Whales Alive! - Cetacean Society International

Whales
Alive!
Humpback whales
are often seen breaching
(hurling their massive
bodies into the air). This
whale shows the folds on
its belly which expand
during feeding.
Vol. XXI, No. 1
Winter, 2012
A Publication of Cetacean Society International
Vol. XXI No. 1
Winter, 2012
A Publication of CETACEAN SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL
A troubled winter: CSI’s Vice-President, Brent Hall, suffered a serious injury during an accident in late October. For many years, Brent has been our webmaster, and the chief editor of our quarterly newsletter. While Brent is recovering, CSI is attempting to get “back to normal”. The current Whales Alive! is our effort to keep the whale news flowing. Please excuse
our appearance and delay, and join us to hope and pray for Brent’s full and speedy recovery!
THE SLIDE TO EXTINCTION: HECTOR’S & MAUI’S DOLPHINS
Petition to the Prime Minister of New Zealand
Help stop the extinction of the Hector’s and Maui’s
dolphins! Sign the petition to New Zealand’s Prime
Minister John Key and officials at www.change.org/petitions/stop-the-extinction-of-hectors-mauis-dolphins.
The risk of extinction for Maui’s dolphin is extremely
high. Devastated by inshore gillnet and trawl net fisheries, less than 80 Maui’s dolphins survive today. With
fewer than 20 breeding females this subspecies of the
Hector’s dolphin may soon follow China’s baiji into
extinction, unless the New Zealand government gathers the political will to enact management options that
stop favoring the fishing industry and support effective
science-based protection measures. In 1970, before the
introduction of monofilament nets, there were 30,000
Hector’s dolphins. Today only 8,000 survive.
Intense pressure from fishermen has brought gillnets and trawl nets into “exemption” areas within the
range of Hector’s and Maui’s dolphins, where dolphins
become entangled and die. Already this year three have
died.
To stop this impending extinction gillnets and trawl
nets must not be allowed in known dolphin habitats.
More selective and sustainable fishing methods are
readily available; these would benefit not only dolphins,
but also seabirds and the fish populations on which the
long-term future of the fishing industry depends.
Join thousands of people urging New Zealand to
enact a coherent package of protection measures that
match the distribution of the dolphins and includes the
areas of greatest threat. (More on Page 2)
Photos: Page One Breaching Humpback: Patty Sullivan. Adopt This Whale: Dan Knaub. Hector’s & Maui’s Dolphins: Steve Dawson.
This imperiled Hector’s
dolphin leaps out of the water
before sideflopping onto the
waves. Hector’s dolphins are
the smallest dolphins in the
world.
Sign the petition to New
Zealand officials to increase
protections for the vulnerable Hector’s and Maui’s
Dolphins. Fisheries bycatch
and coastal development
have contributed to dramatic declines in population
levels:
http://www.change.org/petitions/stop-the-extinction-ofhector-s-maui-s-dolphins
The rare and isolated Maui’s dolphin is fighting for its survival. Internationally designated as critically endangered, Maui’s
dolphins are found almost exclusively along a 40 km long stretch of New Zealand coastline. Gillnets have killed 90% of the
species, leaving fewer than 80 surviving today. New Zealand conservationists are calling for a moratorium on set net (gillnet) fishing within the Maui’s dolphins’ habitat.
Whales Alive!
A Publication of Cetacean Society International.
Editor: Brent S. Hall
Guest Editor: Taffy L. Williams
CSI is an all-volunteer, non-profit, tax-exempt organization with contacts in over 25 countries. Our mission is
to advocate for and protect cetaceans from harm and
harassment, to increase public awareness, and preserve
their well-being and that of the marine environment.
We support and promote benign activities such as regulated whale watcing, nonlethal and humane research,
and widespread educational, environmental programs
relating to free-roaming cataceans internationally. Our
ultimate objective is the global acceptace of peaceful
coexistence and mutual enrichment for both humans
and cetaceans.
2
Cetacean Society International
P.O. Box 953, Georgetown, CT 06829 U.S.A.
Phone: 203-770-8615 Fax: 860-561-0187
E-Mail: [email protected]
Web: http://www.csiwhalesalive.org/
CSI is a member of WhaleNet
President: William W. Rossiter
Vice-President: Brent S. Hall
Secretary: Jessica L. Dickens
Treasurer: Barbara Kilpatrick
w w w .csiwha lesa live.o r g
Nets take a
tragic toll:
This Maui’s dolphin
calf (below) struggles
in the grasp
of a gillnet. Adults
(r) and calves
are dying
in nets
faster than
they can
reproduce.
INSIDE WHALES ALIVE!
Maui’s/Hector’s Dolphins SOS
1
Taiji Update3
Taiji Dolphin Hunts Illegal
7
Adopt a Whale!
9
National Geographic & CSI 9
IWC/Whaling Update10
Cape Cod Stranding Tragedy
11
Amazon River Dolphins
12
Declaration of Cetacean Rights
13
CSI and Charities
15
Honoring with Whale Books 16
Climate Change and Whale Poo!
16
Whale WORDSEARCH
18
CSI Officers/FILM/Classified 19
Leah Lemieux’s extensive report and work from Taiji, supported by CSI, Ady Gil and SaveJapanDolphins.org, reveals a courageous passion for helping suffering cetaceans. Along with footage documenting dolphin slaughters, Leah has produced and
posted an innovative array of videos on YouTube (see “delfinusdelphis”) which approaches the issue from many perspectives.
Lemieux stands alone for her ability to quietly establish dialogue and trust with people who disagree, sometimes violently. About
her work in Taiji which is modeled around her convictions, she writes, “This was a team effort with other like-minded folks
from the four corners,” but in truth she has molded that team around her core beliefs: “There can be no doubt that a courteous and diplomatic approach is best in Taiji. Foreign presence on the ground in Taiji witnessing, blogging and documenting is
important, but courteous behavior is imperative.” For much more see www.RekindlingTheWaters.com. (Leah Lemieux’s work
in the Faroes Islands, supported in part by CSI, was reported in the online archive of the July, 2011 edition of Whales Alive!)
