SAVE THE WHALE SAVE THE SOUTHERN OCEAN

Species Programme WWF International Why preventing whaling in the Southern Av. du Mont-Blanc 1196 Gland Ocean is crucial for the world's whales Switzerland Why preventing whaling in the Southern Ocean is crucial for the world’s whales

The Southern Ocean is critical to ensuring the recovery and viability of the great whale populations in the southern hemisphere. It provides the feeding grounds needed to sustain most southern hemisphere great whales – which coastal communities from Australia to Latin America to Africa are reliant upon for livelihoods and income derived from whale watching tourism. After rampant commercial whaling in the twentieth century brought most great whale species in the Southern Ocean close to extinction, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) established the Southern Ocean

Published June 2010 Whale Sanctuary in 1994, recognising the critical importance This report was written by the WWF International Species Programme and the of protecting whales in this special place. Since the inception WWF Antarctic and Southern Ocean Initiative. The report is available at of the sanctuary, threats to whales in the Southern Ocean have www.panda.org/iwc. broadened to include climate change, ship strikes, the For more information please contact potential of over-fishing and acoustic and chemical pollution. Wendy Elliott, [email protected] or Rob Nicoll, [email protected] If whales in the southern hemisphere are to fully recover,

Photography the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary must be fully respected Cover Montage; Southern right whale by all contracting governments to the IWC. WWF therefore urges (Eubalaena australis) underwater off the Auckland Islands © Brian J. Skerry / National Geographic Stock / WWF all contracting governments to the IWC to reject any proposal Page 2 and 3; Southern right whale, that would set catch limits for whaling in the Southern Ocean. Argentina © James Frankham / WWF-Canon Page 4; Sea ice Rothera Station, Antarctic Peninsula © Cassandra Phillips / WWF-Canon Page 6 & 7; Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) © Cat Holloway / WWF-Canon Page 8; Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus); Trincomalee Bay, Sri Lanka © Jonathan Gordon / WWF-Canon Page 10 & 11; Southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) off the Auckland Islands, New Zealand © Brian J. Skerry / National Geographic Stock / WWF Page 12 & 13; Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) © Sylvia Earle / WWF-Canon Page 15; Eye of a Southern right whale © Brian J. Skerry/ National Geographic Stock/ WWF

