13/06/2005 A new WWF
report dispels the myth that it is necessary
to kill whales in order to study them. Since
the moratorium on whaling took effect in 1986,
more than 7,000 whales minke, sperm and
Bryde's whales have been killed in the name
of the science, mainly by the Japanese whaling
fleet.
But, the global conservation organization
says that scientific whaling is nothing more
than an instrument of profit and politics
to circumvent the moratorium, as modern, non-lethal
techniques are more reliable in providing
data on whale biology.
"It is extraordinary that Japan, one
of the most technologically advanced nations
in the world, continues to kill an estimated
650 whales a year using 1940s science in the
21st century," said Dr Susan Lieberman,
Director of WWF's Global Species Programme.
"We believe that current research programmes
must be designed with existing and sound new
techniques."
According to the report Science, profit
and politics: Scientific Whaling in the 21st
Century existing non-lethal techniques provide
greater sample sizes and more reliable data,
and can be repeated over many years something
which is not possible when a whale is killed.
For example, genetic analysis of small skin
samples collected with a non-harmful special
biopsy dart is now widely used to understand
the population structure of many mammals,
including whales.
This technique helps determine the status
of whale populations in different geographic
areas, which is crucial for setting quotas.
Japan also claims it must kill whales to
determine what they eat by studying stomach
contents.
However, WWF points out this provides only
a snapshot view of the most recently consumed
prey, and may not be indicative of the real
diet. In contrast, analysis from skin samples
provides solid information on the whale's
diet over a longer time period.
Similarly, Japanese whalers allege lethal
research is needed to determine the sex and
reproductive condition of whales.
But WWF experts reply that sex is easily
determined with a biopsy sample. A recently
developed technique also enables scientists
to determine pregnancy from biopsy samples.
According to the report, the biggest myth
supported by the Japanese is that whales are
responsible for the collapse of fish stocks.
However, not one of their studies on this
has been accepted for publication in any international
scientific journal.
The science is so poor, the WWF report points
out, that it would not pass peer review by
scientists associated with any reputable journal.
The Japanese killed 840 whales worldwide
for scientific research between 1954 and 1986,
and eight times more since that time. This
so-called research is heavily subsidized by
the government and the whale meat is sold
on the Japanese market.
"Our new report shows that Japan's whaling
programme is about business and politics,
but not sound science," said Dr Lieberman.
"We call on Japan to live up to its reputation
as a technologically and scientifically advanced
nation, and put an end to 'scientific'whaling."
Iceland is the only other country to still
carry out scientific whaling. The Icelandic
whaling fleet killed 38 minkes in 2003, 25
in 2004.
