HRH Princess Salote Mafile'o Pilolevu Tuita will be officially declared as Tonga's 'Royal Patron of Whales', in Neiafu, Vava'u on Friday, October 3.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) said that the appointment of Princess Pilolevu Tuita as the Royal Patron of Whales is in honour of the Tongan Royal Family's commitment to the protection of whales.
The late King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, in a Royal Degree banned whaling in Tongan waters in 1978, and since then it has been estimated that the number of whales visiting Tonga annually has increased from 63 to 700.
Whale Watching has become a multi-million pa'anga industry for Tonga, particularly in the Vava'u group of islands.
The occasion will be officiated by Edgar Cocker, the CEO for the Tonga Visitors Bureau, Erica Martin, Director IFAW for Asia Pacific, Lelisio Lui, president of the Vava'u Tourism Association and Allan Bowe, the president of the Tonga Whale Watching Operators Association.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Chile Creates Stranded Whale Workshop
After the beaching of a sperm whale in Chile's Region I (Tarapacá) last week, the National Fisheries Service (SERNAPESCA) and Chile's Whale Conservation Center (CCC) took the initiative to create a stranded-whales workshop.
The workshop aims to improve the technology used to investigate stranded or beached whales and encourage better information exchange between experts nationally and internationally. There is also a desire to establish a local network of people who can respond to whale strandings quickly once they occur.
“We are preparing for a series of regional educational workshops,” said Bárbara Galletti, president of CCC. “They are meant to strengthen awareness about beached whales and other marine mammals in Latin America.”
The sperm whale, found last Monday on the coast 20 km south of the city of Iquique, was buried the following day due to public health concerns. It was with much regret, however, because the quick burial did not give scientists enough time to do any measurements on the whale or to study the cause of death.
SERNAPESCA normally tries to study stranded whales. Tests can show if the whale has been exposed to any kind of contamination or if it has any bruises or lesions on the body that could explain why it was stranded and died.
The incident led CCC to arrange the first workshop together with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (ONAA) of the Unites States, SERNAPESCA and Chile's Universidad Mayor.
“The stranding in Antofagasta proves that, despite an increasing awareness of these events, we need to make a better effort throughout the country,” said Galletti. “The goal is to achieve better information about the biology of marine species and their state of conservation and to analyze their immediate threats.”
There are several reasons why whales strand, and the stranding of a single whale is likely to be natural. If the whale dies close to a shore, its body can strand on the beach before it decomposes.
A stranded whale quickly becomes a health concern and must be removed within a short time. The thick layer of blubber on its body keeps the inner tissues warm, serving as a paradise for bacteria.
The workshop aims to improve the technology used to investigate stranded or beached whales and encourage better information exchange between experts nationally and internationally. There is also a desire to establish a local network of people who can respond to whale strandings quickly once they occur.
“We are preparing for a series of regional educational workshops,” said Bárbara Galletti, president of CCC. “They are meant to strengthen awareness about beached whales and other marine mammals in Latin America.”
The sperm whale, found last Monday on the coast 20 km south of the city of Iquique, was buried the following day due to public health concerns. It was with much regret, however, because the quick burial did not give scientists enough time to do any measurements on the whale or to study the cause of death.
SERNAPESCA normally tries to study stranded whales. Tests can show if the whale has been exposed to any kind of contamination or if it has any bruises or lesions on the body that could explain why it was stranded and died.
The incident led CCC to arrange the first workshop together with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (ONAA) of the Unites States, SERNAPESCA and Chile's Universidad Mayor.
“The stranding in Antofagasta proves that, despite an increasing awareness of these events, we need to make a better effort throughout the country,” said Galletti. “The goal is to achieve better information about the biology of marine species and their state of conservation and to analyze their immediate threats.”
There are several reasons why whales strand, and the stranding of a single whale is likely to be natural. If the whale dies close to a shore, its body can strand on the beach before it decomposes.
A stranded whale quickly becomes a health concern and must be removed within a short time. The thick layer of blubber on its body keeps the inner tissues warm, serving as a paradise for bacteria.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Navy Sonar Testing Site In Question
The Virginian-Pilot NORFOLK - The Navy has decided that a controversial sonar training range it proposed building off North Carolina's coast would be better located off Florida, where its East Coast sub-hunting helicopters are based.
More than 40,000 pages of public comments - most of them critical - had flooded in after the Navy announced coastal North Carolina as its preferred site for the range in 2005. It also considered locating the range off Virginia, South Carolina or Florida.
The switch in preference to a site off Jacksonville, Fla., may prove to be just as troublesome for the Navy. The border of the proposed 625-square-mile range would come within a few dozen miles of calving grounds of the endangered North Atlantic right whale.
More than 40,000 pages of public comments - most of them critical - had flooded in after the Navy announced coastal North Carolina as its preferred site for the range in 2005. It also considered locating the range off Virginia, South Carolina or Florida.
The switch in preference to a site off Jacksonville, Fla., may prove to be just as troublesome for the Navy. The border of the proposed 625-square-mile range would come within a few dozen miles of calving grounds of the endangered North Atlantic right whale.
Whale Rescue 'Toughest Ever'
GOLDCOAST.CO - Janelle Estreich
MARINE rescuers who spent almost eight hours working to free a humpback whale snared in shark netting off the Gold Coast today have described the operation as their most difficult yet.
The whale was spotted towing a long trail of netting by ski paddlers early this morning about 5km east of Currumbin.
The SeaWorld rescue team, Queensland Boating and Fisheries and a shark contractor caught up with the whale around 10am near the Tugun desalination barge.
MARINE rescuers who spent almost eight hours working to free a humpback whale snared in shark netting off the Gold Coast today have described the operation as their most difficult yet.
The whale was spotted towing a long trail of netting by ski paddlers early this morning about 5km east of Currumbin.
The SeaWorld rescue team, Queensland Boating and Fisheries and a shark contractor caught up with the whale around 10am near the Tugun desalination barge.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Stranded Whale Back at Sea
NEW ZEALAND - A seven-metre long whale which was stranded after washing up on Papamoa Beach near Tauranga on Saturday morning has been successfully sent back to sea.
"Nobbie" is well known to local conservationists and has been on the beach before. Several hundred people turned out to the beach where the orca whale had stranded and volunteers helped keep the animal wet and comfortable.
Department of Conservation spokeswoman Katrina Knill says a good tide and a freshly dug trench helped to get Nobbie back into the water sooner than anticipated.
She says he looks like he will be all right but she is urging the public to contact the Conservation Department if they see him getting too close to shore.
"Nobbie" is well known to local conservationists and has been on the beach before. Several hundred people turned out to the beach where the orca whale had stranded and volunteers helped keep the animal wet and comfortable.
Department of Conservation spokeswoman Katrina Knill says a good tide and a freshly dug trench helped to get Nobbie back into the water sooner than anticipated.