REPORT FROM TAIJI, JAPAN
OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2011 & JANUARY 2012
By Leah Lemieux
The most obvious changes to the Taiji situation this season include the addition of many more police circulating
throughout the town area and a general rise in tensions between activists and those locals involved in Taiji’s dolphin
killing and captivity industry. Conversely, there has also
been a marked reduction in demand for dolphin meat.
POLICE PRESENCE IN TAIJI
Police presence includes several different and separate
groups. About 15 are on duty most of the time, with more
on reserve if needed. The Wakayama Prefecture police division appears to be assigned to stay close to the dolphin hunters, guarding their area of the pier, the Fisherman’s Union
building and slaughterhouse from trespass, and even reporting on activist presence to the hunters, etc. Coast Guard officers are also in the mix and usually three or four officers
in a RIB guard the Cove while the hunters are engaged in
killing or transporting dolphins. There is also a riot police
squad, which sometimes follow activists in regular cars and
plain clothes, but usually camp out in a large van on the Taiji
Pier. The Special Investigations police officers were the most
cordial, communicative, courteous and professional.
TAIJI VIA SEA
In October and November 2011 we approached and monitored the dolphin hunters from the water, aboard Ady Gil’s
35ft motorboat. This had never been done before, so we began with a formal meeting with the Coast Guard to review
safety measures (it’s a very difficult and treacherous coastline). Using our charts we asked to be shown any areas we
were prohibited from. We were surprised to be told we could
go pretty much any place we liked, including the Taiji harbor
and The Cove itself—as long as there was no dolphin hunt in
progress.
Ady reasonably requested that the laws regarding our
proximity to and interactions with the fishermen be explained to us and provided in writing—so we could keep in
legal accordance with them. The officials shook their heads
and insisted Japanese law is far too complex to explain.
When we pressed for better understanding they said, if we
could come up with specific scenarios where we needed to
know how the law applied, they could get back to us, eventually. Apparently there are not a lot of laws keeping us
from proximity to the fishermen, other than the prohibition against interfering directly with commerce, but they are
loath to admit this. If there should be an “incident” no one
wanted to be found fault with.
The Coast Guard wanted to be notified when we would be
going out and how many people would be on board, obviously not something required of regular citizens. Whenever
we were on the water there seemed to be least ten CG men on
duty, land and sea. At first we were requested to keep almost
two nautical miles from the hunters at all times. This wasn’t
a law or a rule, but merely “a favor and request” from the
fishermen and Coast Guard! Ady pointed out that, since we
couldn’t see the hunters at that distance, while he intended to
follow the law he had little interest in doing “favors” for the
hunters. We tested what they really wanted by closing on the
hunters until the massive Coast Guard vessel came charging
over to cut us off. When we made clear we were not going
to barge straight into the hunt, they relaxed somewhat, but
always patrolled nearby when we were on the water.
Approach by sea helped to distract the hunters while they
were driving dolphins, as up until then they had suffered no
foreign challenge on the water. When no hunt was in progress we sailed right into the Cove to survey developments
and equipment in the hunter’s private area. Despite being a
national park, the public pathways around the mouth of the
Cove are now all gated and completely blocked off, preventing anyone from reaching these key places and filming or
witnessing the killing of the dolphins.
MISUSE OF POLICE FORCE AND FUNDS
We questioned why the Wakayama police are clearly
employed to guard the dolphin hunters’ property and
activities, as the Isana Fisherman’s Union is a private
interest and should hire private guards. We were surprised to find officials agreed, well aware that this was
not an “appropriate” use of that police force. We were
told the Wakayama police were following orders from
the office of the Governor of Wakayama, the same office that issues the permits for the capture and killing of dolphins in Taiji! We calculated that the cost of
“protecting” the 30 men and boats used to drive and
slaughter dolphins is around two million dollars for the
six-month killing season! This includes our estimates of
salaries, accommodation, transport and diesel to run
the Coast Guard’s two (Continued on Page 4)
Cetacean Society International
Winter, 2012
3
(Taiji Report, Continued)
inflatables and two huge ships used to follow and track us.
Why is so much money being funneled into Taiji to protect
the interests of 30 guys?
This is an especially glaring misuse of money considering
that residents of the Nachi-Katsuura area, a town only 20
minutes down the coast from Taiji, had suffered terrible destruction and loss of life from the September 2011 typhoon
flooding and mudslides. It’s important to question this misuse of government funds.
COST ESTIMATES
$360,000 in boat operating costs, leaves $217,750 total profit,
divided by 30 men is $7,258 per season, further divided
by 120 hunting days, equals $60 per day, per man hunting
dolphins for meat. This certainly isn’t enough to drive the
drives.
FOLLOW THE MONEY: Captivity $$$ Fuel the Taiji
Drive Hunt
After 17 Pseudorca were captured I learned that the hunters had only four days to decide whether they killed or sold
these or any other cetaceans. After that they
must all be released.
In October 2011, 17 Pseudorca were captured.
Over the four days 10 were kept aside for captivity and seven were killed. The meat from those
seven may have been worth around $7,000, when
divided by 30 men, leaves $233 dollars per man.
However, I learned that nine of the 10 remaining whales were sold for 3 million yen each, or
$38,600 USD each X 9 = $347,400! Clearly the
money that makes this enterprise worthwhile is
coming from the captivity trade! To put this further into perspective, I discovered that a junior
In Taiji, striped dolphins are driven to slaughter. January 12, 2012.
police officer’s salary is about 3 million yen for a
(Photo Leah Lemieux)
whole year!
