TROUBLED WATERS - Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society

however, has been made on the extent of tissue tearing and trauma, or its impact on the whales.
5. The ‘traditional’ sharp hook is secured into any part of the body. Whales have been documented
with hooks struck into the eye (EIA, 1987).
6. Each unsuccessful strike extends the time from first wounding of the animal, to final loss of
sensibility, and eventual death. Although the Faroese authorities claim that it takes only a few
seconds to cut through the skin, blubber and flesh to sever the blood supply to the brain (Olsen
1999), several factors may increase the cutting time, delaying time to loss of sensibility and death:
• The whale may be struggling as a result of fear or the pain from the hook wound/s.
• The slaughterer may be standing on rocks or in shallow water.
• The slaughterer may not be experienced at cutting whales.
7. The impact on those individuals who escape back to sea, having been trapped in the bay while the
killing of their companions or family members takes place has not been explored. It is unknown if
these animals survive and join another herd.
These aspects of the killing methods are thought to result in severe welfare problems for the animals
concerned. Regulation should be introduced that would ensure that where whale hunting does occur,
it is carried out in a manner that does not result in unnecessary individual suffering and prolonged
times to death.
The Japanese Dall’s porpoise and Baird’s beaked whale hunts
About 20,000 whales, dolphins and porpoises are killed in Japan’s coastal waters each year. There is
little regulation of the methods used to kill them or the equipment used and no official training is
apparently given to hunters (EIA 1999). As a consequence of intensive hunting, several cetacean
populations are at risk of extinction in Japan’s coastal waters and the animals may be subjected to
severe cruelty. The Japanese government records the numbers of cetaceans reported taken, although
concern has been expressed that the numbers of Dall’s porpoises may be under-reported. There is no
data collected on the duration of hunts, individual times to death, numbers struck and lost, or the
numbers of females taken that are accompanied by calves.
The Japanese government has published virtually no information describing the methods used to kill
cetaceans in its coastal waters. Investigations and research by non-governmental organisations
(NGOs) and the media, however, has provided some information on the killing methods.
The Dall’s porpoise hunt
Dall’s porpoises have been hunted in Japanese coastal waters for centuries, with the hand harpoon
being first used in the early 20th century. With the advent of faster boats in the 1970s, the catch
averaged 8,000 per year, causing IWC scientists to warn that it was too high (EIA, 1999). Catch
numbers continued to rise and, in 1988, as Japan reduced its commercial whaling operations as a
result of the commercial whaling moratorium, the Dall’s porpoise hunt was increased with the
introduction of new specialised boats, and the hunting season extending throughout almost the
entire year. In 1987, 25,600 animals were reported killed. In 1988, this figure increased to 40,367
porpoises – about 30 per cent of the estimated population in Japanese waters. The catch figures for
1987 and 1988 are both thought to be underestimates. A year later in 1989, the catch was estimated
THE SMALL CETACEAN DIMENSION
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