DOCSLIB.ORG

Lethal Entanglement in Baleen Whales

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Lethal Entanglement in Baleen Whales Vol. 96: 175–185, 2011 DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS Published October 6 doi: 10.3354/dao02385 Dis Aquat Org OPENPEN ACCESSCCESS FEATURE ARTICLE Lethal entanglement in baleen whales Rachel M. Cassoff1,7, Kathleen M. Moore2, William A. McLellan3, Susan G. Barco4, David S. Rotstein5, Michael J. Moore6,* 1University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA 2International Fund for Animal Welfare, Yarmouthport, Massachusetts 02675, USA 3Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina, Wilmington, North Carolina 28403, USA 4Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center Stranding Response Program, Virginia Beach, Virginia 23451, USA 5Smithsonian Museum Support Center, Osteoprep Laboratory, 4210 Silver Hill Road, Suitland, Maryland 20746, USA 6Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, USA 7Present address: Duke University Marine Laboratory, Beaufort, North Carolina 28516, USA ABSTRACT: Understanding the scenarios whereby fishing gear entanglement of large whales induces mortality is important for the development of mitiga- tion strategies. Here we present a series of 21 cases involving 4 species of baleen whales in the NW Atlantic, describing the available sighting history, necropsy observations, and subsequent data analyses that enabled the compilation of the manners in which entanglement can be lethal. The single acute cause of entanglement mortality identified was drowning from entanglement involving multiple body parts, with the animal’s inability to surface. More protracted causes of death included impaired foraging during entangle- ment, resulting in starvation after many months; sys- Location, recovery, beaching, necropsy and disposal of large temic infection arising from open, unresolved entan- dead whales pose unique challenges. However, examination glement wounds; and hemorrhage or debilitation due of chronically entangled whale mortalities enables mitigation by modification of fishing gear and practices. to severe gear-related damage to tissues. Serious gear-induced injury can include laceration of large Photo: Cynthia Browning vessels, occlusion of the nares, embedding of line in growing bone, and massive periosteal proliferation of new bone in an attempt to wall off constricting, encir- INTRODUCTION cling lines. These data show that baleen whale entan- glement is not only a major issue for the conservation The rapid expansion of global fisheries since the of some baleen whale populations, but is also a major turn of the last century has led to an increasingly concern for the welfare of each affected individual. large presence of fishing gear in baleen whale (mys- ticete) habitat (Myers & Worm 2003, Pauly 2009). KEY WORDS: Baleen whales · Entanglement · Since many baleen whale populations inhabit and Mortality · Cetacean · Strandings · Fishing gear · migrate across continental shelf waters, where >95% Necropsy · Northwestern Atlantic of fishing effort occurs, they are at serious risk of encountering and becoming entangled in gear (Pauly Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisher 2009). While many baleen whales are able to release *Corresponding author. Email: [email protected] © Inter-Research 2011 · www.int-res.com 176 Dis Aquat Org 96: 175–185, 2011 themselves from fishing line or net, as evidenced by tent with entanglement (Wiley et al. 1995). In addi- scarring patterns on many individuals (Knowlton et tion, 57% of humpback whales observed in the Gulf al. 2005), the outcome of entanglement can include of Maine had entanglement scars on their caudal long-term severe injury and mortality. peduncle (Robbins & Mattila 2004). For stocks in Worldwide, fatal entanglements are a source of some areas, such as the Gulf of Maine, entanglement non-natural mortality in baleen whale populations, mortality is slowing rates of recovery (Volgenau et al. many of which are at low levels of abundance due to 1995). intensive commercial whaling efforts during the past Baleen whales are unique compared to other, 2 centuries (Perrin et al. 1994, Clapham et al. 1999). smaller cetaceans, in that entanglement mortality of- Exacerbating this problem is the fact that entangle- ten results from chronic pathological processes, rather ment mortality and its effects on population trends than drowning. During an encounter with fishing are likely greatly underestimated, due to underre- gear, baleen whales often have enough strength to porting by fishermen and a low probability of discov- break away from the lines and initially evade death. ery and recovery at sea (Cole et al. 2006). Most bal- However, a portion of the gear may remain affixed to aenopterid carcasses (e.g. blue, Bryde’s, fin, minke, one or more body parts, commonly the mouth, flippers and sei whales), regardless of body condition, ini- and caudal peduncle (Lien 1994, Johnson et al. 2007). tially sink upon death and then only refloat later if The whale can become further entangled in this re- they bloat. In contrast, balaenid whales (e.g. right maining gear, constricting body parts as the animal whales) and some humpback whales (family Balaen- struggles to free itself or flexes and extends its body opteridae) that are in good body condition typically during swimming (Weinrich 1999). float. Some entangled right whale carcasses can be Not only can entanglement directly impair loco - negatively buoyant due to emaciation at the time of motion and foraging ability, leading to starvation, death, after which point they may either bloat from but it can also