We roughly estimated that each hunt boat cost $250 a day
It’s been pointed out that big money interests, for examfor the 4-6 hours spent hunting or driving, totaling about
ple from the Middle East, like Dubai, are involved in the
$3,000 a day for the fleet of 12. If they go out hunting two
Taiji dolphin trade, paying top dollar. On January 10, 2012,
out of three days (weather and holidays permitting) that is
four of the Pseudorca were shipped from Taiji to Dalian in
about 120 days or four out of six months, costing the fleet a
China, which continues to be a main buyer of these blood
total of $360,000 per hunting season.
dolphins. It’s easy to imagine these interests wanting to keep
In the 2010/11 season, 593 and striped, spotted, bottletheir supply channels open. In fact it’s worth wondering just
nose and a few other dolphins were killed, along with 220
exactly to what lengths such people are willing to go.
Risso’s and 35 pilot whales, totaling 848. Dolphins fetch
about $500-$1,000 each for meat, and more for larger speTENSIONS RISING
cies like pilot whales and Pseudorca. A Japanese colleague
On November 6th, 2011, 66 year old Miyoshi Masayuki,
told us dolphin meat sells for about 380 Yen (about $5) per
head of the Taiji dolphin hunters, approached two female
kg. Adult Risso’s dolphins average about 400kg and Striped
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) volunteers who
dolphins around 160kg—but not all of this is saleable flesh.
were on a part of the Taiji pier now considered off limits to
When bones, fins, flukes, internal organs and head are reforeigners. Screaming and swearing, Masayuki struck one
moved the remaining saleable meat and blubber is estimatin the face and repeatedly shoved the other in the chest. Poed to be between 100kg--200kg, depending on the species
lice came running, broke up the ordeal and began shooing
and size. Therefore:
everyone away. Then another man from the BBC walked
into the fray and announced he had just filmed most of the
100kg/meat X 593 dolphins = 59,300kg/meat X $5/kg = $296,500
altercation. When the police realized there was video proof
200kg/meat X 220 Risso’s = 44,000 kg/meat X $5/kg = $220,000
of the exchange, everything changed and both Mr. Masayuki
350kg/meat X 35 pilot whales = 12,250kg/meat X $5/kg = $61,250
and the SSCS activists were taken for questioning. Doubtless Mr. Masayuki is used to a position of unquestioned reApproximate total: $577,750 in meat sales for the 2010-11
spect in Taiji. He decides if the boats go out, when they
hunting season.
come back and this is the same man (documented in Janu Each boat carries 2 men, plus those who work ashore in
ary 2011) who actually stabs each dolphin in the back and
the slaughterhouse—around 30 men. $577,750 divided by
then hammers in the horrible wooden plug to try and keep
30 men, means $19,258 each over the six month season, or
the water from turning an incriminating shade of red. But
$160 per day out of 120 hunting days. Recall, the daily cost
for his outburst he was made to suffer the indignity of being
to run the fleet is $3,000/day if shared by 30 men, would
hauled down to the cop shop for repeated questioning and I
means a cost of $100 per day. All of which boils down to
am told that the process may eventually end in a fine that he
each of those 30 men pocketing only about $60 a day (or
will be required to pay.
$7,200 per killing season) from dolphin meat!
In mid-December a SSCS activist was arrested in Taiji
To simplify: $577,750 total meat sales last season, minus
for trespassing at Dolphin Base and allegedly “pushing” a
4
w w w .csiwha lesa live.or g
dolphin trainer while trying to photograph the transport of
captive cetaceans at that attraction. This activist had been
issued a clear and polite warning by police NOT to cross
clearly marked areas during the transport. His failure to
heed this warning resulted in his arrest. He recently was released from a Japanese prison after payment of a 1,000 Euro
fine, but is not allowed to leave Japan pending an appeal by
the public prosecutor.
These kinds of interactions serve to increase tensions between Taiji locals and activists, which is hardly conducive
to our offering possible solutions towards improving the
situation there. Activists in Taiji are now also closely monitored over a Japanese website that one of our bilingual correspondents had found: http://blog.livedoor.jp/pngtaiji/archives/4373880.html. We eventually learned that it appears
to be certain employees at the Dolphin Base captive-swim
attraction that are behind this website.
NEGOTIATIONS TO STOP KILLS BUT NOT CAPTURES
Some believe that captive facilities like Dolphin Base or
the Whale Museum might agree to collect dolphins without
driving them into the Cove, where so many are slaughtered.
My experience in Taiji suggests this idea is little more than
an attempt to distract foreigners with false hope. In fact the
owner of Dolphin Base is the brother of one of the Taiji dolphin hunters, and all the dolphin facilities work very closely
with the dolphin killers. So long as they believe the drives
are mutually beneficial to both parties, and the issue of cruelty leaves no creases on
their conscience, they will
maintain they “love” dolphins.
Because the pens are
closely monitored by activists, we know that when
a dolphin held for captive
sale becomes “irrevocably
Striped dolphin caught in
ill” at Dolphin Base, for
Taiji Drive Fishery. January 10, 2012. example, dolphin hunters
(Photo Leah Lemieux)
(the only ones with permits to kill dolphins) are called to “solve” the “problem”—
naturally, after hours or after dark.
FEAR, PERSECUTION SURROUND CETACEAN
ISSUES
Japanese citizens unmistakably fear persecution for voicing criticism of whale or dolphin hunting. One afternoon,
while chatting with Taiji police on the pier with another volunteer, an older Japanese man pulled up in his car, rolled
down his window and asked if we needed assistance in dealing with the police. He then said quite clearly in English
that he was against the hunt! We were extremely startled at
this, as most men his age in Taiji either avoid the subject or
are in favor of the hunt. They certainly do not go up to Western strangers announcing such beliefs. Before we could approach him and speak with him, the two police were suddenly looming in the old man’s window, barraging him with
questions in a gruff manner. The old man looked past them
at us and said, “See! They don’t like what I just said to you
and now they are getting angry with me. I have to go.” Then
he drove away. People in Taiji fear confrontation with outspoken “pro-hunters”, or of being accused of supporting
hostile foreigners, although many prefer to see the dolphin
hunt end. Some are protecting their jobs, which indirectly
hinge on the hunting or capture of dolphins in one way or
another. Thankfully there are a few Japanese citizens working on the dolphin/whale hunting issues, but most are afraid
of being associated with Westerners, are not outspoken, or
keep a low profile, all of which tends to keep their opinions
suppressed.