She says he looks like he will be all right but she is urging the public to contact the Conservation Department if they see him getting too close to shore.
Bush to Expand Protections in Pacific?
President Bush says he wants to extend environmental protections to more of the Pacific Ocean. Bush said Friday he has asked the secretaries of the Interior, Commerce and Defense to identify additional areas that could be eligible for conservation.
Acknowledging that his administration is coming to an end, Bush said he is "sprinting to the finish. I mean, four months, you can actually get a lot done," he said.
Bush's comments came in a speech at the newly completed Sant Ocean Hall, scheduled to open to the public Saturday at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.
In his comments Friday, Bush noted a life-size model of a right whale in the museum and said his administration has sought to help protect these endangered whales.
Indeed, the government has recommended a speed limit for commercial ships along the Atlantic coast, where collisions with the right whale threaten its existence. Only about 300 or 400 of the whales are left in the wild, and they migrate annually between their southeastern Atlantic breeding grounds to feeding areas off the Massachusetts coast, intersecting busy shipping lanes.
Acknowledging that his administration is coming to an end, Bush said he is "sprinting to the finish. I mean, four months, you can actually get a lot done," he said.
Bush's comments came in a speech at the newly completed Sant Ocean Hall, scheduled to open to the public Saturday at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.
In his comments Friday, Bush noted a life-size model of a right whale in the museum and said his administration has sought to help protect these endangered whales.
Indeed, the government has recommended a speed limit for commercial ships along the Atlantic coast, where collisions with the right whale threaten its existence. Only about 300 or 400 of the whales are left in the wild, and they migrate annually between their southeastern Atlantic breeding grounds to feeding areas off the Massachusetts coast, intersecting busy shipping lanes.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
No Decline in Count of Cook Inlet's Beluga Whales
FORT MILLS TIMES - ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The number of beluga whales estimated to be in Cook Inlet off Alaska's largest city have not increased in the last year, leading critics to reiterate their call for greater protections over the objections of Gov. Sarah Palin.
The new estimated count will be considered when deciding if the white whales should be listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act - a move first opposed by Palin, the GOP vice presidential nominee, last year over concerns that the listing would harm the local economy.
Federal scientists have said the Cook Inlet whales have a 26 percent chance of going extinct in the next 100 years. A decision is required by Oct. 20.
The new estimated count will be considered when deciding if the white whales should be listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act - a move first opposed by Palin, the GOP vice presidential nominee, last year over concerns that the listing would harm the local economy.
Federal scientists have said the Cook Inlet whales have a 26 percent chance of going extinct in the next 100 years. A decision is required by Oct. 20.
573 Days Later, Whale Protection Rule Clears White House
The White House has finally given approval to a rule that would protect the North Atlantic right whale, one of the planet's most critically endangered marine species.
Last Monday, September 15, OMB's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs — the White House office in charge of reviewing and editing new regulations — approved the rule "consistent with change" (its most common designation for rules it has reviewed). OIRA had been reviewing the rule since Feb. 20, 2007. Since agencies cannot go forward without OIRA's blessing, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has been unable to make substantive progress on the rule for more than one-and-a-half years.
According to the executive order that governs the OIRA review process, OIRA has 90 days to review agency proposals. OIRA, in consultation with the agency, may extend the period once by 30 days. So, under the White House's own rules, OIRA is not supposed to hold up rules for more than 120 days.
OIRA reviewed the right whale rule for 573 days.
Last Monday, September 15, OMB's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs — the White House office in charge of reviewing and editing new regulations — approved the rule "consistent with change" (its most common designation for rules it has reviewed). OIRA had been reviewing the rule since Feb. 20, 2007. Since agencies cannot go forward without OIRA's blessing, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has been unable to make substantive progress on the rule for more than one-and-a-half years.
According to the executive order that governs the OIRA review process, OIRA has 90 days to review agency proposals. OIRA, in consultation with the agency, may extend the period once by 30 days. So, under the White House's own rules, OIRA is not supposed to hold up rules for more than 120 days.
OIRA reviewed the right whale rule for 573 days.
Whale Researchers Capture Unique Underwater Footage
PETERSBURG-AK KFSK - A team of researchers captured some very unusual footage of humpback whales this summer. It shows cooperative bubble-net feeding and other behavior from a whale calf’s point of view. The Alaska Whale Foundation’s Doctor Fred Sharpe has been studying humpback whale behavior and vocalizations in southeast Alaska for decades. Based out of Five-Finger Lighthouse in northern Frederick Sound this summer, Sharpe and his colleagues captured the rare video using a national geographic “critter-cam” which they suction-cupped to the back of a whale calf.
The underwater scenes are exceptionally clear of a mother-whale nursing her calf and a large group of whales creating a bubble-net to catch herring. What’s more, the video was obtained without a boat or divers in sight.
Along with the National Geographic Society, Sharpe credits the Petersburg Marine Mammal Center and the Juneau Lighthouse Association for their support in the research. Sharpe stopped by to talk with KFSK’s Matt Lichtenstein about some of these humpback sights and sounds he’s gathered: more...
© Copyright 2008, Narrows Broadcasting Corp.
The underwater scenes are exceptionally clear of a mother-whale nursing her calf and a large group of whales creating a bubble-net to catch herring. What’s more, the video was obtained without a boat or divers in sight.
Along with the National Geographic Society, Sharpe credits the Petersburg Marine Mammal Center and the Juneau Lighthouse Association for their support in the research. Sharpe stopped by to talk with KFSK’s Matt Lichtenstein about some of these humpback sights and sounds he’s gathered: more...
© Copyright 2008, Narrows Broadcasting Corp.
Whales Heard in NY Harbor
CORNELL SUN - Imagine looking out from the Statue of Liberty and seeing not only the New York City harbor, but also one of the most endangered mammals living today. We now know that this is a possibility, as researchers from the Bioacoustics Research Program at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) have, for the first time, recorded the presence of the northern right whale, along with four other species, in the water.
According to Chris Clark, the director of the Bioacoustics Research Program at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the study found the presence of sei whales, blue whales, minke whales, humpback whales and northern right whales in clusters by New York Harbor between JFK airport and New Jersey.
“That to me was the amazing part — how easy it was to find [whales] once we decided to look for them. I thought it would be more like looking for a needle in a haystack, but it turns out it wasn’t a haystack and they weren’t needles,” Clark said.
The study began March 1, 2008 and stopped in late May before resuming again in September.
According to Chris Clark, the director of the Bioacoustics Research Program at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the study found the presence of sei whales, blue whales, minke whales, humpback whales and northern right whales in clusters by New York Harbor between JFK airport and New Jersey.
“That to me was the amazing part — how easy it was to find [whales] once we decided to look for them. I thought it would be more like looking for a needle in a haystack, but it turns out it wasn’t a haystack and they weren’t needles,” Clark said.
