TROUBLED WATERS - Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society

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chance of fog decreases from 15 to 5 per cent. In the following months to November there is no cleartrend. In December, the probability of precipitation is 24 per cent. These results indicate that Marchhas the highest chance of precipitation of all the whaling months. The probability of fog is highlyvariable in the winter, but from September onwards, the probability of fog increases from 3 per cent toaround 15 per cent in December and January. Thus, in the period when the probability of precipitationis low, the probability of fog is relatively high. So if the issue of reduced visibility is considered, fogrelatedproblems add to those caused by precipitation in these months. How the whalers respond to fogor precipitation is unclear, and it would be of great value if more information was made available by thewhalers to help understand how these weather states affect the efficiency of whale killing.Wind speed and wave heightThe average wind speed, regardless of its direction, increases from 7.4 ms-1 (a moderate breeze) inJanuary to 9.3 ms-1 (fresh breeze) in March. However, the wind speed is highly variable from Apriluntil October, with the highest variation in the months with the highest averages. These are Septemberand October (10.5 ms-1; fresh breeze). Thereafter the wind speed reduces to 7.7 ms-1 in December.Given the variation, probabilities of wind speeds higher than 11.2 ms-1 (strong breeze and higher) inMarch or November, or 14.3 ms-1 (moderate gale and higher) in October are significant (10, 13 and20 per cent respectively).The average height of the waves (calculated from the upper third of all wave heights, known as‘significant wave height’, see also www.oceanweather.com ) and the time between reoccurrences of themost violent and energetic waves (known as ‘Tpeak’) is estimated at one location: 67.5° S and 180° W.This has been done using the GROW model of Oceanweather Inc. and is based on the years 1970 until2001. The average significant wave height tends to increase from 2.2 to 3.4 metres between Januaryand March and tends to remain relatively high until June with an average wave height of 3.2 metres.The height is not known for the following months, but averages 1.9 metres in December. The missingvalues are for months in and after the winter, when the ice covers the sea. The model excludes data inthese cases. The Tpeak seems to follow the same trend as the wave height, starting with around 10.5seconds in December and January and increasing thereafter to about 11.5 seconds in the period Aprilto June.WEATHER, SEA CONDITION AND SHIP MOTIONS AFFECTING ACCURACY IN WHALING65The wind increases from January until March, but becomes more variable thereafter. This together withthe growing percentage of ice in the area, blocking wave formation after March, may explain why thehighest waves are found in March before the significant formation of sea ice. It can, therefore, bepostulated that March may be one of the most severe months (in terms of adverse weather conditions)in which to perform whaling operations in the research area.Ship motions in March and December at an Antarctic whaling groundShip motions have been calculated using the SHIPMO computer programme of the Maritime ResearchInstitute in the Netherlands (Anon 2002). The ship used for these calculations was similar to theJapanese whale catching vessel Toshi Maru No.25. A sailing speed of 6 knots, head seas coming in at 30degrees and local sea depth of 1,000 metres were used in the model. The model was run for estimatedsea conditions during March and December, as described above. The motions considered were, thesway (from left to right), heave (up and down) and surge (forward and backward), as would beexperienced at the level of the harpoon on top of the bow. Table 1 provides the results for thesedifferent motions in December and March.
