the ocean with the oceanography, natural patterns, the plankton can respond very abruptly in composition.

“So we are using the plankton as an indicator of ocean health.

“And because the are the foundation of the system, if they’re changing, we then look to see if there’s any flow-on effect through the rest of the ecosystem.”

This coincides well with a recent statement put out by the Pew Environment Group. Their Antarctic Krill Conservation Project (AKCP) is urging the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) parties at their upcoming meeting to require significantly increased scientific observation of the fishery. This comes at a time when krill fishing is at an all time high, having doubled in the last three years alone and showing no sign of slowing down.

Pew is calling on the CCAMLR parties to adopt precautionary measures to protect krill and the iconic ocean wildlife that depend on it.

To draw attention to the urgency of the problem, the AKCP created a photo petition website (which we’ve mentioned on the ASOC Facebook page) where people can upload their photos and ask CCAMLR to manage the krill fishery in a way that protects this important and delicate food source. The international photo mosaic has almost 10,000 photographs from individuals around the world who care about better protections for penguins. It will be delivered next week to the CCAMLR delegates when they meet to decide on how to manage the krill fishery.

As Dr. Hosie and his researchers have confirmed, krill are already facing great difficulty in dealing with the changing climate. With krill facing two enemies – climate change and over fishing – it is imperative that there be far greater controls over the krill fishing industry. As Hosie pointed out, krill act as a bellwether for what is to come for the rest of the Antarctic ecosystem. If krill continue to decline because of climate change and overfishing, the same effect will ripple through the bird and whale populations that rely on them so heavily.

Should orcas be kept in captivity?

When a captive orca killed a trainer earlier this year at Sea World, it ignited a debate about whether cetaceans should be kept in captivity. The orca in question had already killed two humans, and in the wild was a transient orca. Some say that transient orcas are more likely to be aggressive because their lifestyle requires it. Outside magazine has a great story up about the attack and the ethics of keeping large, intelligent animals in captivity that recounts the history of keeping orcas in captivity and presents the views of those both critical and supportive of Sea World. I think the article is a must read for anyone who cares about whales but maybe hasn't thought very much about Sea World. For many, it may seem silly to debate the fate of a few hundreds of captive whales and dolphins when the IWC is on the verge of allowing the resumption of commercial whaling. But the issue is not unimportant. Whale advocates have heavily promoted the idea that whales are worth more alive than dead, and that whale watching not only creates jobs but turns members of the public into supporters of whale and ocean conservation. The latter argument is one that is also used in favor of keeping whales in captivity. Sea World has done a lot of good, after all. They're experts in marine mammal rescue, and they've contributed to research on marine mammals.

Yet there are plenty of downsides. Tilikum was often bullied by other whales, and damaged his teeth by repetitively grinding them against metal gates. In the wild it's unlikely either of these would happen. Orcas need constant stimulation to avoid getting bored - in the wild they have been known to be exceedingly quick learners, mimicking human behavior and even sometimes helping humans hunt other whales in exchange for a share of the kill. It is suspected that Tilikum and his tankmates killed one human who fell into their tank out of sheer excitement at having something new to explore. Even whale watching needs to be done under strict guidelines to ensure that wild populations are not disturbed by humans. Does the possibility that Sea World visitors could go on to support conservation issues justify keeping these huge animals in relatively tiny tanks? How comfortable are we with putting creatures with dialects, culture, and complex social structures in tanks and making them perform tricks? I want people to be able to see and appreciate whales. What we see from Tilikum's story, unfortunately, is that Sea World might not be a good place to do that.