I was interested to hear that in the opinion of some of
these Japanese conservation specialists, the nearly 30 million dollars being poured into propping up the whaling industry this year, even in the wake of the destruction from
the 3/11 tsunami/earthquake, was not because of national
pride against criticism from the West, as I had been led to
think. Rather, their research led them to believe that the rally against foreign criticism was used to sway public opinion
and actually was fueled by the greed of the “old guard” officials that keep Japanese whaling going with heavy tax-payer
subsidies and even relief funds. These officials may channel
these funds into their retirement pension nests, anticipating
the inevitable collapse of the whole thing. I suppose time
will tell.
GOOD CONDUCT IS ESSENTIAL
Police occasionally issue warnings that “there may be persons in the area who mean us harm” and to be careful not to
go anywhere alone, especially after dark. However, by January 2012, it had become apparent that there was little danger
directed towards myself or those “under my wing” in Taiji.
My long weeks there of cordiality towards all, modest but
increasing use of Japanese phrases and words, and clear interest in many aspects of Japanese culture, had earned some
respect and tolerance. There can be no doubt that a courteous and diplomatic approach is best in Taiji (and elsewhere).
Documentation and even disagreement can be enacted in
ways that do not cause more harm than good.
Foreign presence on the ground in Taiji witnessing, blogging and documenting IS important, but courteous behavior is imperative. Foreigners acting in an obnoxious, uncouth manner build support for the hunters’ position and
makes Japanese citizens turn away from sympathies for
the dolphins. The Japanese media has been very diligent
about losing the dolphin/mercury issue amid inflammatory
arguments over east vs. west and SSCS “eco-terrorism”, etc.
Keeping pressure on Taiji during the hunting season is crucial. It is clear, from the incredible bordering-on-ridiculous
measures they are taking, that the Taiji hunters believe in
“out of sight, out of mind”, as if it can’t be seen, it effectively
“isn’t happening”. They believe that this will allow them to
persevere and kill and capture dolphins in peace. There are
now more plastic tarps strung up everywhere, and vantage
points have barbed wire and fake bamboo to augment the
tree branches, conveniently obscuring views of the Cove.
It is crucial to have knowledgeable observers keeping
a close eye on these drives. An example came in November during a drive of Risso’s dolphins. Despite purposeful
distraction by Wakayama police (Continued on Page 6)
Cetacean Society International
Winter, 2012
5
(Taiji Report, Continued)
I realized that there were at least two dolphins of another
species in the group, rare and non-permitted rough-toothed
dolphins, Steno bredanensis. I told everyone else documenting the drive and began loudly to question the legality of
harming this species. The police were listening to our every
word, and they phoned the fishermen in the Cove. A flurry
of staccato exchanges followed. Most of the Risso’s dolphins were indeed slaughtered but a group of about 10 were
spared, including the two rough-toothed dolphins. These
were left netted in the Cove for hours while all the rest of the
now dead dolphins were transported to the butcher house.
We waited to document the fate of the remaining dolphins,
which were finally driven back out to sea, their social structure in tatters and hideously traumatized by the violent
deaths of their community. My video shows a beaked dolphin struggling in a net beside a blunt nosed Risso’s, perhaps
one of the released rough-toothed dolphins. (http://www.
youtube.com/user/delfinusdelphis?feature=mhee#p/a/u/0/
aq82qWHIU8Q) Continued close monitoring is needed to determine if the
hunters are violating their permits. In the opinion of an experienced Japanese conservationist, had we not been there
to document this drive, the rough-toothed dolphins would
probably have been slaughtered with the rest and simply
chalked up as “Risso’s” dolphins. Observers must be there
throughout the drive season.
EVIDENCE OF POSITIVE CHANGE
In January 2012, a letter by Taiji Town Councilmen was
circulated in Taiji. This letter originally had been sent to
prospective captive dolphins buyers, warning them that if
any dolphins purchased in Taiji were to die soon after transport (as so commonly happens), they must NOT be buried
in the ground because of the high toxicity of the dolphins’
bodies! Taiji residents were left to wonder why something
so toxic could still be sold as food! One of these Taiji councilmen can be seen here in a recent interview, speaking
out on the toxicity issue: http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2012/s3421925.htm.
Whether the incidences are connected or not, soon after
the circulation of the letter we noted that demand for dolphin meat was down. Unlike last year’s season, where the
glut of killing seemed endless, this year a typical kill of 35-55
striped dolphins would leave the area flooded with a surplus
of meat for the next 4 days or so. The dolphin meat, typically
sold unfrozen, has a shelf life of only 4-5 days, after which
another kill would likely take place. We found that dolphin
meat was not a popular item and it often had a “reduced
price” sticker on the package. Only very elderly women
were seen to purchase it. We were told that it is used in the
winter months to cook a stew called Tsukiaki (made with
different ingredients in different areas—dolphin in Taiji).
We also saw repeated instances where the hunters began
a capture by corralling up to 200 dolphins but, while being
driven toward shore, the pod would be allowed to split in
half and then, much closer to shore, in half again. From the
original 200 (as reported by inside sources) only 50 or fewer
individuals actually would be slaughtered in the Cove. An
example where a pod was divided in the shallows quite close
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w w w .csiwha lesa live.o r g
to the Taiji harbor, with half the dolphins slated for death
and the other half (heart-breakingly reluctant to part with
their families) driven back out to sea can be seen here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMDd_v9jS2g&list=UU
gCkaSfhxhP7lAlwMMakOeQ&index=3&feature=plcp.