Table 1. Significant peak-to-peak sways, heaves and surgesDecemberMarchSway mean 0.61 1.20st. dev. 0.17 0.37N 658 (11) 386 (6)Heave mean 1.82 3.37st. dev. 0.57 1.23N 224 (4) 116 (2)Surge mean 0.26 0.62st. dev. 0.10 0.22N 531 (9) 226 (4)Table 1. Significant peak-to-peak sways, heaves and surges (in metres) on the basis of theSHIPMO model and at 6.5 metres above the waterline at the bow of a ship comparable to aJapanese whale catcher sailing at six knots in December and March with 30 degrees head wavesas characterised in the forelast paragraph. N is the number of samples in the upper third of thefrequency distribution taken during one hour. The number in one minute is in brackets.66A REVIEW OF THE WELFARE IMPLICATIONS OF MODERN WHALING ACTIVITIESThe results of conditions in March demonstrate that six sways averaging 1.2 metres, two heavesaveraging 3.4 metres and four surges of 0.6 metres, could be expected each minute. When the modelwas run using sea conditions expected during December, sways and surges were reduced by half,while the average heave was 1.8 metres. However, the numbers of sways, heaves or surges per minute,was twice that which would be expected under the March simulation. Figure 1 illustrates the effecton accuracy when only one heave is considered. In this figure the height of the harpoon above sealevel is ´h´ and the horizontal distance between the harpoon and a whale is ´d´. Thus, a theoreticalline between the aimed harpoon and the whale would make a triangle with height h and base d.Suppose h is 6.5 metres and d is 40 metres as in a whaling operation. Then an increase x of h (whichat the least equals half a peak-to-peak heave) would give a substantial change (y) in projection of theharpoon. In the example y would be 5.5 metres when the heave is 1.8 metres as might beyFigure 1. A relatively small increase (x) in the height (h) of the harpoon as a wave lifts the bow ofthe ship, results in a large change in projection (y) of a harpoon aimed just before the wave at awhale at a distance (d) from the whaling ship, which would have to be compensated during thewave motion in order to try to maintain the aim (for further explanation see the text).dXh
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ForewordWhales are highly evolved a
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1 Executive SummaryThis review exam
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2 A background to whalingPhilippa B
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y the weapon’s enormous recoil, w
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Japan currently whales in the Antar
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Otto, K. 1997. Animal Pain Behaviou
Page 19 and 20: Protecting the welfare of animals i
Page 21 and 22: Toothed whales (Odontoceti)Toothed
Page 23 and 24: Social behaviourMother-calf pairsOn
Page 25 and 26: to store and pass on information to
Page 27 and 28: Communication in great whalesThe mo
Page 29: Self-awarenessOne of the most compe
Page 32 and 33: J.G.M. Thewissen), pp. 158-162. Aca
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Page 36 and 37: humanitarian purposes the time take
Page 38 and 39: Welfare and the modern IWCFrom 1980
Page 40 and 41: 1996 UK proposes guidelines for col
Page 42 and 43: Section TwoWhale killing6 Commercia
Page 44 and 45: Table 1 Commercial, special permit
Page 46 and 47: It can be argued that the figures f
Page 48 and 49: Since struck and lost whales can in
Page 50 and 51: equipment to Russian subsistence wh
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Page 54 and 55: Table 3 Aboriginal Subsistence Whal
Page 56 and 57: International Aid For Korean Animal
Page 58 and 59: 29 In Resolution 1999-1, the IWC no
Page 60 and 61: For example, Greenland and the Faro
Page 62 and 63: the past they made an important con
Page 64 and 65: however, has been made on the exten
Page 66 and 67: hunt indicate that the whales are s
Page 68 and 69: 8 Weather, sea condition and shipmo
Page 72 and 73: experienced in December, or y could
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Page 77 and 78: Both chase and pursuit cause stress
Page 79 and 80: and manifest in a series of lethal
Page 81 and 82: Ridgeway, S. H. (1966). Dall porpoi
Page 83 and 84: 10 Euthanasia of cetaceansPhilippa
Page 85 and 86: for the task. The correct target ar
Page 87 and 88: whales the size of minke whales (Ø
Page 89 and 90: 11 Review of criteria for determini
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Page 99 and 100: include levels of premature mortali
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Page 105 and 106: Table 1 Animal welfare and the Sche
Page 107 and 108: CIWF Trust, 2002. Farm Assurance Sc
Page 109 and 110: 13 Ethics and whaling under special
Page 111 and 112: Table 1. Consideration of the 3Rs i
Page 113 and 114: skin samples, without the need for
Page 115 and 116: IWC (2001) Report of the Scientific
Page 117 and 118: Whales and the lawCetaceans (and wh
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ASCOBANS came into force in 1994. F
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The Treaty of the Panama Canal, ena
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2 As a result, their need for prote
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law says, but also the extent to wh
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15 Whaling and welfarePhilippa Brak
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commercial whaling. Times to death
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eath). Using the current criteria t
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possibility of establishing a simil
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international customary law and exi
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16 Summary of conclusionsModern day
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Glossary136A REVIEW OF THE WELFARE
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138A REVIEW OF THE WELFARE IMPLICAT
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Appendix IIColour plates©Mark Voti
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142A REVIEW OF THE WELFARE IMPLICAT
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Figure 13. Processing minke whales
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TROUBLED WATERS - Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society

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