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2 3 Taking advantage of this Krill are considered to be one of, The abundance of krill in the Ocean. Iron is a critical element The importance of the abundant production are the if not the, most important link in Southern Ocean means that in the region as it enables the Southern Ocean’s most plentiful most Southern Ocean food whilst the area accounts for growth of the algae which form Southern Ocean for whales residents - the small shrimp-like chains and are a key prey about only 10% of the world’s the basis of the food chain. Antarctic krill, Euphausia superba, species for whales, seals, fish, oceans, it probably supports When the algae die, they sink which feed on the tiny squid, penguins and other more than 50% of the world’s and strip iron from the ocean’s The Southern Ocean – the sea tiny photosynthetic organisms photosynthetic diatoms which seabirds. Many Southern Ocean marine mammal biomass, surface. However when the surrounding the continent of (organisms which harness the make up the phytoplankton baleen whales consume krill including six species of algae is eaten by krill, which is blooms. It is quite possible that Antarctica – is one of the world's energy of the sun to grow), or almost exclusively, although pinnipeds (seals), eight species then eaten by whales, the iron is krill are the most abundant animal most spectacular and ecologically algae, which form the basis of the copepods and small schooling of baleen whales, and at least excreted back into the water in species in the world. As krill important environments, and is food chain. These nutrients are fish are also eaten, especially by seven species of toothed whale faeces. The iron mature, they aggregate into huge 1 brought to the Southern Ocean by Southern right whales and sei whales5 (see box 1). The home to thousands of species concentration of baleen whale schools or swarms so dense that that live nowhere else. The the southerly flow of deep, whales. Baleen whales feed on particular biology and foraging faeces has been found to be they turn the water red or orange1. continent of Antarctica is the nutrient-rich water known as krill by filtering them out of the habitats of many baleen whale Within a school of krill, 30,000 about 10 million times that of coldest, windiest and driest place ‘Circumpolar Deep Water’ which water using their baleen, which species mean that they rely on individual animals can be found Antarctic seawater, so the rises to the surface (upwells) near are huge plates of bone in their large, concentrated, high density on the planet, yet the oceans within one cubic meter of faeces acts as a fertiliser for mouths in place of teeth. Baleen 6 surrounding it are some of the the continent of Antarctica and 2 food reserves – attempts to feed algal growth . Increasing seawater . The total surface of the whales eat 30-50 million tonnes most productive on Earth, makes nutrients available to on more dispersed food sources populations of baleen whales distribution of Antarctic krill is of krill in the Antarctic each year. containing abundant marine life photosynthetic organisms in the 2 are not energy efficient. The and krill would therefore have approximately 36 million km Toothed whales (whales which ranging from tiny photosynthetic sunlit waters near the surface, Southern Ocean provides these a positive feedback effect on (equivalent to an area four and a have ‘teeth’ rather than baleen organisms to the largest known which then grow into large 3 high density food reserves in half times the size of Australia ) plates) take advantage of high the productivity of the entire animal ever to live on this planet – ‘phytoplankton blooms’. The abundance, and therefore the and the total biomass of krill in densities of other animals which Southern Ocean ecosystem, the 30 meter long blue whale. second reason the Southern importance of the Southern the Southern Ocean is estimated feed on krill – such as squid, fish and would also play a role in There are two main reasons why Ocean for whale conservation Ocean is so productive is that to be around 350 million tonnes. and in the case of killer whales, global climate regulation as the Southern Ocean is so full of over the six summer months the can not be overstated. Compare this with the current seals and penguins. Beaked algae absorb CO2 from the life. The first is the existence of a sun never sets, meaning that total world fish catch of less than whales and sperm whales are Whilst the Southern Ocean is atmosphere, acting as a 4 large amount of nutrients in the photosynthesis, and growth of the 100 million tonnes , and it is easy estimated to consume 14 million important for whales, whales are carbon sink and helping water, which act as a fertiliser, phytoplankton blooms, can occur to see the enormous source of tonnes of squid each year. also important for the Southern reduce climate change. allowing for vigorous growth of 24 hours a day. protein this represents.

Whales of the Southern Ocean BOX 1 Baleen whales include blue (Balaenoptera musculus intermedia), pygmy blue (Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda), fin (Balaenoptera physalus), sei (Balaenoptera borealis), Antarctic minke (Balaenoptera bonaerensis), dwarf minke (Balaenoptera acutorostrata subsp.) humpback (Megatera novaeangeliae) and Southern right (Eubalaean australis).

Toothed cetaceans include the hourglass dolphin (Lagenorhynchus cruciger), long-finned pilot whale (Globicephala melas), the killer whale (Orcinus orca), Southern bottlenose whale (Hyperoodon Sea ice Rothera Station, Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica panifrons), sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) and Southern fourtooth whale (Berardius arnuxii).

1. Gascon, V., and Werner, R. 2005. An article prepared for the lighthouse foundation. Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition. 2. FARO. Biology and Fisheries History of the Commercially Harvested Species. Downloaded 21.4.2010 http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/003/W5911E/w5911e07.htm#b1- 4.1%20Antarctic%20krill%20%28Euphausia%20superba%29 5. Perrin, W.F., Wursig, B., Thewissen, J.G.M. 2009. Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals. Academic Press, Elsevier Inc. 3. Gascon, V., and Werner, R. 2005. An article prepared for the lighthouse foundation. Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition. 6. Nicol, S., Bowie, A., Jarman, S., Lannuzel, D., Meiners, K.M., van der Merwe, P. 2010. Southern Ocean iron fertilization by baleen whales and Antarctic 4. FARO. 2009. World Fisheries production, by capture and aquaculture, by country (2007). Food and Agriculture Organisation. Downloaded 21.04.2010 krill. Fish and Fisheries. Published online: 30 Mar 2010. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 4 ftp://ftp.fao.org/fi/stat/summary/default.htm 5 Impacts in the Southern Ocean affect Figure 1: Some of the areas where Southern Ocean whales spend the winter months 10°S whale populations in the rest of the 20°S 30°S southern hemisphere 40°S 50°S

