Research shows Japan’s scientific whaling is a sham

Australian research recently conducted in Antarctica shows there is “no justification for Japan’s so-called ‘scientific’ whaling”, claims Australia’s Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Senator Ian Campbell.

Australia’s 10-week survey of Antarctic waters (which included a WDCS scientist) covered more than one million square kilometres of ocean. As Campbell reports, the results give us “by far the most comprehensive assessment of the marine ecosystem in the whole eastern Antarctic area – the very data that Japan claims it is seeking to justify their lethal ‘scientific whaling’ in the Southern Ocean”.

Australia has long argued that gathering data about whales and their marine ecosystems can be done non-lethally, wherever it occurs. But while Australia’s research included visual and acoustic surveys of the distribution and abundance of whales, and analyses of krill populations – the main food source for whales, Japanese whalers killed almost one thousand minke whales for far less, and far less important, information – also in the name of science.

“Japan claims that the major objectives for its scientific whaling programmes are to monitor the Antarctic marine ecosystem and to model possible competition for food among whale species,” Senator Campbell said. “Ironically, the information required to meet these objectives is precisely the type of data that Australia has now collected. Not only have we now demonstrated we have the information but it was also able to be collected without killing a single whale”.

Japan has been killing whales in the name of ‘science’ since 1987. It expanded its Antarctic research whaling programme this year to include 935 minke whales and10 endangered fin whales. Next year it will add 40 more fin whales and 50 humpback whales.

For Senator Campbell’s statement and details of Australia’s research, see http://www.deh.gov.au/minister/env/2006/mr28mar206.html

To read extracts from the research diary of WDCS scientist, Sarah Dolman, from Antarctica please click here.

Source: WDCS