Wildlife Preservation Autumn 2012.indd - Wildlife Protection Society ...

Few conservation issues have stirred
the collective consciences of the
world’s nations more than the plight
of cetaceans – whales, dolphins and
porpoises. The dramatic turnaround
from whale killing to whale watching
was, ironically, as much due to economic
factors resulting from the depletion
of whale numbers, as to concern for
the welfare and/or conservation of the
species. Thanks to the persistent e orts
of organisations like Greenpeace and
Sea Shepherd, the needless slaughter of
these ocean giants has been exposed on
an international scale.
Humpbacks of Hervey Bay
Amy and Austin Stevens
Humpback whale breaching. Photo by Austin Stevens
Six months ago, we reluctantly exchanged a life of
observing African wildlife in Namibia for a home on the
Fraser Coast of Australia. We pined for the loss of elephants,
rhinos and lions until we stepped onto a whale watch vessel
in Hervey Bay and became caught up in the drama of the
lives of the mighty humpback whales.
This transformation is re ected in
the changing role of the International
Whaling Commission (IWC). The
organisation was originally set up
by the whaling industry in 1964 to
ensure the continued viability of their
business, as whale populations steadily
diminished. Today the IWC has
changed from harvester to protector. In
1982 it declared a moratorium against
large-scale commercial whaling around
the globe, a move resisted only by
Japan, Norway and Iceland, countries
that continue their whaling under the
guise of scienti c research.
The humpback whale (Megaptera
novaeangliae) undertakes the longest
migration of any mammal on earth. It
has followed regular migratory routes
of approximately 5,000 kilometres
from cold water feeding grounds to
warm water breeding areas and back
again for centuries. Their predictable,
slow migration patterns lasting
many months made the whales easy
targets for the harpoon. In 1952,
when the Australian whaling industry
was established, there were an
estimated 10,000 humpback whales
migrating along the east coast. Ten
years later, the population had been
devastatingly depleted, leaving an
estimated 300 to 500 humpbacks
scattered thinly, and beyond
commercial exploitation.
In 1980 Australia opted out of the
whaling industry and is now a leader
in the eld of whale conservation. Not
long thereafter, the Hervey Bay area,
300 kilometres north of Brisbane,
become recognised as one of the
world’s most unique humpback whale
watching locations.
28 Australian Wildlife Vol 2 - Autumn 2012