60°S Most of the great whales spend summers on productive feeding 70°S grounds and then migrate to their 80°S

2winter breeding/calving grounds in 100°W 80°W 60°W 40°W 20°W 0°E 20°E 40°E 60°E 80°E 100°E 120°E 140°E 160°E 180° 160°W 140°W 120°W 100°W warmer waters, and are believed Southern Ocean feeding area Estimated specific breeding areas for: Estimated migratory routes of Humpback whales to feed little, if at all, while away Minke Whales Hypothesised migratory routes Humpback whales Composite of estimated breeding grounds 7 Southern Right Whales from their feeding grounds . In the for Blue, Fin, Sei, Minke and Humbpack whales Estimated migratory routes of Minke whales Humpback Whales southern hemisphere, the Southern Ocean Sanctuary Boundary Southern Ocean constitutes the Adapted from Davies, C.R., and Gales, N. 2004. A brief review of sanctuary theory as it applies to the review of the Southern Ocean Sanctuary and observed patterns in great whale populations in the Southern Ocean. IWC Scientific committee document SC/56/SOS2 feeding ground for the majority of the great whales, with some whales travelling thousands of miles to the area in the summer months to feed on its abundant food resources. The humpback whale, for example, spends the summer feeding on krill in the Southern Ocean, then travels to warmer waters in winter months to calve. These winter habitats include: • The coast of Brazil • The coast of West Africa from the Gulf of Guinea down to South Africa The situation is similar for other in the Southern Ocean, it is worldwide, generating a total 9 • The coasts of eastern South baleen whales species, such as possible they would not have expenditure of US$2.1 billion . the energy to make their long Africa, Mozambique, the Southern right whale which In Latin America alone, 885,679 migrations to their tropical Madagascar (southern, western spends the summer in the people per year are going whale wintering regions. This means and eastern coasts), Mayotte, Southern Ocean, and then watching, spending USD $79.4 that if whale populations were the Comoros and other western winters at Peninsula Valdes, million in direct expenditure again decimated in the Indian Ocean island groups Argentina, the coast of Australia (ticket sales) and USD $278.1 Southern Ocean, these whales • The coast of Northwestern and along the coast of South million in total expenditure. may also disappear from the Australia 8 Whale watching is thus making Africa . The winter habitats of seas around many other • The coast of northeastern a vital socioeconomic blue whales which spend the countries in Africa, Oceania and Australia, New Caledonia, contribution to the development summer in the Southern Ocean Latin America. This is not only Tonga and Fiji of local communities throughout are not well known, but these important from a conservation • The Cook Islands and French Latin America10, often in remote animals potentially migrate to perspective, but has Polynesia coastal communities which socioeconomic implications as • Ecuador, Galapagos, Colombia, the waters off Namibia, South have few alternative livelihood well, with coastal communities Panama and Costa Rica. Africa, Angola, Australia, opportunities. However, a in many southern hemisphere Western South America and thriving whale watching industry countries generating significant Although some humpback whale Congo, although it is possible is dependent on healthy whale income from whale watching feeding has been observed in the that a proportion of the populations, and in order to tourism which has grown Benguela Current ecosystem on population remains in the strengthen this growing exponentially in recent decades. the migration route west of South industry, it is critical that whales Southern Ocean year round. By 2008, 13 million tourists Africa, the Southern Ocean is the are protected not only in the If whale populations in the participated in whale watching main feeding ground of humpback areas where the tourism occurs, Southern Ocean are disturbed each year in 119 different whales, and it is believed that they but also in their Southern Ocean and not able to feed sufficiently countries and territories do not feed to a significant extent feeding grounds. elsewhere. 8. Perrin, W.F., Wursig, B., Thewissen, J.G.M. 2009. Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals. Academic Press, Elsevier Inc. 9. OʼConnor, S., Campbell, R., Cortez, H. and Knowles, T. 2009. Whale watching worldwide: tourism numbers, expenditures and expanding economic benefits, a special report from the International Fund for Animal Welfare. Yarmouth MA, USA. Prepared by Economists at Large. 10. Hoyt, E. And Iniguez, M. 2008. The State of Whale Watching in Latin America. WDCS, Chippenham, UK; IFAW, Yarmouth Port, USA; Global Ocean, London. 60pp. 6 7. Perrin, W.F., Wursig, B., Thewissen, J.G.M. 2009. Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals. Academic Press, Elsevier Inc. 7 Eventually, the International the current populations of whales estimates, particularly pre- Whales in the Southern Ocean are still Whaling Commission took action in the Southern Ocean compare whaling population estimates, to regulate the hunts – for to the populations that may have are often extrapolations with a severely depleted from previous whaling example, banning hunting of existed prior to the commercial high degree of uncertainty. Southern Ocean humpback whaling activities of the 20th Furthermore the current whales in 1963 (although illegal century. It is important to note population estimates that are hunting by the Soviet Union that most of these figures are available are mostly not recent, continued until 1972, leading to a rough estimates at best. The The Southern Ocean was the Records of whales killed were and some whale populations will population crash), followed by immense area of the Southern scene of one of the most By the summer falsified; for example, Soviet likely have recovered somewhat destructive periods in the history whalers took 23,000 more sei blue whales in 1964, fin whales in Ocean, and the severely since the estimates provided in 3of human overexploitation. of 1965-66, whales and 43,000 more 1976 and sei whales in 1978. In depleted status of many Table 1 were calculated. It is Industrial whaling began in the humpbacks than reported in 1982, the IWC decided to populations, mean that is clear that many more decades of early years of the twentieth the combined official whaling records13. There implement a pause or extremely difficult to establish regular monitoring will be century, and continued for more were no regulations regarding ‘moratorium’ in commercial precise population estimates for required to provide robust than 60 years, during which time efforts of all species, age or sex of whales whaling for all species which whale stocks in the Southern estimates of absolute abundance it removed about 71 million taken, which exacerbated the took effect from the 1986 coastal Ocean, and population and recovery relative to pre- tonnes of whale biomass, or impact of the whaling activities Antarctic and 1985/86 pelagic whaling whaling population size17, and around 1.4 million individual “ as even calving mothers and seasons. However the the figures in Table 1 should be whales, from the Southern juveniles were harvested. In the moratorium came too late for Most whales Ocean11. When the industry whaling fleets summer of 1930-1931, 29,410 taken as an indicative guideline whales in the Southern Ocean. began whales were so abundant blue whales were taken14. By only. The uncertainty around Whales are an extremely long that the first whale was shot could find only the summer of 1965-66, the in the Southern pre-whaling and current directly in front of the whaling combined efforts of all Antarctic lived, slow reproducing group of population sizes of Southern station. The industry targeted the one solitary whaling fleets could find only species (see BOX 2). It therefore Ocean remain Ocean whales increases the largest and most profitable one solitary blue whale to kill15. takes whales an extremely long importance of a precautionary whales first, and when these blue whale In just 60 years, this reckless time to recover from approach to their management – whales were harder to find, behaviour had turned the overexploitation. Although severely including the prevention of lethal targeted progressively smaller to kill. Southern Ocean from an area several species have increased “ activities such as whaling. species, with whaling records with some of the highest in number since commercial depleted when It is important to note however indicating a serial depletion of densities of whales in the world, whaling ceased (blue whales for that the use of genetic blue, fin, sei, and humpback into a place where most whale example are estimated to have compared techniques to model whale whales, with hunting efforts finally species were on the brink of had a rate of increase of 8.2% focusing on minke whales12. extinction. populations is indicating that per year between 1978/79 and pre-whaling populations may 2003/4, and humpback whales with their have been much higher than had an estimated increase rate of previously envisaged. In the 12.4% for East Australia over pre-whaling ” North Atlantic for example, pre- 1981-1996 and 10.9% for West whaling population sizes Australia over 1977-199116) most population estimated using genetic whales in the Southern Ocean techniques were up to 10 times remain severely depleted when higher than estimates made from compared with their pre-whaling levels. historical documents and current population levels. Table 1 abundance estimates18. provides some estimates of how

