TROUBLED WATERS - Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society

4 Norway withdrew its objection in 1985.5 In 1995, a resolution was adopted, calling on contracting governments to suspend the use of the electric lanceuntil a decision could be reached at the 1996 meeting on the use of this device as a secondary killing method.During the 1997 meeting Japan stated that while it maintained the view that the electric lance was still aneffective secondary killing method, it intended to use rifles as the principal secondary killing method from thenext season and only to use the electric lance in exceptional circumstances.6 Note that during the 1999 workshop, Japan commented that the electric lance, although not used, is stillmade ready during all whaling operations. It is not known if this is still the case.7 At the 1980 Humane Killing Workshop, as a working definition, it was accepted that humane killing of ananimal means “causing its death without pain, stress, or distress perceptible to the animal” This is the ideal; anyhumane killing technique aims to render the animal as insensitive to pain as is technically possible, which inpractice cannot be instantaneous in the scientific sense.8 The governments of Brazil, Iceland, Japan, Norway and the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics lodgedobjections to the second sentence of paragraph 6 within the prescribed period. For all other contractinggovernments this sentence came into force on 8 March 1982. Norway withdrew its objection on 9 July 1985and Brazil on 8 January 1992. Iceland withdrew from the convention with effect from 30 June 1992.The objections of Japan and the Russian Federation not having been withdrawn, this sentence is not bindingupon these governments.9 Appendix A is the only part of this paragraph that refers to the collection of animal welfare data. Appendix Arequires details of the first and the ‘killer’ harpoon used, information regarding the experience of the captainand the gunner, details of the vessel, the time spent chasing whales, number in the group and the weatherconditions.A COMPARISON BETWEEN SLAUGHTERHOUSES AND METHODS USED DURING WHALING103