cause debilitating injury to tissues decomposition and then resurface, or remain sub- through physical trauma, constriction, or immobiliza- merged (Moore et al. 2007). tion (Knowl ton et al. 2005, Moore et al. 2006). Serious In the western North Atlantic, entanglement mor- and debilitating tissue damage caused by attached tality has slowed the recovery of some populations of gear likely plays a major role in the pathogenesis of baleen whales. The most severely affected species is fatal chronic entanglement in baleen whales. Many the Critically Endangered North Atlantic right whale of the chronic traumatic entanglement injuries are Eubalaena glacialis (NARW). Despite over 75 yr of deep and extensive, penetrating through multiple legal protection, the NARW has an estimated popula- tissue layers and involving several areas of the body. tion of between 400 and 450, making it one of the In a study of all existing necropsy reports for lethally rarest baleen whale species in the world (Kraus et al. entangled western NARWs for a 30 yr period (Moore 2005, Josephson et al. 2009). A recent analysis of et al. 2004), it was found that every whale had sus- photo-identified NARWs found that >75% of the tained gear-induced wounds that penetrated at least population had scars from a previous entanglement to the level of the dermis. In one case, fishing line had in fishing gear and that some of these animals had wrapped so tightly around the flippers that it had cut experienced as many as 6 separate entanglement through all of the soft tissues, eventually embedding events. Annual rates of entanglement are also on the several centimeters into the bone. In another case, rise (Knowlton et al. 2005). A minority of gear entan- line had become anchored to both flippers and grad- glements of NARWs resulted in mortality. Of the ually excised a 1.5-m-wide section of blubber across 50 reported deaths of this species between 1986 the dorsum. Additionally, there have been 2 reported and 2002, there were 18 (6 confirmed and 12 pre- cases of entangled NARWs with severe constriction sumed) cases of fatal gear entanglement (Moore et of the flippers, resulting in immobilization and disuse al. 2004, Kraus et al. 2005). Human-caused mortality osteoporosis (Moore et al. 2006). of NARWs continues to be a serious problem (Cas - Gear-induced wounds can lead to death by impair- well et al. 1999, Fujiwara & Caswell 2001). ing critical biological functions, becoming a source In the Northwest Atlantic, entanglement in fishing of hemorrhage, or providing a portal of entry for gear is also a significant source of mortality for pathogens. Thirty years of longitudinal observations endangered humpback whales Megaptera novaean- of NARWs (Knowlton & Kraus 2001) showed that gliae. Five out of the 38 (16%) humpback whales that serious (deeply penetrating or infected/necrotic) tis- stranded in the mid-Atlantic to southeastern states of sue damage associated with entanglement injuries the USA between 1985 and 1992 had injuries consis- was likely to be a predictor of mortality. Cassoff et al.: Lethal entanglement of whales 177 The progression to death due to entanglement, straight distance from the tip of the snout to the fluke particularly when it involves severe gear-induced tis- notch), total body weight, and a description of car- sue damage, is likely to be slow and painful. There- cass quality. Age or age class was reported as either fore, from a welfare perspective, lethal entangle- the minimum known age based on sighting histories ments of baleen whales are, arguably, one of the archived in the NARWC sightings database main- worst forms of human-caused mortality in any wild tained at the New England Aquarium, or estimated animal. Moore et al. (2006) examined 6 cases of age based on published growth curves (Stevick 1999, lethally entangled NARWs and found that the aver- Olsen & Sunde 2002, Moore et al. 2004). Total body age time to death was 5.6 mo. However, some whales weight
Load more

Recommended publications
  • 42. Aboriginal Whaling and Identity in the Twenty-First Century
    42. Aboriginal Whaling and Identity in the Twenty-First Century 16286 - The Visual narratives and the depiction of whaling in north European prehistory over the long dure Presentation type: Oral presentation Author(s): Janik, Liliana (Dept of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Arab / Ver.Arab.) The tradition of whaling can be traced far back into the ancient history of early societies in northern Europe, even though most of the communities involved in whaling are long disappeared. The heritage of these societies, however, is not forgotten and can be seen in the images carved into rock surfaces thousands of years ago. This presentation introduces some exceptional examples of this rock art featuring whaling from the estuary of the River Vig, which flows into the White Sea in northern Russia. These carvings were made between about 5,500 and 3,000 years ago. This rock art has been the focus of a major international research project over the past decade, lead by the University of Cambridge. Our research has examined how the visual narratives of whaling changed over time, and raises questions about techniques of whaling, who participated in the act of whale hunting, and the nature of the stories being told, pecked into the rock surfaces by prehistoric carvers. The paper presents an analysis of a series of individual compositions that demonstrate the form of communication between the carver and the viewer, a form of communication which we can understand as a series of as intentional acts that can still be deciphered today, and that give us a glimpse into the ancient past.