The study began March 1, 2008 and stopped in late May before resuming again in September.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Record Whale Numbers in Western Australia
The Department of Environment and Conservation says an astounding number of Southern Right Whales have been seen off the south coast this year.
Wildlife officers have spotted a record 700 Southern Rights between Albany and Augusta.
The department's Peter Collins says the number of Southern Rights that come to Albany each year depends on the availability of food in Antarctica.
Mr Collins says the whales travel to Albany to calve in the protected bays.
"As a result of that very low abundance of krill, the cows didn't become pregnant so they didn't come up last year," he said.
"So subsequent to that, they had a very good year two years ago from this season and the cows have become pregnant and they've come up in much larger numbers than we've seen before."
Wildlife officers have spotted a record 700 Southern Rights between Albany and Augusta.
The department's Peter Collins says the number of Southern Rights that come to Albany each year depends on the availability of food in Antarctica.
Mr Collins says the whales travel to Albany to calve in the protected bays.
"As a result of that very low abundance of krill, the cows didn't become pregnant so they didn't come up last year," he said.
"So subsequent to that, they had a very good year two years ago from this season and the cows have become pregnant and they've come up in much larger numbers than we've seen before."
Dead Whale Washes Up On Plymouth Beach
PLYMOUTH (WBZ BOSTON) ― A dead whale has washed up on a Plymouth beach and now researchers are preparing to take it away.
The young humpback whale is about 25 feet long. Tony LaCasse of the New England Aquarium told WBZ it had been dead for awhile and had been floating in Cape Cod Bay last week.
It washed ashore on Manomet Beach Tuesday morning. There is no indication it had been tangled or struck by a boat. It's not clear yet what killed it.
Researchers will strip off the whale's tissue and deliver the skeleton to a state biologist. LaCasse said there is a waiting list from places around the world for whale skeletons.
The young humpback whale is about 25 feet long. Tony LaCasse of the New England Aquarium told WBZ it had been dead for awhile and had been floating in Cape Cod Bay last week.
It washed ashore on Manomet Beach Tuesday morning. There is no indication it had been tangled or struck by a boat. It's not clear yet what killed it.
Researchers will strip off the whale's tissue and deliver the skeleton to a state biologist. LaCasse said there is a waiting list from places around the world for whale skeletons.
Scottish Students Investigate Sighting of Rare Whale in Iceland
PRESS-JOURNAL Scottish students on a marine mammal field course in Iceland are investigating a rare sighting of the bottlenose whale in the country. Environmental and marine biology students from St Andrews University are observing a group of four whales spotted in a narrow fjord in Eyjafjördur.
The 14 students are on the international field course as part of a collaboration between St Andrews and the University of Iceland.
Normally considered a deep-diving, oceanic species, the bottlenose whales have been sighted regularly for more than a month close to shore.
Patrick Miller, of the Sea Mammal Research Unit at St Andrews, said one of the four whales was observed entangled on a buoy line a few days ago and only three whales have been seen since.
The 14 students are on the international field course as part of a collaboration between St Andrews and the University of Iceland.
Normally considered a deep-diving, oceanic species, the bottlenose whales have been sighted regularly for more than a month close to shore.
Patrick Miller, of the Sea Mammal Research Unit at St Andrews, said one of the four whales was observed entangled on a buoy line a few days ago and only three whales have been seen since.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Beached Whale Resists Rescue Attempt
SCOTLAND - A 20 ft Pilot whale which became stranded in North Uist met a tragic end over the weekend, despite residents doing their best to save it.
Discovered on Friday morning on Berneray, the whale was cared for by a number of residents who dried to keep the mammal hydrated as rescuers scrambled to launch a rescue plan.
Stornoway, Benbecula and Griminish Coastguard and representatives of the Scottish SPCA all attended and managed to re-float the animal which moved out to sea.
But the initial success was thwarted when the whale was discovered the next morning not far from the initial beach site. Unfortunately it was already dead.
The Coastguard thanked all those who helped the rescue effort and reminded people to alert their local coastguard station or SPCA officer if they discovered a beach animal.
Discovered on Friday morning on Berneray, the whale was cared for by a number of residents who dried to keep the mammal hydrated as rescuers scrambled to launch a rescue plan.
Stornoway, Benbecula and Griminish Coastguard and representatives of the Scottish SPCA all attended and managed to re-float the animal which moved out to sea.
But the initial success was thwarted when the whale was discovered the next morning not far from the initial beach site. Unfortunately it was already dead.
The Coastguard thanked all those who helped the rescue effort and reminded people to alert their local coastguard station or SPCA officer if they discovered a beach animal.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Push on for Whaling Moratorium
A moratorium on whaling in the Southern Ocean is New Zealand's ultimate goal at next year's meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), Conservation Minister Steve Chadwick said yesterday.
But Chadwick said she was not overlooking the difficulties of getting Japan to agree to a temporary halt to all killings.
"I think it's a huge challenge for them. I don't think they are ready for that yet. But you've got to keep pushing that as a diplomatic solution," she said. A blanket moratorium on whale hunting was agreed at the IWC in 1986, but a loophole allows them to be hunted for scientific purposes.
Chadwick was speaking in Kaikoura yesterday while giving her Australian counterpart, Peter Garrett, a first-hand look at New Zealand's world-famous whale-watching region. New Zealand and Australia have been working closely on the whaling issue this year and hope to use such eco-tourism ventures to highlight the economic benefits of a sustainable use of whales.
Both countries sit on a 28-nation working group set up at a June meeting of the IWC in Chile.
Chadwick said there could be as many as four informal sessions of the group before the next IWC sitting, with great opportunity for progress.
She acknowledged the June meeting had raised expectations: "They are high, but I think they are also realistic.
"People did expect when we went over to Chile that there could be a walk-away, and we came back very buoyed up, actually, about the fact that we had engaged on bilaterals constructively and also that New Zealand, Australia and the South American countries were really saying the same thing."
Garrett was invited to Kaikoura after holding discussions with Chadwick in Chile. He said the New Zealand example could help convince other countries to support the moratorium.
"This is a first-class opportunity for me to see a very well developed whale-watching business which has breathed economic vitality into the community, and which is something of a model for communities in other parts of the world."
But Chadwick said she was not overlooking the difficulties of getting Japan to agree to a temporary halt to all killings.
"I think it's a huge challenge for them. I don't think they are ready for that yet. But you've got to keep pushing that as a diplomatic solution," she said. A blanket moratorium on whale hunting was agreed at the IWC in 1986, but a loophole allows them to be hunted for scientific purposes.
Chadwick was speaking in Kaikoura yesterday while giving her Australian counterpart, Peter Garrett, a first-hand look at New Zealand's world-famous whale-watching region. New Zealand and Australia have been working closely on the whaling issue this year and hope to use such eco-tourism ventures to highlight the economic benefits of a sustainable use of whales.