Life cycle of Southern Ocean whales BOX 2 ” Blue whales: reach sexual maturity at 5-15 years, females give birth every 2-3 years after a 10-12 month gestation period. Humpback whales: reach sexual maturity anywhere from 5 – 10 years, and inter birth intervals in females are most commonly 2 years. Antarctic minke whales: reach sexual maturity at 7-8 years, and generation time is estimated at 23 years.

11. Perrin, W.F., Wursig, B., Thewissen, J.G.M. 2009. Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals. Academic Press, Elsevier Inc. 12. Nicol, S., Worby, A., Leaper, R. 2008. Changes in the Antarctic sea ice ecosystem: potential effects on krill and baleen whales. Marine and Freshwater Research. 59, 361-382 16. IWC. Whale Population Estimates. The International Whaling Commission’s most recent information on estimated abundance. www.iwcoffice.org/conservation/estimate.htm 13. Clapham, P. J., and Baker, C. S. (2002). Whaling, modern. In ʻEncyclopedia of Marine Mammalsʼ. (Eds W. F. Perrin, B. Wursig and J. G. M. Thewissen.) pp. 1328–1332. Downloaded 12th May 2010 (Academic Press: San Diego, CA.) 17. The Palubmi Lab. Marine Population Biologicy, Marine Ecology and Evolution. Projects: Whales & History. Downloaded 6th May 2010. http://palumbi.stanford.edu/whales.html 14. Mizroch, S. A., Rice, D.W., Breiwick, J. M. NOAA blue whale fact sheet. 18. The Palubmi Lab. Marine Population Biologicy, Marine Ecology and Evolution. Projects: Whales & History. Downloaded 6th May 2010. http://palumbi.stanford.edu/whales.html 15. Shaw, I. M.. 2005. Antarctica and the Great Southern Ocean. The Great Adventure People. 20. Perrin, W.F., Wursig, B., Thewissen, J.G.M. 2009. Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals. Academic Press, Elsevier Inc. 8 9 Table 1: Population estimates for Southern Ocean whales and whales killed in 20th century whaling Species IUCN listing Pre-whaling Most recent Whales killed Whale Populations population available in 20th century estimate population estimate whaling Status of Southern Ocean Whales Pre and Post 20th Century Whaling

Antarctic Critically 239,000 (IUCN) 1,150 – 4,50021 329,21222 in 20th century in endangered (excluding pygmy blue) Southern Ocean, +17,000 off Antarctic Southern Blue whale Fin whale Sei whale Humpback in 1997/98 southern Africa (IUCN) Pre-whaling Blue whale right whale whale Approximate point population estimate: 2,300 (IWC) estimates Fin whale Endangered Nearly 400,00023 15,178 in 1983 725,000 between 1905-76 in the 239,000 400,000 55,000 - 64,000 100,000 or 38,185 in 199724 (IUCN) southern hemisphere (IUCN) 70’000

