As the whale hunting season in the Southern Oceans come to an end, Militant activist Paul Watson declares it the most successful anti-whale campaign ever. He estimates that activities have reduced to kill count by at least half, or totalling some 70 - 80 million US dollars.

“Our objective always is to bankrupt them, to sink them economically and I think if we keep this kind of pressure on we will succeed in doing that. The only reason they’re continuing is I think out of sheer stubbornness.” says Paut Watson, speaking to AFP.

Meantime the diplomatic row between Australia and Japan continues, PM Kevin Rudd has issued a formal statement of taking Japan to court by the end of this year if they fail to resolve the issue diplomatically, which means no less than the reduction of whale kills in the Southern Ocean to zero, within a “reasonable” time frame.

It would be a Pyrrhic victory for Japan even if they won a case over the legal text of being able to conduct “lethal research”. Since this will “regrettably” sour relations between Japan and most of the international community. Japan is Australia’s top export market, with sales worth 55 billion Australian dollars (49 billion US) in the 12 months to June 2009, and is also Australia’s third-largest source of imports.

The diplomatic solution is still important because, because the bankruptcy and failure of the whaling industry will affect real livelihoods. There has yet however, been any real solutions put forwards which can amicably resolve the matter. Japan cannot be expected to give in purely from the involvement of a more active conservation group.

From another scientific news source across the globe in Portland, Dr. Andrew Persing, a biological oceanographer at the University of Maine in Orono, presented his research on the Industrial Carbon Footprint of the Whaling Industry at the American Geophysical Union’s Ocean Sciences meeting.

Dr. Persing descrbies whales are like the forests of the marine ecosystem, they soak up millions of metric tons of CO2 in their lifetime, and when they die, sink and gets sequestered to the bottom of the ocean. Industrial whaling equates to about 385 million metric tons of CO2 put into the atmosphere, or the destruction 130,000 square kilometers of temperate forests.

Trying to relate the two news stories together, perhaps there lies a resolution for the whaling industry to convert hunting whales into whale conservation for carbon credits and tourism.

A third news regarding the tragedy of Ms. Dawn Brancheau, a Sea World trainer for killer whales. Killer whales by the way, are not part of the whale species but Orca, a family of dolphins. As unfortunate as the accident does sound, it should remind us constantly that one should never get comfortable with dangerous animals, they already show reserve in a human environment, but are best left alone in their own.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8538033.stm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whale_surfacing_behaviour
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/26/AR2010022603336_2.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

Annual whale slaughter since 1986

Jan 6th 2010,

The crash collision of the Sea Shepard Conservation Society’s 18 tonne, 2 million dollar Catamaran the Ady Gil with the ICR’s (Institute of Cetacean Research) Whaling Vessel 491 tonne, Shonen Maru 2 may well mark a new chapter in the battle for the whales and the even larger war of illegal unsustainable fishing vs the growing movement of civilians willing to take the war for the ocean into their own hands.

Both parties have accused each other of deliberately causing the collision. Video from the Sea Shepard shows the Shonen Maru 2 veering sharply towards the Ady Gil before attempting to steer away just moments before impact, while video from the Shonen Maru 2 shows the Ady Gil deliberately propelling itself forwards to intersect the incoming vessel. This is no accident but a game of naval ‘chicken’ that will escalate the controversial subject of whaling in the Southern Ocean vs the apparent vigilantism of the Sea Shepard Conservation Society.

Despite the international moratorium on whaling by the IWC (International Whaling Commission) since 1986, the ICR (funded by the Japanese Government and Kyodo Senpaku, a for-profit whale fishery) continues a yearly harvest of some 900+ Minke whales during the winter season. ICR claims lethal sampling of the whales is absolutely necessary for gathering scientific data and that it receives its special permit from the Japanese government to do so. The Japanese claims the death of the whales are done as ‘humanely’ as possible with exploding harpoons to ensure instantaneous death and that none of the sampled whales will go to waste, as they are processed onboard the whaling fleet’s factory ship. The estimated Japanese market for processed whale products exceeds over $60 million per annum and since the moratorium, the Japanese and other whaling countries believe some whale stocks have recovered enough to warrant a sustainable harvest. The case for the science is tainted by the fact that ICR receives its funding from a corporation that economically benefits from the harvest and the reduction of red tape on the subject of whaling.

The incident highlights the lethargic nature of governments to resolve the issue of whaling through civil action. In particular the current Australian government, who made an election promise in 2007, to  resolve the issue of prohibiting whaling in the boundaries of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary under the Australian EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone).

Until governments stand firm on a clear ground regarding the nature, the need and taking the responsibilities for the action and regulation of whaling activities. It is clear that the economic livelihoods of the ICR staff and those who gains from the harvest of whales will run contrary to environmental activists and citizens who see no need to wait on politicians or listen to the pundits call for ‘civility’ to reduce the tally of dead whales.

But the real issue at stake is the rapidly depleting fish stocks worldwide and the rampant and illegal fishing of sharks. This elephant, or in this case, the whale in room really needs to be resolved because whales generate so much public interest and crossing the threshold of this legal battle of what to do with the whales can really bring the fight and focus for sustainable fishing to a whole new level.