Both countries sit on a 28-nation working group set up at a June meeting of the IWC in Chile.
Chadwick said there could be as many as four informal sessions of the group before the next IWC sitting, with great opportunity for progress.
She acknowledged the June meeting had raised expectations: "They are high, but I think they are also realistic.
"People did expect when we went over to Chile that there could be a walk-away, and we came back very buoyed up, actually, about the fact that we had engaged on bilaterals constructively and also that New Zealand, Australia and the South American countries were really saying the same thing."
Garrett was invited to Kaikoura after holding discussions with Chadwick in Chile. He said the New Zealand example could help convince other countries to support the moratorium.
"This is a first-class opportunity for me to see a very well developed whale-watching business which has breathed economic vitality into the community, and which is something of a model for communities in other parts of the world."
Friday, September 19, 2008
Did We Really Save the Whales?
THE INDEPENDENT - UK
Blue whales have been spotted in the Irish Sea, and humpbacks have been removed from the endangered list. But did we really save the whale? The acclaimed writer Philip Hoare, who has spent four years researching these magnificent creatures, reports.
Blue whales have been spotted in the Irish Sea, and humpbacks have been removed from the endangered list. But did we really save the whale? The acclaimed writer Philip Hoare, who has spent four years researching these magnificent creatures, reports.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
No Comment on Makah Tribe Whale Killing
Peninsula Daily News
BETHESDA, Md. — The federal advisory Marine Mammal Commission had little comment, with no major objection, to an environmental assessment of the Makah tribe's proposed return to whaling.
The commission — created by the same Marine Mammal Protection Act that covers the Pacific gray whales that the tribe hopes to hunt — wrote that a draft environmental impact statement "meets the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act."
The response has angered anti-whaling activists.
In Joyce, Margaret Owens of Peninsula Citizens for the Protection of Whales, said she was "shocked" by the marine mammal commission's decision not to comment on the environmental statement.
Earlier commissions, she said, were "nitpicky" in their criticism of fisheries service scientific assumptions.
BETHESDA, Md. — The federal advisory Marine Mammal Commission had little comment, with no major objection, to an environmental assessment of the Makah tribe's proposed return to whaling.
The commission — created by the same Marine Mammal Protection Act that covers the Pacific gray whales that the tribe hopes to hunt — wrote that a draft environmental impact statement "meets the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act."
The response has angered anti-whaling activists.
In Joyce, Margaret Owens of Peninsula Citizens for the Protection of Whales, said she was "shocked" by the marine mammal commission's decision not to comment on the environmental statement.
Earlier commissions, she said, were "nitpicky" in their criticism of fisheries service scientific assumptions.
Fiji's Whales Survey
FIJI TIMES _ The Fiji Department of Fisheries and the South Pacific Whale Research Consortium research team has completed a three week survey for whales and dolphins in the waters off Levuka.
This survey, following on from similar surveys undertaken in 2002 and 2003, confirmed an increase in the number of humpback whales sighted since the last survey five years ago.
Mr Aisake Batibasaga, Principal Fisheries Research Officer with the Fiji Department of Fisheries said: "it is encouraging to see the results of the survey have shown an increase in whale numbers since the Fijian Government declared the waters of Fiji a whale sanctuary in 2003."
The research team lead by Mr David Paton from Blue Planet Marine, undertook a survey of whales and dolphins in the Lomaiviti waters to compare current numbers with that sighted during a survey conducted 50 years ago by Dr Bill Dawbin.
The team also recorded a number of pods of pilot and false killer whales as well as spinner and bottlenose dolphins during the survey.
This survey, following on from similar surveys undertaken in 2002 and 2003, confirmed an increase in the number of humpback whales sighted since the last survey five years ago.
Mr Aisake Batibasaga, Principal Fisheries Research Officer with the Fiji Department of Fisheries said: "it is encouraging to see the results of the survey have shown an increase in whale numbers since the Fijian Government declared the waters of Fiji a whale sanctuary in 2003."
The research team lead by Mr David Paton from Blue Planet Marine, undertook a survey of whales and dolphins in the Lomaiviti waters to compare current numbers with that sighted during a survey conducted 50 years ago by Dr Bill Dawbin.
The team also recorded a number of pods of pilot and false killer whales as well as spinner and bottlenose dolphins during the survey.
Groups Sue Over Decision to Remove Protections for Whales
WASHINGTON – Defenders of Wildlife and The Humane Society of the United States filed suit yesterday over the National Marine Fisheries Service's decision to roll back protections for critically endangered North Atlantic right whales, humpbacks and fin whales. The agency's decision removes older protections deemed necessary to protect whales from deadly entanglement in fishing gear, and at the same time delays new, more protective requirements. The resulting gap in protections puts whales at serious risk of entanglement for a full six months.
"After stalling more than three years to announce new rules to reduce whale entanglements, the Bush administration now wants to delay even further," said Sierra Weaver, staff attorney for Defenders of Wildlife. "Even worse, at the same time they're delaying new measures, they're getting rid of old ones. Right whales especially cannot withstand this type of gamble. It's reckless and irresponsible to leave the most endangered large whale on the planet unprotected in this way."
"After stalling more than three years to announce new rules to reduce whale entanglements, the Bush administration now wants to delay even further," said Sierra Weaver, staff attorney for Defenders of Wildlife. "Even worse, at the same time they're delaying new measures, they're getting rid of old ones. Right whales especially cannot withstand this type of gamble. It's reckless and irresponsible to leave the most endangered large whale on the planet unprotected in this way."
Whale Songs Heard in NYC Waters for First Time
ITHACA, N.Y. — For the first time in waters surrounding New York City, the beckoning calls of endangered fin, humpback and North Atlantic right whales have been recorded, according to experts from the Bioacoustics Research Program at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).
"This is an exciting time for New Yorkers. Just think, just miles from the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, Carnegie Hall and Times Square, the great whales are singing," says Chris Clark, the Director of the Bioacoustics Research Program at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. "These are some of the largest and rarest animals on this planet trying to make a living just a few miles from New York's shores. It just goes to show us that there are many important and wonderful discoveries to be made about the living world right here, right in our back yards."
"With data generated by acoustic monitoring, we can better understand New York's role in the life history of these endangered whales and make more informed conservation decisions," says James Gilmore, chief of the DEC's Bureau of Marine Resources. "This is especially important for the survival of right whales."
The recorders were placed about 13 miles from the New York Harbor entrance and off the shores of Fire Island. Information about the seasonal presence of whales will help New York state policymakers develop management plans to protect them. Knowing the whales' travel paths will help ship traffic managers avoid whale collisions in New York waters. Further, the study will characterize New York waters' acoustic environment and examine whether underwater noises, including shipping, affect the whales.