Humpback Least concern. 100,00025 34,000 – 52,000 Over 200,000 killed in 26 whale Oceania in 1997/98 . southern hemisphere Latest available subpopulation Approximate point between 1904 and 197326 2,300 population 7,500 - Endangered estimate: 42,000 (IWC) 38,000 estimates 11,000 Southern Least concern 55,000-70,000 in 1770 About 7,50028 in 1997 (IWC) 150,000 between 1770 and 42,000 right whale for whole southern Population went as low 1900 (conservative estimate) hemisphere (IUCN) as 300 in the 1920s (IUCN) Whales killed Endangered 64,000 in 1960 (IUCN) 11,000 (1979) (IUCN) Over 200,000 in Whales killed in 20th Century Whaling Sei whale excluding Area II excluding Area II southern hemisphere (South Atlantic sector) (South Atlantic sector) between 1905-1979 (IUCN)

Data Deficient ~670,00029 No population estimate Nearly 100,000 in Antarctic, Antarctic Southern Antarctic Fin whale Sei whale Humpback minke currently available (IWC) plus over 14,000 taken from Blue whale right whale wwhalehale but a reduction of approx Brazilian land station during whale 60% was indicated 1964-85 (IUCN) between 1978-91 and 329,212 725,000 150,000 200,000 200,000 1991-2004 (IUCN)

Note: The figures in the above table come from the IWC where available, and where not available, come from the IUCN Red List. The respective source is indicated against each figure.

21.Estimated rate of increase is 8.5% per year between 1978/79 and 2003/4 22.This figure excludes 12,618 pygmy blue whale catches 23.Perry, S.L., DeMaster, D.P. and Silber, G.K. 1999. Special Issue: The Great Whales: History and Status of Six Species Listed as Endangered Under the U.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973. Marine Fisheries Review. 61(1). 24.Mori, M. and Butterworth, D.S. 2006. A first step towards modeling the krill-predator dynamics of the Antarctic ecosystem. CCAMLR Science, Vol. 13, 217-277 25.Perry, S.L., DeMaster, D.P. and Silber, G.K. 1999. Special Issue: The Great Whales: History and Status of Six Species Listed as Endangered Under the U.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973. Marine Fisheries Review. 61(1). 26.Rates of increase estimated at 12.4% for East Australia over 1981-1996, 10.9% for West Australia over 1977-1991 27.Mori, M. and Butterworth, D.S. 2006. A first step towards modeling the krill-predator dynamics of the Antarctic ecosystem. CCAMLR Science, Vol. 13, 217-277 28.There is evidence of increase rates of 7-8% for populations of Argentina, Australia and South Africa. 29.Ruegg, K. C., Anderson, E. C., Scott Baker, C., Vant, M., Jackson, J.A., Palumbi, S.R. 2010. Are Antarctic minke whales unusually abundant because of 20th century whaling? Molecular Ecology 19, 281-291. 10 11 Whales in the Southern Ocean facing a The Southern Ocean is already a legally new raft of threats established whale sanctuary

