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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knowledge of external l<strong>and</strong>marks for identifying target areas for the species taken, are also extremely<br />
important factors. Prevailing weather conditions, including sea state <strong>and</strong> visibility may, in addition,<br />
be significant (chapter 8). Sea state influences both the stability of the platform from which the<br />
killing method is applied <strong>and</strong> the relative movements of the target animal. Adverse weather<br />
conditions are frequently cited by the government of Japan as being a cause for the poor<br />
instantaneous death rate in their Antarctic hunt for minke whales 2 .<br />
Even during the euthanasia of cetaceans str<strong>and</strong>ed on the beach, where euthanasia occurs at close<br />
proximity, weather conditions can affect the safe <strong>and</strong> efficient use of firearms. On the beach, high<br />
seas <strong>and</strong> driving winds can cause str<strong>and</strong>ed cetaceans to be moving constantly, making the effective<br />
placement of the bullet in the brain difficult. In New Zeal<strong>and</strong> for example, it is not considered safe<br />
to euthanase a str<strong>and</strong>ed sperm whale with the SWED until the animal is no longer surrounded by<br />
water. This is to avoid any movements of the whale, caused by immersion in water, which might<br />
deflect the course of the bullet <strong>and</strong> to ensure that the SWED operator has a firm footing before<br />
discharging the firearm.<br />
In addition there are a number of characteristics that vary between cetacean species <strong>and</strong> between<br />
individual animals that will influence the accuracy of any killing method. There are considerable<br />
anatomical variations among cetacean species to which the same or similar killing methods are<br />
applied during whaling operations (Anon 2003). These differences may affect the course of<br />
projectiles through the body, as they travel through different depths of blubber <strong>and</strong> muscle <strong>and</strong><br />
encounter bone <strong>and</strong> vital organs at specific locations. Such factors may also apply to individuals of<br />
the same species, who vary in size according to, age <strong>and</strong> sex <strong>and</strong> vary in blubber thickness according<br />
to season 3 . During whaling operations, where the potential for accuracy is often poor, these specific<br />
characteristics may greatly increase the margin for error, <strong>and</strong> therefore, influence the time to death<br />
<strong>and</strong> associated suffering.<br />
During the 2003 IWC Workshop on <strong>Whale</strong> Killing Methods <strong>and</strong> Associated Welfare Issues, the<br />
United Kingdom presented a paper evaluating the methods that are currently used to kill whales<br />
during whaling operations <strong>and</strong> how these methods are specifically adapted for the species taken<br />
(Anon 2003). It concluded that, in general, the killing methods used during whaling operations are<br />
not well adapted for the specific anatomical requirements of the different species taken. Concern was<br />
expressed that this may be a major contributory factor in protracted times to death <strong>and</strong> may, in<br />
particular, be a cause for concern where larger species, such as fin <strong>and</strong> sperm whales, are killed using<br />
methods developed for the much smaller minke species. It was concluded that during whaling<br />
operations there is a tendency for killing methods to be transferred from one species to another,<br />
without due consideration for the specific killing requirements between species.<br />
During the 2003 Workshop, the Austrian delegation noted the dependence on secondary killing<br />
methods, such as the rifle, during whaling operations (Stachowitsch <strong>and</strong> Brakes 2003). This reflects<br />
the inefficiency of some of the primary killing methods used. The efficiency of secondary killing<br />
methods is also dependant on many variables, <strong>and</strong> it is important that all secondary killing methods<br />
seek to render an already wounded animal dead as swiftly as possible. Therefore, all secondary killing<br />
methods should be sufficiently powerful, <strong>and</strong> adequate calibre <strong>and</strong> bullet design should be selected in<br />
order to achieve this. Norway, for example, recommends that a minimum calibre of 9.3mm (.365)<br />
(generating at least 5500 joules energy) with round nose full-jacketed bullets should be used for<br />
EUTHANASIA OF CETACEANS<br />
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