There has been a distinct absence of bottlenose, spotted
and Pacific white-sided dolphins driven this season, and the
quota for striped dolphins will soon be reached. This may
be why local sources say the killing season is likely to end
early, quite possibly by the end of February, a whole month
before the permit expires at the end of March! To consumers of cetacean meat, “dolphin” meat is considered different
from “small whales” like Risso’s dolphins and pilot whales,
called “Hanna-Gondo” and “Gondo” respectively. Pilot
whales appear to be a rare catch these days and the quota
for Risso’s dolphins has almost been reached as well, though
both may be hunted legally up until April 15th.
We are told that when the dolphin hunting season wraps
up, most hunters will simply turn their hand to catching
tuna—which they are actually licensed to catch all year long.
In fact, some banger boats unloaded several tuna on days
with no successful dolphin hunts—obviously they had cut
their losses in a practical fashion—and obviously alternatives exist to killing dolphins for a living!
RECOMMENDATIONS
Most Japanese citizens remain ignorant of the dolphin
deaths in Taiji. Japanese tourists visit Taiji to swim with,
pet and watch captive dolphins—citizens who DO like dolphins, but do NOT know what happens at the Cove. Obviously there is no fast and easy solution in Taiji, but there are
a number of approaches that should prove useful in moving
things along:
One, preferably two Japanese nationals must be on the
ground daily, to engage with the public in educational outreach, and distribute leaflets and DVDs about the drive
hunts and captivity connection. Japanese volunteer presence needs to be arranged and supported, especially during
the high tourist season in summer.
Japanese language educational materials must be circulated through the internet by Japanese colleagues. Some
might help endear Japanese citizens to dolphins, who now
view them simply as a type of “fish”. These could include
examples of cooperative interspecies fishing, cultural traditions of friendship that pre-date the Japanese hunts (like the
ancient Greeks) and benefits from eco-tourism as shown by
former whaling towns.
Cultural art can often reach an audience that would normally give anything that smacked of “activism” a pass. The
visceral impact of art can bypass the tiresome semantics of
the usual arguments and bring people straight to the heart of
the matter in a very penetrating way. During my most recent
visit I documented several performance pieces of Japanese
Butoh dance at the Cove in honor of the dolphin deaths:
http://w w w.youtub e.com/watch?v=WxyoGCD_jv
I & l i s t = U Ug C k a S f h x h P 7 l A l w M Ma k O e Q & i n d e x =
8&feature=plcp,
or
http://www.youtube.com/user/
delfinusdelphis?feature=mhee#p/a/u/1/OzB0T8QEslY.
Carefully run wild dolphin swim-with programs at Mikura Island may be experienced by select Taiji residents. Their
understanding of these beautiful, intelligent creatures will
improve, and emphasize how the presence of dolphins can
benefit coastal communities that value dolphins alive and
free, rather than dead and captive.
Another long-term solution will be the first Virtual
Aquarium! As the international trade in live cetaceans is
based on supply and demand, it becomes necessary to find
ways to give people the “close encounters” they want without
any need for live animals. We are finally at the technological
stage where the experience of coming face to face with life
sized, three dimensional marine life including dolphins and
whales is a reality: http://www.imax.com/underthesea/.
What is needed is a Virtual Aquarium prototype in a place
like Tokyo or Hong Kong where population density is such
that heavy turn out to such a new attraction is assured. An
experience far superior to any regular aquarium can be orchestrated at a fraction of the costs, as all animals would be
light and sound projections in a space that visitors could
walk through, triggering exciting encounters with various
species. If this prototype could demonstrate the power to attract the same or more revenue than a regular aquarium at
less cost—investors might flock and every major city might
want to have such an attraction. In this way, need for live
animals is cut right out of the equation and suppliers like
Taiji may dry up. Without money from the captivity industry, the hunters might be compelled to abandon the practice
as regular aquariums are phased out around the world.
Photo Ocean Preservation Society
SCIENCE
RESPONDS
TO THE
JAPANESE
DOLPHIN
KILLS
DOLPHIN HUNTS ILLEGAL UNDER
INTERNATIONAL LAW
By William Rossiter
Leah Lemiuex’s methods represent a catalyst by which Japan’s policy and practice of killing numbing number of cetaceans may be quelled, from within, as Japanese citizens learn
about what’s happening and work to stop it. That trend is accelerated by the nation’s overriding concerns for food safety,
although the undeniable facts about contaminated cetacean
meat are still suppressed as a matter of government and media policy. Her eloquent witness of the drives is amplified by
the raw and hard data of science:
Taiji’s drives and slaughters are illegal under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Dr. Sidney Holt, one of the world’s foremost
authorities on whaling, reminds us all that Japan is a
party to UNCLOS, which “designates all the smaller cetaceans being slaughtered at Taiji and elsewhere as
Highly Migratory species. HMS’s are supposed to be
‘managed’ internationally, by a combination of regulation
by coastal states and international organs; they are not the
‘property’ of the coastal states. These kills are not. Furthermore, Japan is a leader in preventing the IWC from taking
action regarding those species, using fake legalistic arguments. The Taiji kills are illegal, just as are those in
Faroes.”
“Japan’s hunting of dolphins - Is it sustainable?” was a presentation by Drs. Naoko Funahashi and C. Scott Baker at the
19th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals last November. The study examined how hunts are regulated, where they occur, the numbers of dolphins and small
whales killed, and questioned the sustainability of the hunts.
