Fate of 50 humpback whales on hold
(AP Photo)
By Beth Daley, Globe Staff
Every year, hundreds of federally protected humpback whales off New England delight thousands of whale watchers who flock off the coast to see the marine mammals frolic and feed.
But now, some of them – or their relations – may be in danger with a request by Greenland to kill up to 50 humpback whales over the next five years for aboriginal subsistence according to the Plymouth-based Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS)
 A humpback delighting whale watchers off Cape Cod (Globe file photo) |
Today, the US chair of the International Whaling Commission meeting in Portugal postponed a vote on the contentious issue until a special meeting later this year – a move, the Conservation Society says, that was designed to avoid a vote that would have likely rejected Greenland’s request. A similar request by the country to kill humpbacks was denied last year.
At issue are how many whales the Greenland aboriginal population needs to live on, according to news reports. Denmark, which made the request for Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory, says they underestimated the amount of meat they can get from fin and minke whales aboriginal populations are already allowed to kill. So they need humpback meat to meet the needs of the population - about 730 tons.
Yet conservation groups say this is a thinly veiled attempt to kill more whales for commercial value – not aboriginal subsistence. The Whale and Dolphin Society says its doesn’t object to aboriginal whale hunting but says the country didn’t even catch their allowed quota for minke and fin whales and have reports of whale meat being sold in supermarkets to the general population and tourists.
The humpback whale population was decimated during the 19th and 20th centuries until a commercial whaling ban was introduced in 1966. Today there are up to 10,000 individuals in the North Atlantic and about 900 in Gulf of Maine waters off New England, according to federal estimates. Forty to 50 feet long, the playful animals are beloved for their acrobatics in the water such as flipper flapping.
Several groups are attempting to protect areas they migrate to each year to feed and give birth, such as The Nature Conservancy’s effort to protect humpback whales in sister sanctuaries off New England and the Dominican Republic where the animals breed.
The Conservation Society says the whales Greenland wants to take are part of the same breeding population of those that visit New England each year to feed – and there is evidence of individuals moving between New England and Greenland feeding areas.
Now they say the postponed meeting will cost taxpayers thousands for travel and could mean the unnecessary death of 50 humpbacks if Greenland is allowed to take the whales.
“The US saw that Denmark would likely fail to get a majority for their proposal and is using procedural tricks to avoid a vote,” said Nicolas Entrup of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society,
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Ridiculous reasoning... leave the whales alone you've already hunted them to near extinction.
Huh?
Is this really a way-complicated issue, or did reporter Beth Daly leave-out some important facts? "Denmark" isn't mentioned until the very last sentence, & there's no information about that country's stake in this matter...
FROM BETH DALEY: Sorry, should have mentioned Denmark higher - will add. Denmark is "speaking" for Greenland because Greenland is a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark.
You'd think that any truly "aboriginal" group would ignore the rules of the government and do what they want. If the government can communicate with them to the point of them understanding internationaql regulations, then they can teach them to eat other meats.
Of course, this isn't half as bad as what the Asians do to whales under the guise of "scientific research", or the fact that they are wiping out the shark population in the Pacific by cutting the dorsal fins off tens of thousands of sharks and then just throwing the dying sharks back into the ocean.
Aboriginal populations had been practicing sustainable hunts for generations; it's the modernized industrial hunting that decimated the numbers beyond repair.
Natives should be allowed to hunt as needed, but any country (Japan, esp) where you can find whale meat commercially available to the public should not be allowed to hunt at all, regardless of the 'scientific' purpose they hide behind.
The fact that the indigenous people dont know how much meat they get from a particular whale species suggests that either they have no experience, hence it is not part of their culture - or they are trying to get quotas raised by deceit.
Pardon my ignorance on the necessity for whale meat to be used to ensure an Aboriginal group is properly sustained (likely religious or traditional purposes) however I would think at this point it's probably time to find other means of sustenance. Plenty of fish in the sea! Having 10K in this world may seem like an abundance to some people however it's most certianly not. This species is protected and should remain as such, regardless of tradition.
I bet whale meat is the perfect combination of steak and fish. My guess is that it is delicious, and should be on all menus across the United States.
I don't know who this RJ fella is, but I like his taste.
Why do these countries have a vendetta on whales? I suspect because they are easy targets and make a lot of money selling the whale meat commercially. I live in Maine and go whale watching every year. I see humpback whales as amazing animals, not dollar signs.
Being a citizen of Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, I can reveal to all of you that whale meat is in fact commercially available in our super markets. Our administration claims that we have a need of the meat to feed our population and this was in fact true in the old days. But this is 2009 and now it is only a question of taste. Yes, taste. Whale meat is a delicacy in Greenland and in order to please especially some of the elder Greenlanders the politicians have been in favor for asking for a quota on hump backs. Personally, I think it is outrageous. We already have a quota for other species like the minke whale, but we don't even catch up our granted quota which in essence proves that we don't have a need any longer for more whale meat. Furthermore, whale watching is becoming more and more important, but unfortunately our tourism industry haven't got the guts to stand and speak and defend their interests.
Thanks for your courage Inuk and well said! what are the whaling practices in Greenland? Do people go out in kayaks and harpoon the whales using traditional techniques such as harpoons? Or do they go out in motorised boats with guns?
there is absolutely no need to kill whales. i had the misfortune to eat something that i think was whale in japan and it was disgusting.
Why can't we hunt humpbacks when we can hunt bowheads, since there are less bowheads than humpbacks? That's the question! Emotional answer are unuseable if you are into sustainable development!
Concerned about whale watching and less whales to see? No reason to be at all, since the numbers still will be increasing and more humpbacks to watch in the future!
Whale meat is good – Oh boy let’s just think about me!!!
I am been lucky enough to be able to travel across the world. This story reminds me of a day in a remote Italian village. There were nine of us in this butcher shop and we wanted veal. The butcher wasn’t every good with English and we were equally challenged with Italian. After a few minutes he left the shop and brought back someone who spoke very good English and she explained that in that village they disagreed with how veal was raised and therefore didn’t have veal to sell. We quickly decided to purchase pork for our dinner that night.
These governments that hide behind various reasons to hunt and kill whales need to look at the possible revenue that whale watching not whale killing could add to their national income and the possibility that this could lead to increase tourist for their country.
The fate of these beautiful creatures is in our hands. God met for these majestic creatures to live a peaceful and protected life. I feel one day soon there will be an end to this barbaric act. God will deal with these heartless people who have murdered countless whales of all species. When someone from one of the organizations read this email please contact me if you need help. Steve Irwin's legacy for all animals and creatures must be carried on. I really want to make a difference and offer my help and prayers. Sincerely, Vickie Qureshi
Vickie
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