    [Show full text]
  • Toothed Vs. Baleen Whales Monday
    SPOT THE DIFFERENCE: TOOTHED VS. BALEEN WHALES MONDAY Their classifications help to give you the answer, so what do you think the most obvious difference is in a toothed whale versus a baleen whale? Your clues are in the close-up photos, below! PHOTO: TASLI SHAW PHOTO: CINDY HANSEN Answer: The most obvious difference between a toothed whale and a baleen whale is the way that they feed and what’s inside their mouth. Toothed whales (including all dolphins and porpoises) have teeth, like we do, and they actively hunt fish, squid, and other sea creatures. Their teeth help them capture, bite, and tear their food into smaller pieces before swallowing. Baleen whales have several hundred plates that hang from their upper jaw, instead of teeth. These plates are made of keratin, the same substance as our hair and fingernails, and are used to filter food from the water or the sediment. Once the food has been trapped in the baleen plates, the whales will use their massive tongues to scrape the food off and swallow it. SPOT THE DIFFERENCE: TOOTHED VS. BALEEN WHALES TUESDAY The photos provided show specific prey types for resident orcas and for the gray whales that stop to feed in Saratoga Passage in the spring. Besides being two different species, what is another difference between these prey types? Who eats what and what makes you think that? Answer: The photos show Chinook salmon and ghost shrimp. Other than being two different species, their main difference is size! A toothed whale, like a resident orca, uses their teeth to capture, bite, and tear Chinook salmon into smaller pieces to be shared with other orcas in their family.
    [Show full text]
  • Iceland's Whaling Comeback
    Iceland’s Whaling Comeback: Preparations for the Resumption of Whaling from a humpback whale that was reported entan- 4.3. Contamination of Whale Meat 37 gled in a fishing net in June 2002 . However, ac- The contamination of whale meat with toxic chemi- cording to radio news Hagkaup halted sale shortly cals including heavy metals has drawn the attention afterwards, presumably because the meat had not of the public in several nations and the concern of been checked by the veterinary inspection. the IWC. For example, ten years of clinical trials of almost 1,000 children in the Faroe Islands have An unknown number of small cetaceans, mainly directly associated neurobehavioral dysfunction with harbour porpoises and white-beaked dolphins, are their mothers’ consumption of pilot whale meat killed in fishing nets. Regular entanglements of contaminated with high levels of mercury. Concerns harbour porpoises are reported from the inshore have also been expressed about the health impacts 38 spring fishery for lumpfish . One single fisherman of high levels of organic compounds including PCBs reported about 12 harbour porpoises being entan- in whale tissue. As a consequence, the Faroese gled in his nets and he considered this number to be government recommended to consumers that they comparatively low. reduce or stop consumption of whale products41. While the meat is often used for human consump- Furthermore, studies by Norwegian scientists and tion, the blubber of small cetaceans is also used as the Fisheries Directorate revealed that blubber from 39 bait for shark fishing . According to newspaper North Atlantic minke whales contains serious levels reports, small cetaceans killed intentionally are of PCBs and dioxin42, 43.