In the 21st Century, the Southern conditions in the Southern Ocean In order to strengthen the The need for whales in the Southern joins the southern boundary of that not adopted. In 2004, the Scientific Ocean and its whales are facing a could affect southern right whale resilience of Southern Ocean Ocean to be protected from sanctuary at 55°S, and around Committee conducted its review of set of ever more serious threats. population dynamics”34. Given whale populations as they face commercial whaling activities has South America and into the South the Sanctuary, and concluded that There is the potential for current and expected future this new raft of threats, it is of long been recognised. The first Pacific where the boundary is at a clarification of the objectives of 4commercial fishing to put undue commercial fishing pressure on paramount importance to avoid 5sanctuary to be established by the 60°S (see figure 2). The sanctuary the Sanctuary would be useful. pressure on valuable prey species Antarctic krill stocks, the potential any losses of whales due to IWC was in the Antarctic, when in was written into the Schedule of the Japan then proposed to abolish the of whales such as Antarctic krill. joint impact of climate change and whaling. 1938, the area south of 40°S IWC with the following text Sanctuary, but did not receive enough support for this measure. The expansion of tourism in the fishing for krill could have a The maintenance of the Southern between longitudes 70°W and ‘commercial whaling, whether by Southern Ocean has lead to significant impact on the recovery Ocean Whale Sanctuary is also of 160°W was declared as a pelagic operations or from land Today the IWC maintains the increased acoustic and chemical of decimated great whale crucial importance in a broader commercial whaling free zone. This stations, is prohibited in … the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary pollution, and the potential for was primarily due to the fact that Southern Ocean Sanctuary’36. populations in the Southern sense, to allow for a key as an area where all commercial ship strikes with whales. this sector had not yet been subject The text further clarified that ‘This Ocean. assessment of the impact of whaling is prohibited. Japan to commercial whaling activities, prohibition applies irrespective of However, the greatest long-term Predicting the precise future climate change to the overall health currently uses a loophole in the and it was considered highly the conservation status of baleen threat to the region is climate impacts of climate change on the of the Southern Ocean. Only when International Convention for the desirable that the immunity which and toothed whale stocks in this change. The impacts of global whales of the Southern Ocean is a Southern Ocean whale populations Regulation of Whaling (ICRW) which whales in this area had enjoyed Sanctuary’. Japan was the only allows the lethal take of whales for warming appear to be most difficult task. One study has have stabilized from their current should be maintained. However the country to vote against the scientific purposes, and has dramatic in polar regions – the attempted to model these future recovery phase will we have the area was opened up to commercial Sanctuary and lodged a formal operated a ‘scientific whaling’ Arctic and the Antarctic. Over the impacts, using state of the art opportunity to obtain a valuable whaling in 1955 initially for three objection to the extent that programme in the Southern Ocean past 50 years, the Western climate models to predict how a assessment of the impact climate Antarctic Peninsula has warmed years as a means of reducing the Sanctuary applies to Antarctic minke since 1987. Japan has steadily 2ºC global temperature increase change has had on the whole pressure of catches on the rest of whales. Russia lodged an objection increased the numbers of whales it more than four times faster than will affect Southern Ocean ecosystem. Therefore it is crucial the average rate of Earth’s overall the Antarctic whaling grounds. to the Sanctuary but withdrew this kills in the Southern Ocean (see fig whales35. Under a 2ºC warming that the Southern Ocean Whale 3), and in 2005 started taking warming30. The Southern Ocean In 1994 the IWC adopted the objection in the same year. scenario, sea ice is projected Sanctuary remain in place and that endangered fin whales in addition has warmed all the way down to a Southern Ocean Sanctuary as an This Sanctuary was intended to be to shrink by an average of the recovery of the Southern Ocean to Antarctic minke whales. In total, depth of 3,000m31. Not all of the area in which commercial whaling reviewed in 2004, ten years after its 10-15%. This reduction could great whale species remains Japan has taken 9,409 whales in Antarctic is warming nor has the was fully prohibited. The northern initial adoption. Pre-empting this, be up to 30% in some regions, undisturbed. the Southern Ocean in the name warming been uniform. However boundary of this Sanctuary follows Japan proposed a resolution in meaning that species that are of “science” – 9,395 minke whales in areas where significant warming the 40°S parallel of latitude except 2002 aimed at undermining the heavily dependent on sea ice, and 14 fin whales. has been experienced, terrestrial in the Indian Ocean sector where it Sanctuary, but the resolution did not such as the Antarctic minke and marine ecosystems have receive sufficient support and was Although the ICRW does contain a whale, are projected to lose undergone dramatic change32. provision that allows governments between 5-30% of ice-associated Perhaps of greatest concern to to kill whales for scientific purposes, Southern Ocean whales is the habitat within 40 years – little more it was written more than 60 years impact of global warming on krill. than the life time of an individual ago, at a time when no practicable alternatives for lethal research Studies have indicated that krill whale. Under 2ºC global warming, existed. At that time, killing whales populations have declined by as frontal zones – critical whale was unfortunately the only way to much as 80% in the Scotia Sea feeding habitats – are also learn some of the most basic and northern Antarctic Peninsula projected to move southwards. biological information, which was since the 1970s, with the declines Migratory whales such as the humpback and blue whales would then used in setting catch quotas. linked to the loss of winter sea In the last 60 years, non-lethal 33 have to travel even farther south ice . The specific impacts of krill techniques have been developed (an extra 200-500km) to reach and declines for whales was not that can provide the data required feed at these food-rich areas. immediately clear, but in 2006 for management more efficiently and additional analyses revealed that These longer migration paths accurately than can lethal sampling. the breeding success of the could increase the energy costs of Given the availability of modern non- southern right whale was highly migration and reduce the duration lethal techniques in common use by correlated with global climate of the main feeding season. As whale scientists elsewhere in the signals and the impacts of those frontal zones move southward, world, and the fact that the meat signals on krill. The researchers they also move closer together, from whales killed in Japan’s concluded that “even quite small reducing the overall area of scientific research programme is changes in oceanographic foraging habitat available. directed straight into the commercial meat market, it is clear 30. IPCC. 2007. United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Climate Change 2007 – The physical science basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the IPCC. that Japan’s scientific research is 31. Jacobs, S. 2006. Observations of change in the Southern Ocean. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A, 364, 1657-81. 32. IPCC. 2007. United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Climate Change 2007 – Impacts, adaptation and vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the IPCC. little more than a thinly veiled 33. Atkinson, A., Siegel, V., Pakhomov, E. and Rothery, P. 2004. Long-term decline in krill stock and increase in salps within the Southern Ocean. Nature. 432, 100-103. commercial whaling operation. 34. Leaper, R. Cooke, J., Trathan, P., Reid, K., Rowntree, V. and Payne, R. 2006. Global climate drives southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) population dynamics. Biol. Lett. Doi:10.1098/rsbl.2005.0431 35. Tynan, C. T. and Russell, J.L. 2008. Assessing the impacts of future 2ºC global warming on Southern Ocean cetaceans. International Whaling Commission, Scientific Committee document SC/60/E3 36. International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, 1946 Schedule. Revised 2009. Available at: www.iwcoffice.org/_documents/commission/schedule.pdf 12 13 Figure 2: Map of established IWC sanctuaries – the Southern Ocean Sanctuary, and the Indian Ocean Sanctuary Conclusion and recommendation

