update Marine 48
July 2001
Endangered Whales
The world’s whales are still at risk. Despite a number of conservation victories, including the indefinite moratorium on commercial whaling introduced in 1986 and the declaration of virtually all the Southern Ocean as a whale sanctuary in 1994, only a few populations are showing any sustained signs of recovery.
Today, seven of the 13 great whale species are still considered to be endangered or vulnerable: only one population is thought to have recovered to pre-exploitation levels. Since the moratorium was introduced, almost 22,000 whales have been killed. This Marine Update sets out WWF’s policy to ensure there is a future for whales.
Whales and humans – our common history From the Arctic to the Antipodes, people have celebrated whales and dolphins for centuries. The oldest images of whales are rock carvings in Scandinavia dating from the Stone Age, around 5,000 BC. Whales and dolphins were revered not only by early inhabitants of the Mediterranean, where Poseidon, Greek god of the sea, protected marine mammals, but also by a number of coastal communities on far-flung corners of the planet (see box overleaf).
Hunting and whales Whales and their products have been used by humans for many Regulation of the whaling industry centuries. Whales provided oil for lamps, bone for corsets, strings The International Whaling Commission (IWC) was established in for tennis racquets, glue, leather and a multitude of other 1946 and is the world’s primary organisation to regulate whaling products. Because of such a wide range of uses, whales were and promote whale conservation. Following years of abuse of hunted extensively and without regulation for several centuries. the regulations and the further depletion of whale populations, an international moratorium on commercial whaling was As a result, the North Atlantic population of grey whales has introduced in 1986. However, in the 15 years since then, almost become extinct, and another is endangered in the North Pacific. 22,000 whales have been killed, mostly by the former USSR, The North Atlantic right whale, at around 300 animals, is now Japan and Norway. Today, some 1,000 whales are killed every the most endangered of the large whales. No evidence of an year – and most of the meat and other products that accrue are increase in numbers for the past 15 years is very worrying, sold in Japan’s commercial markets. although a baby boom of 30 animals this year now offers some The IWC is powerless to stop this hunting because of loopholes hope. The blue whale, the largest mammal ever to have lived on in its regulations. Japan hunts whales under the guise of earth, shows no recovery at all in the Antarctic. Scientists ‘scientific whaling’ – even though the IWC Scientific Committee estimate its original numbers in the Southern Hemisphere to be has stated that the information gleaned from these whale around 250,000, but today there are only about 900 blue carcasses is not needed – and Norway is allowed to whale whales left there. This is just 0.2 per cent of the blue whale’s because it lodged an official objection to the moratorium within original population. the prescribed time limit. Other Threats to Whales outside 200-mile Exclusive Economic Whales face many other threats to their Zones, but implementation of this ban survival, all of which further exacerbate needs to be closely monitored. their vulnerability to over-exploitation by hunting. Global climate change: Scientific research indicates that the Pollution: Antarctic Sea ice cap has shrunk by Whales are vulnerable to the negative about 25% in area between the mid- effects of pollution, particularly because of 1950s and the mid-1970s. This reduction their position at the top of the food chain. in ice is sure to mean a reduction in ice Beluga whales of the St Lawrence River algae, which is the main food source of are so polluted by DDT (a pesticide) and krill. Krill are small, shrimp-like PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) that crustaceans and baleen whales in the dead carcasses have to be disposed of as southern hemisphere rely on them as a toxic waste. These chemicals are both food-source. This decline in ice algae is known to be ‘endocrine disruptors’ and likely to create a domino effect, whereby can cause reduced fertility (or in some the lack of ice algae causes a decline in cases, complete reproductive failure) and krill. This would then mean a scarcity of increased susceptibility to disease. These food for baleen whales and could chemicals also accumulate in the whales’ negatively affect the whales’ breeding blubber and are then released into their rate and their ability to increase their milk when they feed their calves. If this population numbers. continues, apparently stable cetacean populations could crash with very The situation is also worsened by the little warning. It is clear that the annual hole in the Antarctic’s ozone layer well-being of whale populations which allows more ultra-violet radiation can no longer be based solely on the to reach the Earth’s surface and may When they found a whale washed ashore, the Kwakiutl numbers in their population. reduce the algae’s productivity, again Indians of the north-west Pacific creating a domino effect which will mourned its death by ‘praying’ Driftnets and fishery bycatch: impact negatively upon the whales. or chanting over the body. Large-scale high seas driftnets have caused the deaths of hundreds of Accidents and disturbances: In New Zealand, Maori legend thousands of cetaceans of many species. Collisions with ships are a serious threat describes how the original settlers followed the migratory In 1993, the UN established a global to whales, particularly when shipping paths of the whales as they moratorium on large-scale driftnets lanes coincide with routes taken by travelled across the great water from the mythical Pacific Island of Hawaiiki. Some say they descended from a man who rode in from Hawaiiki on the back of a whale to ‘the Land of the Long White Cloud’ around 1,500 years ago. A Maori meeting house has been built where the man came ashore, and a large wooden carving of a human riding a whale adorns the house’s roof.