Acoustic monitoring was initiated in spring 2008 – between March and June – in order to record the right whales' northward migration from their calving ground off the Florida eastern coast to their feeding grounds off Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Acoustic monitoring has begun for the whales' southern migration in the fall, back to the calving areas. The study will continue through February 2009 and is expected to reveal which species occur in New York waters throughout the winter months.
"This is an exciting time for New Yorkers. Just think, just miles from the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, Carnegie Hall and Times Square, the great whales are singing," says Chris Clark, the Director of the Bioacoustics Research Program at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. "These are some of the largest and rarest animals on this planet trying to make a living just a few miles from New York's shores. It just goes to show us that there are many important and wonderful discoveries to be made about the living world right here, right in our back yards."
"With data generated by acoustic monitoring, we can better understand New York's role in the life history of these endangered whales and make more informed conservation decisions," says James Gilmore, chief of the DEC's Bureau of Marine Resources. "This is especially important for the survival of right whales."
The recorders were placed about 13 miles from the New York Harbor entrance and off the shores of Fire Island. Information about the seasonal presence of whales will help New York state policymakers develop management plans to protect them. Knowing the whales' travel paths will help ship traffic managers avoid whale collisions in New York waters. Further, the study will characterize New York waters' acoustic environment and examine whether underwater noises, including shipping, affect the whales.
Acoustic monitoring was initiated in spring 2008 – between March and June – in order to record the right whales' northward migration from their calving ground off the Florida eastern coast to their feeding grounds off Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Acoustic monitoring has begun for the whales' southern migration in the fall, back to the calving areas. The study will continue through February 2009 and is expected to reveal which species occur in New York waters throughout the winter months.
New Whaling Rules for Greenland?
BBC News - Greenland is trying to eliminate its whale hunt from the control of the International Whaling Commission (IWC).
The state’s whalers are angered that the IWC has declined to allow the addition of humpback whales to its annual allowance on two occasions. The move would make Greenland the only state outside the IWC to hunt the humpback whale.
The news comes just before a Florida meeting aimed at uniting the divided IWC, a “peace process” which began over a year ago. Documents sent by Greenland’s delegation shows a division still remains.
People in Greenland’s Inuit community are permitted to catch minke, fin, and bowhead whales under regulations stating that whale hunting can occur where there is a cultural and nutritional need.
At both the 2007 and 2008 IWC meetings, Greenland requested that an annual quota of 10 humpback whales be added to the permission regulations.
The state’s whalers are angered that the IWC has declined to allow the addition of humpback whales to its annual allowance on two occasions. The move would make Greenland the only state outside the IWC to hunt the humpback whale.
The news comes just before a Florida meeting aimed at uniting the divided IWC, a “peace process” which began over a year ago. Documents sent by Greenland’s delegation shows a division still remains.
People in Greenland’s Inuit community are permitted to catch minke, fin, and bowhead whales under regulations stating that whale hunting can occur where there is a cultural and nutritional need.
At both the 2007 and 2008 IWC meetings, Greenland requested that an annual quota of 10 humpback whales be added to the permission regulations.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Commission Attempts Whaling Compromise
An international ban on commercial whaling that has stood for 22 years will face new challenges next week when negotiators from around the world gather in Florida.
International Whaling Commission delegates scheduled talks in St. Pete Beach to try to work through disagreements one delegate described as having "turned debate in the IWC into highly publicized trench warfare."
A retired United Nations diplomat, former Under Secretary-General Alvaro de Soto, is scheduled to lead closed-door discussions in hopes of finding common ground.
Conflict on the commission centers on the moratorium, which dozens of nations accepted in 1986 over concern that the giant mammals could be hunted to extinction. Some countries, led by Japan, argue a full ban is unneeded now and say the commission is failing to do its original job - managing whale populations as a resource to be used.
"There's been two camps that have been at a bit of a gridlock," said Scott Smullen, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration spokesman. NOAA manages U.S. participation in the commission.
The gathering is for a small working group that cannot change anything by itself, but it could negotiate a proposal for changes and ask the full commission to adopt that next year.
Some whale advocates worry that commissioners who are tired of rancor could abandon protections many Americans assume are permanent.
"I think of whales as being saved in the '80s. ... And that's exactly what's being overturned, or could be overturned," said Jake Levenson, a spokesman for the International Fund for Animal Welfare.
Commission members identified more than 30 subjects that might be taken up, with no guarantee of addressing any one item. Included in the mix is a Japanese proposal to allow coastal hunting of one type of whale, the minke, which many whalers argue is plentiful.
"The impact of the moratorium on commercial whaling in these communities has been enormous," the Japanese proposal added. The request suggested negotiation about any details, including the number of whales, and argued that coastal whaling could be authorized without undoing the commercial moratorium that governs hunting across the world's oceans.
International Whaling Commission delegates scheduled talks in St. Pete Beach to try to work through disagreements one delegate described as having "turned debate in the IWC into highly publicized trench warfare."
A retired United Nations diplomat, former Under Secretary-General Alvaro de Soto, is scheduled to lead closed-door discussions in hopes of finding common ground.
Conflict on the commission centers on the moratorium, which dozens of nations accepted in 1986 over concern that the giant mammals could be hunted to extinction. Some countries, led by Japan, argue a full ban is unneeded now and say the commission is failing to do its original job - managing whale populations as a resource to be used.
"There's been two camps that have been at a bit of a gridlock," said Scott Smullen, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration spokesman. NOAA manages U.S. participation in the commission.
The gathering is for a small working group that cannot change anything by itself, but it could negotiate a proposal for changes and ask the full commission to adopt that next year.
Some whale advocates worry that commissioners who are tired of rancor could abandon protections many Americans assume are permanent.
"I think of whales as being saved in the '80s. ... And that's exactly what's being overturned, or could be overturned," said Jake Levenson, a spokesman for the International Fund for Animal Welfare.
Commission members identified more than 30 subjects that might be taken up, with no guarantee of addressing any one item. Included in the mix is a Japanese proposal to allow coastal hunting of one type of whale, the minke, which many whalers argue is plentiful.
"The impact of the moratorium on commercial whaling in these communities has been enormous," the Japanese proposal added. The request suggested negotiation about any details, including the number of whales, and argued that coastal whaling could be authorized without undoing the commercial moratorium that governs hunting across the world's oceans.
Scientists Complete their Joint Study on Elusive Beaked Whales
NewswireToday -Verwood, Dorset, United Kingdom - Marinelife, ORCA, AMBAR and Seamark Trust, a group of Europe's leading marine research and conservation organisations complete a joint research project, investigating the life of rarely encountered beaked whales.
A group of Europe’s leading marine conservation and research organisations joined forces to carry out crucial research into some of the rarest and most elusive marine animals on the planet – beaked whales. The research programme, called “Diver 2008”, after these animals’ deep diving ability, ran during July 2008 off the northern coast of Spain, within the Bay of Biscay – an area with a number of deep water canyons which is renowned for sightings of these mysterious marine mammals.