    [Show full text]
  • Fishery Oceanographic Study on the Baleen Whaling Grounds
    FISHERY OCEANOGRAPHIC STUDY ON THE BALEEN WHALING GROUNDS KEIJI NASU INTRODUCTION A Fishery oceanographic study of the whaling grounds seeks to find the factors control­ ling the abundance of whales in the waters and in general has been a subject of interest to whalers. In the previous paper (Nasu 1963), the author discussed the oceanography and baleen whaling grounds in the subarctic Pacific Ocean. In this paper, the oceanographic environment of the baleen whaling grounds in the coastal region ofJapan, subarctic Pacific Ocean, and Antarctic Ocean are discussed. J apa­ nese oceanographic observations in the whaling grounds mainly have been carried on by the whaling factory ships and whale making research boats using bathyther­ mographs and reversing thermomenters. Most observations were made at surface. From the results of the biological studies on the whaling grounds by Marr ( 1956, 1962) and Nemoto (1959) the author presumed that the feeding depth is less than about 50 m. Therefore, this study was made mainly on the oceanographic environ­ ment of the surface layer of the whaling grounds. In the coastal region of Japan Uda (1953, 1954) plotted the maps of annual whaling grounds for each 10 days and analyzed the relation between the whaling grounds and the hydrographic condition based on data of the daily whaling reports during 1910-1951. A study of the subarctic Pacific Ocean whaling grounds in relation to meteorological and oceanographic conditions was made by U da and Nasu (1956) and Nasu (1957, 1960, 1963). Nemoto (1957, 1959) also had reported in detail on the subject from the point of the food of baleen whales and the ecology of plankton.
    [Show full text]
  • The Bowhead Vs. the Gray Whale in Chukotkan Aboriginal Whaling IGOR I
    ARCTIC VOL. 40, NO. 1 (MARCH 1987) P. 16-32 The Bowhead vs. the Gray Whale in Chukotkan Aboriginal Whaling IGOR I. KRUPNIK’ (Received 5 September 1984; accepted in revised form 22 July 1986) ABSTRACT. Active whaling for large baleen whales -mostly for bowhead (Balaena mysricetus) and gray whales (Eschrichrius robustus)-has been practiced by aborigines on the Chukotka Peninsula since at least the early centuries of the Christian era. Thehistory of native whaling off Chukotka may be divided into four periods according to the hunting methods used and the primary species pursued: ancient or aboriginal (from earliest times up to the second half of the 19th century); rraditional (second half of the 19th century to the1930s); transitional (late 1930s toearly 1960s); and modern (from the early 1960s). The data on bowhead/gray whale bone distribution in theruins of aboriginal coastal sites, available catch data from native settlements from the late 19th century and local oral tradition prove to be valuable sources for identifying specific areas of aboriginal whaling off Chukotka. Until the 1930s, bowhead whales generally predominated in the native catch; gray whales were hunted periodically or locally along restricted parts of the coast. Some 8-10 bowheads and 3-5 gray whales were killed on the average in a “good year”by Chukotka natives during the early 20th century. Around the mid-20th century, however, bowheads were completely replaced by gray whales. On the basis of this experience, the author believes that the substitution of gray whales for bowheads, proposed recently by conservationists for modemAlaska Eskimos, would be unsuccessful.
    [Show full text]
  • The Weekly Whaler PUBLISHED by MS
    The Weekly Whaler PUBLISHED BY MS. RODERICK’S LINCOLN ELEMENTARY 21ST CENTURY 3rd GRADE CLASS. No. 11. Vol. XVll. SUNDAY, JULY 8, 1860. (Two Dollars per annum, ( Payable in advance. SHIPS OUT AT SEA. Captain Scarleth’s, ‘The Skittles’ AMERICAN VESSEL is making its way through the SUNK. Captain Vessel Pacific. She wants to head to the Azores. Written By Serena Asa ‘The Batman’ Captain Gabriella is leading ‘The The American whaler Essex hailed Serena ‘The Flamingo’ CoCo’ on its maiden voyage. It is from Nantucket, Massachusetts. It was attacked by 80-ton sperm Isaiah ‘The Resses’ whaling in the Atlantic Ocean. whale. The 20 crew members Kayanda ‘Oreo Ice Cream’ ‘The Dolphin’ and the ‘Cookie escaped in 3 boats, only 5 men survived. Three other men were Crumb’ are headed to the Arctic saved later. The first capture Elias ‘The Sharky’ under the control of Captains sperm whale, by the mid18th Nevaeh and Carina. Emily ‘The Oreo’ century. Herman Melville’s classic novel Moby Dick (1851) was Scarleth ‘The Skittles’ Ms. Roderick and Ian are leading inspired in part by the Story of the their ships, ‘The Sprinkles’ and Essex. Gabriella ‘The CoCo’ ‘The Bentley’ through the North Atlantic Ocean, in search of Right The End. Nevaeh ‘The Dolphin’ Whales. CHARLES W. MORGAN. Carina ‘Cookie Crumb’ ADVERTISEMENTS. Written By Gabriella Ms Roderick ‘The Sprinkles’ LEANOR CISNEROS The last wooden whale ship went back to sea at the Mystic Seaport. Ian ‘The Bentley’ She needed to get fixed up and it took five years. After that, she went on her 38th voyage.