The study examined the scientific basis for setting quotas of
the primary species, and found that, despite sustainability
being a widely cited domestic (Continued on Page 8)
Cetacean Society International
Winter, 2012
7
(Taiji Hunts Illegal, Continued)
policy for Japan’ s exploitation of marine species, quotas for
seven of the nine species of dolphins, porpoises and beaked
whales either unsubstantiated or clearly set at unsustainable
levels. “Sustainability” may be a widely cited domestic policy
for Japan’s exploitation of marine species, but consider that
over 400,000 dolphins of 12 species have been killed in drive
or harpoon hunting in Izu Peninsula and Taiji since records
were started in 1942. 340,571 were striped dolphins, another 30,065 were spotted dolphins, 16,477 were bottlenose,
11,890 were short- finned pilot whales (southern form) and
8,425 were Risso’s. In Taiji, records since 1962 account for
nearly 100,000 dolphins, and show a decline in striped dolphins killed following a very intensive hunting in 1980, with
a more diverse range of species being hunted, presumably as
striped dolphins were exhausted. Since 2000, the Taiji hunt
has averaged 1,700 dolphins/year, primarily short-finned pilot whales, bottlenose, Risso’s, striped and spotted dolphins.
While only Taiji and Futo have active quotas for drive hunting, Futo last killed nine bottlenose in 2004.
The Scientist Statement Against the Japanese Drive
Hunts has been signed by hundreds of professionals since
inception in 2006. While ignored by Japan, it does speak
to the growing concerns of marine mammal professionals
around the world
To the Government of Japan,
We, the undersigned members of the community of marine mammal scientists, veterinarians, and conservation biologists, implore you to put an end to the brutal treatment
and slaughter of dolphins (including small toothed whales)
in the Japanese drive hunts. Scientific research shows that
dolphins are highly intelligent, self-aware and emotional
animals with strong family ties and complex social lives. In
addition, repeated recommendations from the international
scientific and management communities (for example, the
Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission) to end this hunt have been ignored, and there are
no current population assessments of most targeted dolphin
species in Japanese waters. We urge you to lead the way and
take action in stopping the inhumane treatment and killing
of these highly sentient mammals.
We strongly believe that the sourcing of animals from
these hunts for any purposes, including human consumption, fertilizer and pet food manufacturing, and live pub
lic display, is unethical. We believe it is a violation of the
code of professional ethics concerning collection from the
wild for any zoo, aquarium or public display facility to be
associated with these hunts in any way. This includes the direct sourcing of dolphins from these hunts for education or
breeding programs or the indirect exchange of animals with
facilities that may be closely associated with a drive hunt.
The following quotes by well-known researchers are included with the Statement,
“It is a practice that shames Japan and the rest of us [as]
human beings.”–Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara PhD
“Please you cannot ignore any longer the fact that these
animals have very large brains, highly developed societies, social relationships and sophisticated cognitive abilities.” –Richard Connor. PhD
“[T]his inhumane and totally unethical practice should
be urgently stopped.”–Giovanni Di Guardo. DVM, Dipl.
ECVP, University of Teramo, Italy
“Have we learned nothing yet?”–Matt Hingley, Australasian Regional Association of Zoological Parks and Aquaria
“[The] drive fisheries are inhumane by any standard.”
–Koen Van Waerebeek, Ph.D., CEPEC, Museo de Delfines,
Pucusana, PERU
“The Japanese are world leaders in animal rights for nonhuman primates. Why the difference with cetaceans, who
share so many primate characteristics and abilities.” –Lindy Weilgart, Ph.D,. Dalhousie University, Canada
“Take a minute and imagine what the dolphins endure.
We beg you to put an end to this.”–Sonia Roberts, University of Sydney, Australia
“Respect for cultural practices is important, but not all
practices are justifiable.... Whaling is not a necessary fishery.” –Janet Mann, Ph.D., Georgetown University, USA
“The Japanese drive hunts are an astonishingly cruel violation of any reasonable animal welfare standards.”–Lori
Marino, Ph.D., Emory University and Diana Reiss, Ph.D.,
New York Aquarium and Columbia University
ce·ta·cean \si-ˈtā-shən\
: any of an order (Cetacean) of aquatic mostly marine mammals that includes the whales, dolphins, porpoises, and related forms and that have a torpedo-shaped nearly hairless body, paddleshaped forelimbs but no hind limbs, one or two nares opening externally at the top of the head,
and a horizontally flattened tail used for locomotion. (Merriam-Webster)
Cetacean Society International
8
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CSI Humpback Whale
Adoption Program
Young and old are excited about CSI’s new Whale Adoption Program! No, a truck won’t deliver a 50-ton humpback whale
to your doorstep, but you will spend some quality time with your own adopted humpback whale!
Using 8,000 hours of video, CSI Director Dan Knaub produced two DVD’s that
share the endearing personalities of two of the most popular humpback whales
The Grand Dame of
in the world. Salt and Colt have been called “ambassadors for all the whales.”
Stellwagen Bank
You will see Salt patiently wait near a boat while her calves Bittern, Salsa
and Tabasco swim back and forth, spin with
delight and show an interest in the people
watching them. After viewing the clip of
Salt nursing her son Wasabi, you’ll understand why we work so hard to protect whales.
This mature grandmother is known as the
Grand Dame of Stellwagen Bank and may
soon bring her 13th calf back to the Gulf of
Salt (r) and calf feeding
Maine. Salt was the first humpback named on
the East Coast and has returned each year since
1975. (DVD 22 min)
Colt’s DVD shows his intense curiosity toward boats and people. You’ll feel like COLT
you are there when Colt and three other
humpbacks sing right beside the boat! Colt
has made many a boat late getting back to the pier at the end of a trip
because he stays so close the engines can’t be started!
Colt more than any other humpback tries to interact with people.
“The World’s Friendliest Whale”
Several scenes show him looking up to see where people are standing. He rolls over and splashes them by hitting his flipper on the water,
sending a wall of water into the boat and eliciting screams of delight. He also uses sounds from
his blowholes in an attempt to attract attention. This is why CSI’s Board of Directors voted Colt “the friendliest whale in the
world”. (DVD 27 min)
The $30 standard adoption fee includes the DVD of your amazing adopted whale, a booklet with facts and family trees and
an official adoption certificate. Visit www.whalevideo.com for more information.