The research was important and timely because beaked whales are known to be very sensitive to certain sub-sea noise and there have been numerous cases of mass strandings of these animals which have been linked to concurrent use of military sonar.
A group of Europe’s leading marine conservation and research organisations joined forces to carry out crucial research into some of the rarest and most elusive marine animals on the planet – beaked whales. The research programme, called “Diver 2008”, after these animals’ deep diving ability, ran during July 2008 off the northern coast of Spain, within the Bay of Biscay – an area with a number of deep water canyons which is renowned for sightings of these mysterious marine mammals.
The research was important and timely because beaked whales are known to be very sensitive to certain sub-sea noise and there have been numerous cases of mass strandings of these animals which have been linked to concurrent use of military sonar.
Whales Had Legs, Wiggled Hips, Study Says
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC NEWS - An early whale had large back legs, a tail like a dog's, and a hip-wiggling swimming style, according to a new fossil study. The discovery helps pinpoint the advent of "modern" whale flukes to between 38 and 40 million years ago, scientists say. Flukes are the two wide, flat triangular lobes on a whale's back end and are made of skin and connective tissue, with bones in the middle.
Scientists have known whales evolved from semiaquatic, four-footed creatures with long, thin tails to today's fully aquatic mammals with fluked tails, no back legs, and flippers instead of front legs.
But it was previously unknown when the tail flukes first arose in the whale family tree.
"What's interesting about this animal is that it had these back legs that it used to push itself through the water," said study author Mark D. Uhen, a paleontologist from the Alabama Museum of Natural History.
"This animal didn't have flukes, but the ones just a little bit younger [geologically] did. So we can really narrow that time frame now."
Uhen's study is detailed in the latest issue of the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
Scientists have known whales evolved from semiaquatic, four-footed creatures with long, thin tails to today's fully aquatic mammals with fluked tails, no back legs, and flippers instead of front legs.
But it was previously unknown when the tail flukes first arose in the whale family tree.
"What's interesting about this animal is that it had these back legs that it used to push itself through the water," said study author Mark D. Uhen, a paleontologist from the Alabama Museum of Natural History.
"This animal didn't have flukes, but the ones just a little bit younger [geologically] did. So we can really narrow that time frame now."
Uhen's study is detailed in the latest issue of the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
Chile Approves Whale Sanctuary
SANTIAGO, Chile — Chile is making its entire Pacific Ocean territorial waters a whale sanctuary.
The Senate on Thursday unanimously passed a bill submitted by President Michelle Bachelet that bans whale hunting off Chile's 3,400 mile (5,500 km) coast.
Bachelet is expected to sign the legislation into law in the coming days. The bill bans hunting for commercial and scientific purposes.
Chile has not hunted whales since the 1970s. But Bachelet says the South American nation wants to send a clear sign of its will to protect whales in its waters.
Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico and Panama already ban whale hunting. And a whale sanctuary exists in Antarctica.
The Senate on Thursday unanimously passed a bill submitted by President Michelle Bachelet that bans whale hunting off Chile's 3,400 mile (5,500 km) coast.
Bachelet is expected to sign the legislation into law in the coming days. The bill bans hunting for commercial and scientific purposes.
Chile has not hunted whales since the 1970s. But Bachelet says the South American nation wants to send a clear sign of its will to protect whales in its waters.
Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico and Panama already ban whale hunting. And a whale sanctuary exists in Antarctica.
New Zealand and Australia Work Together on Whale Conservation
NEW ZEALAND - Australia and New Zealand’s leadership in whale conservation has been strengthened following talks between the two governments in New Zealand today.
Australian Environment Minister, Peter Garrett, and New Zealand Conservation Minister, Steve Chadwick, said a focus of their talks was the development of a research initiative in the Southern Ocean.
“Whaling over the last two centuries has seen a dramatic reduction in whale numbers in our region and whale populations now also face increased environmental threats, particularly the impacts of climate change,” the Ministers said.
“Just recently the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) reassessed the South Pacific humpback whale as endangered, thanks in part to research undertaken by Australian and New Zealand experts,” Ms Chadwick said.
Australian Environment Minister, Peter Garrett, and New Zealand Conservation Minister, Steve Chadwick, said a focus of their talks was the development of a research initiative in the Southern Ocean.
“Whaling over the last two centuries has seen a dramatic reduction in whale numbers in our region and whale populations now also face increased environmental threats, particularly the impacts of climate change,” the Ministers said.
“Just recently the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) reassessed the South Pacific humpback whale as endangered, thanks in part to research undertaken by Australian and New Zealand experts,” Ms Chadwick said.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
'Bucki' the Whale Escapes the Baltic Sea
GERMANY - Experts are happily reporting that "Bucki," the 40-foot humpback whale who has been wandering lost around the Baltic Sea since July, is safe. The whale has beaten the odds by making its way back in the direction of the Atlantic Ocean.
The drama has ended for the humpback whale that strayed into and has been wandering around the Baltic Sea since at least July, pleasing crowds but worrying environmentalists. According to news reports, the whale the media has named "Bucki" has made its way back to the North Sea and is presumably on its way to the ocean -- and a bit more food.
The drama has ended for the humpback whale that strayed into and has been wandering around the Baltic Sea since at least July, pleasing crowds but worrying environmentalists. According to news reports, the whale the media has named "Bucki" has made its way back to the North Sea and is presumably on its way to the ocean -- and a bit more food.
Shedd Aquarium Ships Seven Whales By FedEx
CHICAGO SUN TIMES - The Shedd Aquarium has sent six tons of fish a flying, relocating seven whales and four dolphins to Connecticut. The move of the creatures -- mammals, actually -- aboard two FedEx air-cargo transports was necessary as the Shedd renovates its Oceanarium.
"Everybody's doing great,'' Shedd's Ken Ramirez said Monday, announcing the move to Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration.
The animals -- trucked from Shedd to O'Hare on Aug. 29 and Sept. 3 by a team of about 125 people -- were transported in waterproof containers that included hammocks to support the animals during transit. The cabin of the Airbus aircraft was kept at 50 to 55 degrees.
"Everybody's doing great,'' Shedd's Ken Ramirez said Monday, announcing the move to Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration.
The animals -- trucked from Shedd to O'Hare on Aug. 29 and Sept. 3 by a team of about 125 people -- were transported in waterproof containers that included hammocks to support the animals during transit. The cabin of the Airbus aircraft was kept at 50 to 55 degrees.
Whales Inspiring Survival
NEW SOUTH WALES, AU - A whale called Bladerunner has delighted whale watchers by reappearing off the east coast - seven years after a boat propeller inflicted horrific injuries.
The humpback was injured by a boat propeller in 2001 and its convalescence in Sydney Harbour and the Manly area generated huge interest worldwide. At the time there were fears for Bladerunner's long-term health but these were dispelled at the weekend when it cruised off the coast on its northward migration.