    [Show full text]
  • The International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, Signed at Washington Under Date of December 2, 1946
    1946 INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE REGULATION OF WHALING Adopted in Washington, USA on 2 December 1946 [http://iwcoffice.org/commission/convention.htm] ARTICLE I ................................................................................................................................. 4 ARTICLE II ................................................................................................................................ 4 ARTICLE III ............................................................................................................................... 4 ARTICLE IV ............................................................................................................................... 5 ARTICLE V ................................................................................................................................ 5 ARTICLE VI ............................................................................................................................... 6 ARTICLE VII .............................................................................................................................. 7 ARTICLE VIII ............................................................................................................................. 7 ARTICLE IX ............................................................................................................................... 7 ARTICLE X ...............................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Modern Whaling
    This PDF is a selection from an out-of-print volume from the National Bureau of Economic Research Volume Title: In Pursuit of Leviathan: Technology, Institutions, Productivity, and Profits in American Whaling, 1816-1906 Volume Author/Editor: Lance E. Davis, Robert E. Gallman, and Karin Gleiter Volume Publisher: University of Chicago Press Volume ISBN: 0-226-13789-9 Volume URL: http://www.nber.org/books/davi97-1 Publication Date: January 1997 Chapter Title: Modern Whaling Chapter Author: Lance E. Davis, Robert E. Gallman, Karin Gleiter Chapter URL: http://www.nber.org/chapters/c8288 Chapter pages in book: (p. 498 - 512) 13 Modern Whaling The last three decades of the nineteenth century were a period of decline for American whaling.' The market for oil was weak because of the advance of petroleum production, and only the demand for bone kept right whalers and bowhead whalers afloat. It was against this background that the Norwegian whaling industry emerged and grew to formidable size. Oddly enough, the Norwegians were not after bone-the whales they hunted, although baleens, yielded bone of very poor quality. They were after oil, and oil of an inferior sort. How was it that the Norwegians could prosper, selling inferior oil in a declining market? The answer is that their costs were exceedingly low. The whales they hunted existed in profusion along the northern (Finnmark) coast of Norway and could be caught with a relatively modest commitment of man and vessel time. The area from which the hunters came was poor. Labor was cheap; it also happened to be experienced in maritime pursuits, particularly in the sealing industry and in hunting small whales-the bottlenose whale and the white whale (narwhal).
    [Show full text]
  • Bowhead Whale Field Studies in Alaska, 1975
    MFR PAPER 1195 Bowhead Whale Field Studies in Alaska, 1975 Marquette WILLMAN M. MARQUETTE Willman M. Marquette is with the Marine Mammal Division, North­ west Fisheries Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, Naval Support Activity, Building INTRODUCTION whales by aborigines or a Contracting 192, Seattle, WA 98115. Government on behalf of aborigines is Mammal Division (MMD), then the The bowhead whale, Balaena mysti­ permitted but only when the meat and Marine Mammal Biological Laboratory, cetus, is found in Arctic and northern products of such whales are to be used were carried out by Dale W. Rice subarctic waters. Its numbers were exclusively for local consumption by (1974) in 1961 and 1962. In 1973, greatly reduced over a period of about the aborigines." The MMPA (Sec. through a contract with the University 300 years, initially in the European 101b) provides that any Indian, Aleut, of Southern California, the National Arctic, then in the eastern Canadian or Eskimo "who dwells on the coast of Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Arctic and the Okhotsk Sea. Commer­ the North Pacific Ocean or the Arctic through the MMD of the Northwest cial whaling for bowheads began in the Ocean" may take bowhead whales for Fisheries Center (NWFC), supported Chukchi Sea and later in the Beaufort subsistence or for the purpose of Floyd Durham's studies of the bowhead Sea during the mid-1800's; the last creating authentic articles of handi· whale, which he had begun in 1961. reported voyage occurred in 1916 craft, if not accomplished in a wasteful The principal objective of the current (Bower and Aller, 1917) when the manner.
