TROUBLED WATERS - Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society
TROUBLED WATERS - Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society
TROUBLED WATERS - Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society
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126<br />
A REVIEW OF THE WELFARE IMPLICATIONS OF MODERN WHALING ACTIVITIES<br />
commercial whaling. Times to death of over an hour are not uncommon (Table 3, chapter 6). ASW<br />
presents some of the most profound welfare concerns, yet the IWC has been slow to enforce even<br />
minimum welfare st<strong>and</strong>ards in these hunts. This, in part, may be due to the inherent conflicts with<br />
cultural aspects of the hunts that enforcement would entail. For example, the use of more modern<br />
equipment for chasing <strong>and</strong> slaughtering whales may conflict with the cultural integrity of these<br />
hunts. To avoid the abuse of this category of whaling it is vital that the IWC only considers ASW<br />
quotas for indigenous peoples with legitimate <strong>and</strong> traditional subsistence needs for whales. For<br />
example, in recent years, there have been attempts by whaling nations to blur the boundaries between<br />
some ASW <strong>and</strong> commercial hunts. For example, Japan argues that an exception should be made to<br />
the commercial whaling moratorium for special quotas to be allocated to whaling towns that have a<br />
tradition of small-scale coastal whaling. It can be argued that, in those ASW hunts where the use of<br />
more modern equipment is deployed, such as modern vessels <strong>and</strong> communication technology, that at<br />
the very least the killing methods should also be ‘modern’ to ensure that suffering is minimised.<br />
There are also significant inconsistencies in the manner in which individual ASW hunts are dealt<br />
with by the Commission, for example not all ASW hunts have a strike limit 1 (see chapter 6), a<br />
significant welfare consideration that relates to the potential for whales to be struck <strong>and</strong> lost.<br />
Many thous<strong>and</strong>s of small cetaceans are also hunted around the world on an annual basis. The<br />
methods used to kill these animals are varied, data on these kills are sparse, <strong>and</strong> these hunts are<br />
largely unregulated. As a result there are serious welfare implications for the species hunted <strong>and</strong><br />
significant concern that the trade in small cetacean meat may help to maintain the market in<br />
cetacean products generally (see chapter 7). Debate continues within the Commission as to which<br />
cetaceans are within its competency. Whaling nations argue that there is no obligation to report data<br />
on small cetacean kills to the IWC. As a consequence, there is no ‘centralised’ oversight, evaluation or<br />
control of the killing methods used during most cetacean hunts <strong>and</strong> thous<strong>and</strong>s of small cetaceans<br />
probably die at the h<strong>and</strong>s of inexperienced hunters using subst<strong>and</strong>ard equipment or techniques. For<br />
example, Japan claims that the Baird’s beaked whale, which is a large animal reaching 12.8 metres in<br />
length, is a small cetacean 2 that falls outside the competence of the IWC. Japan, therefore, declines to<br />
discuss the killing methods employed in these hunts, which are of particular concern in terms of<br />
welfare, not least because they may involve the use of the cold harpoon (see chapter 7). The Faroe<br />
Isl<strong>and</strong>s also kill pilot whales on an annual basis <strong>and</strong> opportunistically hunt the bottlenose whale<br />
(another large toothed whale 3 ) <strong>and</strong> some dolphin species. The same killing methods <strong>and</strong> instruments<br />
are employed for bottlenose whales (<strong>and</strong> other cetaceans), as are used for pilot whales.<br />
Assessment of killing <strong>and</strong> capture methods<br />
The methods used to kill cetaceans for commercial or aboriginal subsistence purposes contrast<br />
sharply with the requirements, <strong>and</strong> widespread expectations, for the slaughter of domestic animals for<br />
food (see chapter 12). Furthermore, meticulous protocols have been developed for the efficient<br />
euthanasia of str<strong>and</strong>ed cetaceans. The employment of ‘best practice’ is essential if the euthanasia of<br />
both str<strong>and</strong>ed cetaceans <strong>and</strong> animals killed for commercial purposes is to be achieved with the<br />
avoidance of suffering. It is also not unreasonable to propose that such st<strong>and</strong>ards should also be<br />
applied to the slaughter of all cetaceans.<br />
There is a considerable disparity between the accuracy implicit in the effective euthanasia of str<strong>and</strong>ed<br />
cetaceans <strong>and</strong> the inferior methods used during whaling activities (see chapter 10). During all<br />
whaling activities the potential for accuracy is greatly hindered by the circumstances under which