Australian Whale Watching Charters director Jim Kelly said the distinctively scarred whale was an unusual sight and a hit with watchers.
The humpback was injured by a boat propeller in 2001 and its convalescence in Sydney Harbour and the Manly area generated huge interest worldwide. At the time there were fears for Bladerunner's long-term health but these were dispelled at the weekend when it cruised off the coast on its northward migration.
Australian Whale Watching Charters director Jim Kelly said the distinctively scarred whale was an unusual sight and a hit with watchers.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Secret Meeting Could Sanction Commercial Whaling
ST. PETE BEACH,FL - The International Whaling Commission (IWC), which sets international whaling regulations, has scheduled a closed-door meeting for September 15-19 at the Trade Winds Resort, St. Pete Beach, to consider lifting the ban on commercial whale hunting.
The commission, a global body of eighty-member nations, first adopted the ban in 1982 to prevent dwindling whale populations from becoming extinct. Now, just as some studies indicate certain whale species may be showing signs of recovery, whaling countries are eager to consider returning to commercial whaling.
IWC chairman William T. Hogarth, who also serves as the Dean of the College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, is directing the closed-door meeting of the IWC Small Working Group.
"These closed-door meetings pose a grave risk to the future of the IWC and the whales it was established to protect," said Patrick R. Ramage, Global Whale Program Director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) "Whales face more threats today than at any time in history and Americans from sea to shining sea want to see them protected. The last thing we need is a secret deal to re-open whaling. Dr. Hogarth should either open up the process for scrutiny, or simply cancel the meetings."
The commission, a global body of eighty-member nations, first adopted the ban in 1982 to prevent dwindling whale populations from becoming extinct. Now, just as some studies indicate certain whale species may be showing signs of recovery, whaling countries are eager to consider returning to commercial whaling.
IWC chairman William T. Hogarth, who also serves as the Dean of the College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, is directing the closed-door meeting of the IWC Small Working Group.
"These closed-door meetings pose a grave risk to the future of the IWC and the whales it was established to protect," said Patrick R. Ramage, Global Whale Program Director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) "Whales face more threats today than at any time in history and Americans from sea to shining sea want to see them protected. The last thing we need is a secret deal to re-open whaling. Dr. Hogarth should either open up the process for scrutiny, or simply cancel the meetings."
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Rescuers Return Beached Whales
A group of beached whales was returned to the see after a successful rescue operation by locals at a beach on Korea's west coast.
Firefighters, police and residents of Boryeong City, South Chungcheong Province spent close to nine grueling hours saving a family of three short-finned pilot whales that washed ashore on Jangan Beach after getting stranded during low tide.
Two adult males, both over five-meters long, survived the ordeal, but a female whale calf was not so lucky. One marine expert says this whale species has particularly strong parental instincts, which is why adults accompanied the little one.
The short-finned pilot whale belongs to the oceanic dolphin family, but its behavior is closer to that of a whale. The exact cause of beached whales is still not known. Some speculate it is because the whales involved are sick.
Firefighters, police and residents of Boryeong City, South Chungcheong Province spent close to nine grueling hours saving a family of three short-finned pilot whales that washed ashore on Jangan Beach after getting stranded during low tide.
Two adult males, both over five-meters long, survived the ordeal, but a female whale calf was not so lucky. One marine expert says this whale species has particularly strong parental instincts, which is why adults accompanied the little one.
The short-finned pilot whale belongs to the oceanic dolphin family, but its behavior is closer to that of a whale. The exact cause of beached whales is still not known. Some speculate it is because the whales involved are sick.
Pygmy Whale Dies in Florida
Mote Marine Sarasota, Florida — A pygmy whale rescued from mangroves on Boca Grande June 16th has died while undergoing treatment at Mote's Dolphin and Whale Hospital, Mote Marine Laboratories said.
Nicknamed "Dallas," the whale had been undergoing treatment for digestive issues and pneumonia. The cause of death will be determined by a necropsy.
"There is so little known about the disease processes and biology of many animals cared for at our hospital," said Dr. Charles Manire, Mote's chief veterinarian.
"Even with constant improvements with medical equipment and treatments, these animals are still wild animals that must hide symptoms very well out of necessity," he said
A second pygmy whale found beached at Boca Grande, "Pete," remains at the hospital. Officials hope to release him back into the wild.
Nicknamed "Dallas," the whale had been undergoing treatment for digestive issues and pneumonia. The cause of death will be determined by a necropsy.
"There is so little known about the disease processes and biology of many animals cared for at our hospital," said Dr. Charles Manire, Mote's chief veterinarian.
"Even with constant improvements with medical equipment and treatments, these animals are still wild animals that must hide symptoms very well out of necessity," he said
A second pygmy whale found beached at Boca Grande, "Pete," remains at the hospital. Officials hope to release him back into the wild.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Boaters Can Help Protect Whales
SAN DIEGO LOG - Boaters began hearing a different kind of notice to mariners broadcast in August, every other hour over the NOAA marine radio weather channel — and it’s about whales, not storms.
Last year, five blue whales reportedly died as the result of being hit by large vessels while feeding in and near shipping lanes in the Santa Barbara Channel and off the Southern California coast.
Through its new special marine radio broadcasts, NOAA is advising mariners to keep a sharp lookout for large whales – blues, humpback and fins – that have been sighted regularly in or near shipping lanes from Point Conception to Point Dume. These large whales are listed as endangered species and are protected under federal law.
NOAA strongly recommends that “vessels 300 gross registered tons or larger transiting the traffic separation scheme do so at speeds not in excess of 10 knots”
Last year, five blue whales reportedly died as the result of being hit by large vessels while feeding in and near shipping lanes in the Santa Barbara Channel and off the Southern California coast.
Through its new special marine radio broadcasts, NOAA is advising mariners to keep a sharp lookout for large whales – blues, humpback and fins – that have been sighted regularly in or near shipping lanes from Point Conception to Point Dume. These large whales are listed as endangered species and are protected under federal law.
NOAA strongly recommends that “vessels 300 gross registered tons or larger transiting the traffic separation scheme do so at speeds not in excess of 10 knots”
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
White Blue Whale Seen Off Southern California
LOS ANGELES TIMES - Labor Day weekend may have signaled the unofficial end of summer, but the sighting on Sunday of two rarely encountered white dolphins off Orange County is a glowing reminder that this magnificent viewing season seems far from over.
In fact, aside from thousands of dolphins, there remain at least a dozen blue whales in our midst, loitering like gargantuan cattle — and feeding on tiny krill — in and around the San Pedro Channel.
And somewhere off the coast, perhaps off Southern California, is the white blue whale sighted in late July, off San Diego, that is either a true albino or “just an anomalously pigmented animal,” as researcher John Calambokidis stated last week on a marine mammal website utilized largely by scientists.