CSI’s Education Director: “Everyone Can Write About Whales”
Adopted by NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC’S BLUE FRONTIER
Patti Sullivan, CSI Education Director, will soon have lesson plans posted to National Geographic’s Blue Frontier
(http://www.nationalgeographic.com/seas/), a widely-used
educational resource about the oceans! Her lesson plans will
accompany David Helvarg’s 50 Ways to Save the Ocean Kindergarten - Grade 2 Curriculum, and will be available for
download to all teachers. With over 20 years of professional
experience, Patti created the very successful “Everyone Can
Write About Whales” lesson/workshop, incorporating the
work of three other CSI Directors into the package: Paul
Knapp's CD recordings of humpback whales near Tortola “One and Mostly One” and “Listening to Humpback Whales”
for the first lesson; Dan Knaub's DVDs ”Awesome Whales
for Kids” and “Salt and Friends” as the second lesson, during which students witness the wonder and majesty of whale
watching without ever leaving the classroom - utilizing visual, auditory and bodily/kinesthetic domains; and Taffy Wil-
liams' “NO BALLOONS” poster and pledge within the lesson on threats to cetaceans and all marine life. Patti’s contributions on Whale Watching and Beach Cleanup to 50 Ways
to Save the Ocean were so good they will be used as templates for others who are writing other “Ways”.
Patti’s original “Everyone Can Write About Whales” focused on humpback whales, but the revised version includes
the Vaquita, Pseudorca, North Atlantic right whale, North
Pacific right whale, Western Pacific gray whale and Hector's
and Maui's dolphins--all critically endangered cetaceans. CSI is very pleased to promote Patti’s achievement and inclusion of our other very talented volunteer directors’ work.
We are especially proud that Patti’s professional experience
and skill has created something unique that will help us
reach out to the next generation.
CONGRATULATIONS, PATTI!
Cetacean Society International
Winter, 2012
9
WHALING UPDATE 2012
Heather Rockwell, CSI Observer to the IWC
10
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attempts to increase the annual minke whale quota and recruit new whalers. The Norwegian Fisheries Department
announced an ambitious quota of 1,286 for its 2012 North
Atlantic minke whale hunt.
900 minke whales
are targeted by
Japan whalers in
2012 while Norway’s
self-alloted quota is
1,286. Insufficient
data exists to determine population
abundance.
Photo Marinebio.org
With the time fast approaching for the Annual Meeting of
the International Whaling Commission in Panama, let’s take
a look at the state of whaling in early 2012.
In December, the Japanese whaling fleet headed south to
the waters off Antarctica for its annual “scientific research”
hunt of minke and fin whales in the Southern Ocean. With
an illegal, self-allocated quota of 900 minkes and 50 fins, the
Japanese whalers plan to kill whales in the Southern Ocean
Whale Sanctuary until March – unless forced to abandon
the hunt early, as they did last year, due to increasingly volatile confrontations with Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
(SSCS) protesters. Japan has amped up security measures for
the whaling fleet this year in anticipation of further conflicts
with SSCS, including the addition of a patrol boat and extra
personnel. However, this increased security comes at a very
high cost. The already heavily, government subsidized whale
hunt is now taking funds earmarked for recovery efforts from
the devastating earthquake and tsunami. The Japanese Fisheries Agency is reportedly receiving US$30 million from the
recovery fund to pay for this year’s hunt and increased security – which has outraged both Japanese and internationals
alike. In late 2011, Elsa Cabrera of Centro de Concervacion
Cetacea warned of this possible scenario in an eerie prescient
article – which leads Japan down a dangerous expansionist
policy in the Antarctic that not only exploits whales, but
sends Japan down a slippery slope regarding other regional
environmental treaties and policies.
The bogus Japanese scientific research program continues to baffle all. Research is apparently done to “determine
growth by means of checking weight and body length” of
whales – yet none of this research is peer-reviewed or accessible to the public. And after the research is completed,
the whale meat is available for sale in Japan to help cover
research costs. However, the only people interested in eating whale meat in 2012 are older Japanese, who remember
the days when whale meat was a valuable source of protein
after World War II. The younger generation is not buying
whale meat, pressure from anti-whaling groups has resulted
in stores not selling whale meat, and frozen whale meat in
storage is piling up. Japan needs to face the reality that whaling is a dying industry.
Meanwhile over in the Atlantic, Iceland has a surplus of
whale meat from the 2010 and 2009 hunts in cold storage.
The majority of this stored meat is from fin whales, which
isn’t eaten in Iceland, but sold to Japan via a tricky transfer
arrangement. And despite the growing tourism industry and
increase in whale watching bringing money into Iceland’s
sagging economy, Iceland continues to thumb its nose at
joining the European Union – which would require them to
abandon their whaling ways.
Signs point to a continued decline in the Norwegian whal
ing industry, despite the best efforts of the Norwegian government. In 2011, only 19 vessels participated in the North
Atlantic minke hunt, compared to back in 2001 when 33
vessels were out hunting whales. Only 41% of the minke
quota was taken in 2011, notwithstanding the government’s
And finally, if it’s 2012 – then get ready for the circus at
the 64th Annual Meeting of the IWC because it’s time once
again for the sideshow known as Aboriginal Subsistence
Whaling (ASW) quota renewals. This year, the aboriginal
quotas for Russia, U.S., Greenland and St. Vincent & the
Grenadines will all be lumped together and voted on as one
unit. And as usual, the U.S. government is going to be doing
everything they can – bending over backwards (re: the failed
Chair’s Deal), somersaults, cutting behind door deals (again:
the failed Chair’s Deal) - to ensure that the Alaskan Eskimo’s
quota for bowhead whales does not get blocked by Japan or
others.
With regards to ASW, CSI is still most concerned with the
killing of humpback whales by St. Vincent and Greenland
natives. The Northwest Atlantic stock of humpback whales
hunted by these two nations is near and dear to CSI’s heart.