In Asia, other types of temples and shrines have been built to commemorate the souls of whales killed in the nets of fisherman, particularly in Japan and in Vietnam. On a small island in the Sea of Japan, an annual requiem is held in the spring at a Buddhist temple to honour the souls of dead whales. EDWARD MENDELL, WWF-UK achieved whenallwhaling inthehigh once andforall. Thiswillonlybe of unsustainable whalingiseliminated WWF’s goals istoensure thatthethreat (whales, dolphinsandporpoises). Oneof world’s 80 or sospeciesofcetaceans programme fortheconservation ofthe whaling isanintegralpartofitswider highest priorities.WWF’s policyon conservation hasbeenoneofWWF’s Since itsfoundationin1961,whale WWF’s policyonwhaling in communicatingandecholocating. intense, thewhalesmayhavedifficulty exploration/development) are too industrial activity(e.g.mining,oil noise levelsfrom boattraffic and return) to findfood.Iftheunderwater detecting differences intheechoesthat objects bysendingoutsoundsand echolocation (locatingthepositionof and allthetoothedspeciesuse sound fornavigationandcommunication, Many whalesanddolphinsdependon Noise pollution: and donotharassthewhales. ensure thattheboatsare regulated benefits, butcare mustbetakento economic, scientificandeducational watching industrycanprovide valuable migrating whales.Also,thewhale- scientific needjustifies the numberof whaling andbelieves thatnosocialor WWF doesnot supportcommercial of whalepopulationsonceagain. uncontrolled trade,leading tothecollapse it couldturntheclockbackto thedaysof conservation ofwhalesandifuncontested, trade. Thisisaseriousthreat tothe the internationalbanonwhalemeat products, despitethemoratoriumand would grantexportpermitsforwhale demands inJanuarybyannouncingit government, whichgaveintowhalers’ further illustratedbytheNorwegian The present unstablesituationhasbeen supervision andcontrol. system, andisoutsidetheIWC’s place withoutanagreed management members. Atpresent, whalingistaking of allcommercial whalingbyIWC RMP) andbindingsupervisioncontrol (the RevisedManagementProcedure or include rulesforsettingsafecatchlimits Management Scheme(RMS)whichwill The IWCisnowdevelopingaRevised trade inwhaleproducts isoccurring. controlled bytheIWC,andnointernational is ended,anyotherwhalingtightly whaling (particularlyinwhalesanctuaries) seas isprohibited, theabuseofscientific in current andpotentialwhalingabuses. most rigorous safeguards availabletorein discussion ontheRMSincorporates urgency. Itmustalsoensure thatany international control asamatterof Norway andJapanbackunder impasse, andmustbringwhalingby It mustmakeprogress inresolving the Parties meetsinLondonthismonth. whaling. TheIWC’s 53rd Conference of whaling ispreferable touncontrolled WWF believesthatlimitedcontrolled wishes ofthemajorityIWCmembers. any internationalcontrol andagainstthe of whalesare huntedeachyearwithout situation, inwhichanincreasing number would bepreferable tothecurrent enforceable RMS,WWFacceptsthatthis authorised underaprecautionary and some limitedcoastalwhalingwere Therefore, ifatsometimeinthefuture, and tokeepcontrol ofwhaling. to vulnerableorthreatened whalespecies ability toprovide internationalprotection of theIWC’s credibility, threatens its and othermembers,aswelltheerosion the IWCbetweenpro-whaling countries considers thatthecurrent impassewithin conservation. However, WWFalso any credible benefittowhale expansion ofcommercial whalingoffers today. Neithertheresumption nor whales beinghuntedaround theworld was established in1994. Itsboundary Southern Ocean WhaleSanctuary, which governments, campaigned forthe WWF, alongwithotherNGOs andsome Whale Sanctuary The SouthernOcean harmful deadlock. find acceptablesolutionstoitscurrent decisions, andwillsupportattemptsto ensure memberstates’compliancewithits also workstostrengthen theIWCandto any future commercial whaling.WWF change, aswelltheadverseeffects of depletion ofprey speciesandclimate degradation, by-catchinfishinggear, the impactsfrom marinepollution,habitat human impactsoncetaceans,including WWF’s overallobjectiveistominimiseall conservation WWF andwhale D MURRELL, WWF-UK
joins the Indian Ocean Sanctuary’s Investigation of illegal they are facing. In addition, by raising southern boundary, and covers some 50 whalemeat trade funds to support these ‘flagship’ species, million square kilometres. Together they TRAFFIC, the hugely influential wildlife the whole marine ecosystem benefits. protect the whales of about a third of trade and monitoring programme of the world’s oceans. These sanctuaries WWF and the World Conservation Union, Whale and dolphin watching is a non- effectively end any possibility of the closely investigates the illegal trade in consumptive, sustainable way of using resumption of large-scale whaling whalemeat. It is now possible to use DNA cetaceans. In many cases, it can contribute anywhere in the world and are crucial to analysis to identify the species and ocean higher economic returns than whaling, as the recovery of the whale populations from which the whalemeat originated. well as providing education, enjoyment that had suffered most at the hands of and an incentive for whale conservation. the whalers. Conservation initiatives WWF has been involved with developing As well as working on cetacean conservation whale-watching guidelines and with The Southern Ocean Sanctuary also at the international level, WWF continues promoting well-managed whale-watching provides the opportunity to undertake with a variety of local initiatives worldwide projects in many places, including the benign research on the whale populations to find out more about whales, dolphins Caribbean, Greenland, Iceland, Japan, as they recover. and porpoises and to address the threats New Zealand, Norway and South Africa.
For further information please contact WWF’s Living Seas Programme
WWF-UK Panda House, Weyside Park Godalming, Surrey GU7 1XR t: +44 (0)1483 426444 f: +44 (0)1483 426409 www.wwf-uk.org Taking action for a living planet