It is clear that the Southern Ocean is a critically important feeding habitat for most of the southern hemisphere’s 6great whale populations, and protecting whales in the Southern Ocean is essential to secure healthy great whale populations in parts of the world as far away as Africa, the Pacific Islands, Oceania and South and Central America, where coastal communities have a growing dependence on whale populations for a burgeoning whale It is an watching industry. Whales in the Southern Ocean were unquestionable subjected to severe overharvesting in the twentieth century, with unchecked commercial whaling driving many responsibility species to the brink of extinction. Whilst of the whaling in the Southern Ocean has been “ halted by all but one government for more than two decades, whale contracting populations have failed to recover as rapidly as hoped, and exist today at governments extremely depleted levels. Figure 3: Numbers of whales taken by Japan in the Southern Ocean under scientific permit In addition, Southern Ocean whales are of the IWC now subject to a new and varied range of threats, most notably the predicted to eliminate profound impacts of climate change on all whaling in this fragile region. The international community has long since recognised the importance of the Southern protecting whales in the Southern Ocean, and whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Ocean has been specifically prohibited by the IWC through the establishment of Sanctuary the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. WWF thus believes that it should be a fundamental and unquestionable responsibility of the contracting governments of the IWC to eliminate immediately, or with a short phase out period, all whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, including the ” lethal take of whales for ‘scientific research’, and reject any proposal in the IWC that would set whaling quotas in this area. Fin Whales Minke Whales

14 15 SAVE THE WHALE SAVE THE SOUTHERN OCEAN

Species Programme WWF International Why preventing whaling in the Southern Av. du Mont-Blanc 1196 Gland Ocean is crucial for the world's whales Switzerland