Washington - Occasionally, you’ll see a faded and peeling “Save
the Whales!” bumper sticker on a passing car. With restrictions
on commercial whaling in place since 1986 and strong
international opposition to this practice, it would be easy to
make the assumption that whaling is no longer a significant
issue. But the whaling question is far from answered.
Conservation arguments are continually under siege from those
seeking to resume commercial whaling. The scientific loophole
keeps whale meat on supermarket shelves. And perhaps the most
powerful indictment against whaling – that of the immense
cruelty, an irresolvable component of whaling – has yet to be
addressed by the International Whaling Commission (IWC).
A new report, ‘Troubled Waters’, released today marks the
launch of a global campaign against whaling. Key scientific and
practical evidence is brought together for the first time to
highlight the true extent of the cruelty inherent in the modern
day killing of whales. More than 1,400 whales are expected to
suffer a long and torturous death this year alone. An
unprecedented coalition of over 140 non-governmental
organizations in more than 55 countries is taking part in the
‘Whalewatch’ campaign. It is lobbying the International Whaling
Commission (IWC) to halt all commercial and scientific whaling
operations, maintain the current ban on commercial whaling and
make cruelty a front-burner issue.
Peter Davies, Director General of the World Society for the
Protection of Animals (WSPA), one of the leading groups in the
coalition, said, “The cruelty behind whaling has become
obscured in recent years by abstract arguments over population
statistics. The fact is that, whether it is one whale or a
thousand, whaling is simply wrong on cruelty grounds alone.”
Although commercial whaling has been banned for almost 2
decades, over 20,000 whales have been killed since the ban came
into force. The technology used for killing whales has changed
little since the 19th century, when the grenade tipped harpoon
was invented. In the constantly moving ocean environment where
whales live and are hunted, a quick, clean kill is the
exception, not the rule. Despite its destructive power, the
harpoon often fails to kill outright and some whales take over
an hour to die.
Considering the rollercoaster environment from which the
harpoons are launched and the margin for human error in hitting
a moving target, it is not surprising to learn that during the
2002/3 hunts, Norway reported around 20% of whales failed to
die instantaneously. Japan admitted that almost 60% – a
staggering statistic – were not killed outright. In fact, the
question remains whether whales may still be alive when the
butchering process starts, as current tests to determine the
moment of death are inadequate.
Though the full extent of their suffering has yet to be
scientifically evaluated, expectations are that it is immense.
And the “Whalewatch” coalition members intend to bring this
information to the forefront of the debate.