    [Show full text]
  • Fish Bulletin No. 6. a History of California Shore Whaling
    STATE OF CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME COMMISSION FISH BULLETIN No. 6 A History of California Shore Whaling BY EDWIN C. STARKS Stanford University 1923 1 2 3 4 1. A History of California Shore Whaling By EDWIN C. STARKS, Stanford University. It was once suggested to me that as there were still living a few of the men who took part in the old shore whaling operations on our coast it would be a desirable piece of work to get, by personal interview, a history of whaling at Monterey Bay. This I started to do, but with an accumulation of whaling data my interest led me to write a history of the shore whaling of the whole California coast, with an account of whales and whaling operations past and present. Though what material I have obtained from old whalemen has been of great value, I have found it impossible to get reliable dates from them. Hence this account, rather than an original contribution, may better be looked upon as a compilation of records found in old newspapers, books of travel, fish commission reports, notes and clippings in the Bancroft Library, and in such-like sources of information.1 Although we have known a certain amount about the whales of the north Pacific for a great many years, there is no group of animals of which we really know less, particularly as regards kinds or species. This is easily understandable when we consider the fact that we can not collect whales, as we do other animals, take them into the laboratory and placing them side by side make direct comparisons.
    [Show full text]
  • The Rms – a Question of Confidence?
    THE RMS – A QUESTION OF CONFIDENCE? - Manipulations and Falsifications in Whaling A review by Dr. Sandra Altherr, Kitty Block and Sue Fisher - 2 - RMS: A Question of Confidence? – Manipulations and Falsifications in Whaling Content 1. The RMS Process in 2005 and Remaining Questions ................................................................................ 3 2. RMP................................................................................................................................................................. 4 2.1. Tuning Level ............................................................................................................................................. 4 2.2. Phasing in the RMP.................................................................................................................................. 4 2.3. Current RMS Discussion on the RMP....................................................................................................... 4 3. Catch Verification through International Observers................................................................................... 5 3.1. Misreporting and Underreporting in Past Whaling Activities ..................................................................... 5 3.2. Manipulations of Sex Ratio and Body-Length Data .................................................................................. 6 3.3. Hampering of Inspectors and Observers .................................................................................................. 7 3.4.
    [Show full text]
  • Whale Species
    Whale鯨の種類 species Whales are grouped as baleen whales (14 species) or toothed whales (70 species). Baleen whales have baleen plates in the upper jaws and two blowholes on the top of their heads. Toothed whales bear teeth and a single blowhole. Dolphins and porpoises are whales below 4 meters in length. Baleen whale examples Blue whale Bryde’s whale Fin whale Sei whale Humpback whale Minke whale Antarctic minke whale Bowhead whale Gray whale Toothed whale examples Beluga Sperm whale Pilot whale Killer whale Bottlenose dolphin Baird’s beaked whale Origin of the term "kujira" (whale) Although there is no definite etymology for the Japanese word for whale (“kujira”), according to one theory, since whales have big mouths, “kujira” was derived from the term “kuchihiro” (wide mouth). It is also said that in ancient Korean language, the particle “ku” meant big size, “shishi” indicated a beast or animal, and “ra” represented a postfix; the term “kushirara” shortened to “kujira”. The kanji character representing “kujira” means big fish. Another term used in Japan for whale is “isana” and is usually written with the two kanji characters indicating “brave fish”. In the Manyoshu, the oldest existing collection of Japanese poetry, the term “isanatori” (whale hunter) was used as a customary epithet in sea-related context. It is also said that the term “isana” has its origins in the ancient Korean language, meaning “big fish”. Reference: Kujira to Nihon-jin (Seiji Ohsumi, Iwanami Shincho). 1 What is the IWC? IWC Organization The International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW) was concluded International Whaling in 1946.
    [Show full text]