It was an adult male photographed "some 20 times" off California and Mexico dating to 1999, according to an ongoing photo-ID study spearheaded by Calambokidis, co-founder of Cascadia Research in Olympia, Wash.
In fact, aside from thousands of dolphins, there remain at least a dozen blue whales in our midst, loitering like gargantuan cattle — and feeding on tiny krill — in and around the San Pedro Channel.
And somewhere off the coast, perhaps off Southern California, is the white blue whale sighted in late July, off San Diego, that is either a true albino or “just an anomalously pigmented animal,” as researcher John Calambokidis stated last week on a marine mammal website utilized largely by scientists.
It was an adult male photographed "some 20 times" off California and Mexico dating to 1999, according to an ongoing photo-ID study spearheaded by Calambokidis, co-founder of Cascadia Research in Olympia, Wash.
Norway Whalers Defend Hunt
SVOLVAER, Norway (AFP) — In the Lofoten Islands, the main base for Norway's whaling industry, whalers adamantly defend the harshly criticised practice and reject claims that consumers are not buying whale meat.
In this cluster of islands nestled above the Arctic circle, the hunting season is over for this year. The whalers have all returned to their home ports, their vessels easily identified by the harpoons perched on the bow and an imposing watchtower that enables them to spot minke whales from afar.
The quota was hard to fulfill again this year, with whalers killing only half of the allowed catch of 1,052 whales. Since Norway resumed whaling in 1993, seven years after an international moratorium came into force, the hunters have only met their quota once.
They blame the low catch on the high fuel price, bad weather -- still waters are needed to harpoon a whale -- as well as quotas often distributed in regions far out to sea and a crunch in processing and distribution channels.
In this cluster of islands nestled above the Arctic circle, the hunting season is over for this year. The whalers have all returned to their home ports, their vessels easily identified by the harpoons perched on the bow and an imposing watchtower that enables them to spot minke whales from afar.
The quota was hard to fulfill again this year, with whalers killing only half of the allowed catch of 1,052 whales. Since Norway resumed whaling in 1993, seven years after an international moratorium came into force, the hunters have only met their quota once.
They blame the low catch on the high fuel price, bad weather -- still waters are needed to harpoon a whale -- as well as quotas often distributed in regions far out to sea and a crunch in processing and distribution channels.
UK Trains People for Whale Rescues
A group of volunteers took part in a training exercise on Saturday to help stranded whales and dolphins in the Moray Firth.
The course was held at the Wildlife Centre at Spey Bay and taught participants how to respond to a real-life emergency. An inflatable whale was “stranded” to help volunteers learn how to treat the creature and get it back into the water safely.
Staff and volunteers from the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) took part in the training, which was led by the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR).
The event came just three weeks after a 40ft sperm whale became beached at Alturlie, a few miles from Inverness. The massive mammal was declared dead after being trapped in the shallow waters of the Moray Firth for more than a day.
Rescuers and helpers did not have the equipment to put the distressed animal out of its misery.
In recent decades, whales and dolphins have stranded due to a number of reasons, many caused by humans, such as lack of prey, being caught in nets, being hit by boats, or noise pollution. Whales and dolphins also become stranded naturally, some in good health, and these animals can usually be returned to the sea.
Sarah Dolman, WDCS head of policy for Scotland, said: “It is essential that we are prepared to deal with any situation and volunteers are trained to respond.”
Andrew Ireland, regional co-ordinator for BDMLR, said: “We have seen a number of strandings in the area recently. The training ensures we are all familiar with the equipment and are ready to respond to the next stranding.”
The course was held at the Wildlife Centre at Spey Bay and taught participants how to respond to a real-life emergency. An inflatable whale was “stranded” to help volunteers learn how to treat the creature and get it back into the water safely.
Staff and volunteers from the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) took part in the training, which was led by the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR).
The event came just three weeks after a 40ft sperm whale became beached at Alturlie, a few miles from Inverness. The massive mammal was declared dead after being trapped in the shallow waters of the Moray Firth for more than a day.
Rescuers and helpers did not have the equipment to put the distressed animal out of its misery.
In recent decades, whales and dolphins have stranded due to a number of reasons, many caused by humans, such as lack of prey, being caught in nets, being hit by boats, or noise pollution. Whales and dolphins also become stranded naturally, some in good health, and these animals can usually be returned to the sea.
Sarah Dolman, WDCS head of policy for Scotland, said: “It is essential that we are prepared to deal with any situation and volunteers are trained to respond.”
Andrew Ireland, regional co-ordinator for BDMLR, said: “We have seen a number of strandings in the area recently. The training ensures we are all familiar with the equipment and are ready to respond to the next stranding.”
Dead Finback Washed Ashore
NEWARK, N.J. (UPI) -- Marine officials say a 55-foot fin whale has washed ashore in New Jersey after apparently being dead for more than a week. Marine Mammal Stranding Center Director Robert Schoelkopf said Saturday's discovery of the large mammal at Island Beach State Park in Ocean County was likely the result of the animal's death while at sea, The (Newark, N.J.) Star-Ledger reported.
The animal was spotted more than a week ago drifting off the coast by the U.S. Coast Guard, but no official cause of its death had been determined. Schoilkopf said the whale had been trapped in fishing gear and had numerous bite marks on its body that have been initially attributed to sharks.
Schoelkopf told the newspaper the whale's appearance comes as a live harbor seal was spotted in the area, along with the discovery of a dead sea turtle in Ocean City, N.J.
The animal was spotted more than a week ago drifting off the coast by the U.S. Coast Guard, but no official cause of its death had been determined. Schoilkopf said the whale had been trapped in fishing gear and had numerous bite marks on its body that have been initially attributed to sharks.
Schoelkopf told the newspaper the whale's appearance comes as a live harbor seal was spotted in the area, along with the discovery of a dead sea turtle in Ocean City, N.J.
Whale Caught in Fishing Lines Near Sydney
SYDNEY - Less than a fortnight after the heartbreaking death of baby humpback whale Collette in Pittwater, National Parks and Wildlife crews are desperately searching for a second humpback, believed to be tangled in fishing nets off Sydney, The Daily Telegraph reports.
The adult humpback was sighted tangled in ropes and fish traps 4km off shore from Maroubra on Friday but has not been sighted since. This distressing image which shows the whale floating close to the surface with line around its body, was captured by fisherman Greg Stevenson.
Mr Stevenson kept an agonising two-hour vigil by the whale, after he raised the alarm with National Parks and Wildlife Services.
The adult humpback was sighted tangled in ropes and fish traps 4km off shore from Maroubra on Friday but has not been sighted since. This distressing image which shows the whale floating close to the surface with line around its body, was captured by fisherman Greg Stevenson.
Mr Stevenson kept an agonising two-hour vigil by the whale, after he raised the alarm with National Parks and Wildlife Services.
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