We have followed the lives of some of these humpback whales
for over 30 years and the knowledge and data gained from
this population of humpbacks is extraordinary.
CSI continues to question the humaneness and costs associated with the Alaskan Eskimo’s bowhead hunt. The weapon
used to kill bowheads by the Alaskan natives is a penthrite
grenade harpoon. The harpoon was developed by Norwegians to kill minkes – a much smaller whale than a bowhead.
How many grenades does it take to kill a bowhead versus a
minke? Is this the quickest and most humane way for a bowhead whale to die? And too, those harpoons and grenades
come at a cost to both the whale’s life and the U.S. taxpayer.
Thousands of dollars in federal money has gone towards purchasing these weapons for the Alaskan natives. Somehow,
this whole scenario doesn’t seem fair to the whales or to us.
As always, you can count on CSI to advocate for the whales
at the IWC meeting in Panama.
ADOPT
THIS
WHALE!
See
Page 9
COLT
at the
whale
watch
boat!
By Beth Larson
Question: “How do you handle a panicky dolphin?”
Answer: “You step away.”
This question came after I had asked field volunteer
Christy Hudak what stranded dolphins are like. They move
around a lot, panicking, then seem to calm down, then may
panic again, says Hudak of Eastham, MA. “Sometimes you
hold them firmly in a blanket to restrict their movements. It
depends on the animal.” I, like so many people, have been
following the events on Cape Cod and International Fund for
Animal Welfare (IFAW) Marine Mammal Rescue response. Hudak had just helped with a group of common dolphins
that stranded Monday, February 13. She commends the
IFAW coordinators for their professionalism, for the calm,
efficient channeling of efforts and ingenuity in accessing
and removing animals. With eight years of Florida manatee
rescue under her own belt, Hudak would seem qualified to
make such an evaluation. Indeed, IFAW’s non-stop efforts
to rescue stranded common dolphins this past month, not
to mention attempts to prevent them from stranding, seem
heroic to us all.
Chances are pretty slim, especially if you are a cetacean
lover, that you haven’t heard of the unprecedented number
of common dolphin that beached along a 25 mile stretch of
Cape Cod Bay beginning January 12th this year. Dolphins
have been found on bay beaches and mud flats in Barnstable,
Brewster, Dennis, Eastham, and Wellfleet. As of February
17, IFAW reports 179 beached common dolphin have been
found. Of that number, 71 were alive, and of those, 53 had
been successfully released into deeper water (11 of the 71
died, 3 additional were released and restranded , and 4 had
to be euthanized.) Thankfully, there have been no further
strandings since February 16; for now, all is quiet.
Historically, strandings in this area are nothing new. Colonial settlers and Native Americans considered such events
windfalls. The curved arm of Cape Cod seems to trap animals that have entered the Bay, perhaps looking for food,
perhaps later disoriented by weather, tides, and a strip of land
where they think ocean should be. Wellfleet Harbor in particular has a shape and topography so conducive to strandings that it has the dubious distinction of being one of three
mass stranding hotspots worldwide along with sites in New
Zealand and Australia. The slope of the shore is so gradual
here that when the tide shifts and the ocean recedes, a huge
area of intertidal sand and
muck is exposed. A dolphin swimming in a nearshore area during high
tide could very easily find
itself an impassible distance from water of navigable depth. Strandings
have been such a common
occurrence in the past in
Wellfleet that one sinuous waterway draining
into the harbor is named
Blackfish Creek after the
pilot whales (a 20-foot dolphin relative) that literally and
figuratively found themselves up a creek at low tide. And
the poor animals frequently strand in groups because of their
strong social bonds.
What people want to know, of course, is why this is happening in such large numbers. In a little over a month, numbers have exceeded 2006’s total of 106, the highest number
of strandings previously on record for the Northeast. IFAW
attends to 38 animals a year on average. Why the high numbers this season? Necropsies of animals in Peru and New
Jersey turned up parasites, toxins, and broken earbones as
clues to strandings in those areas, but veterinarian and researcher Michael Moore of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute found no such abnormalities in the Cape Cod animals
he has examined so far, so poor health at least can probably
be ruled out as a cause. Climate change? This has been an unusually mild winter,
but one year’s weather is just that – one year’s weather. Meteorologists are explaining the unseasonable temperatures this year in part by invoking the Arctic Oscillation, a
weather pattern that completes its cycle every 10-40 years
(now there’s a range!) The AO affects the Lower 48 by
shifting the jet stream’s location, and the pressure wall that
occurs with it, northward, in turn keeping the cold Arctic
air farther north. Nonetheless, whatever complex confluence of factors has caused this year’s weather, a warm winter it has been. The surface water temperatures in Cape Cod
Bay are on average 2 degrees Celsius higher than the norm,
according to Stormy Mayo of the Provincetown Center for
Coastal Studies as well as Moore. Both refrain at this point
from drawing a simple causal conclusion, but as Mayo says,
the temperature anomaly is noteworthy, and it may well be
part of the puzzle; it’s just too early to tell.
What can you do to help? First of all, here is the IFAW
hotline number for Cape Cod locals to put into their cell
phone contact lists (right now as you read this!): 508-7439548. Everyone else, visit this webpage at NOAA for other
contacts: www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/health/networks.htm. Do
not touch a stranded animal. Do stand by if you can. Second, this contributor has heard it through the grapevine
that NOAA’s federal budget for FY2013 not just cuts, but
eliminates, monies for the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal
Rescue Assistance Program, which funds Marine Mammal
Stranding Networks across (Continued on p. 12)
IFAW
rescuers
assist
common
dolphins
out to sea
after stranding on the
shoals of
Cape Cod
Bay.
Cetacean Society International
Winter, 2012
11
Photo IFAW
Tragedy
on
Cape Cod:
Mass
StrandIng
of
Dolphins
(Cape Cod Stranding, from p. 11) the United States and upon which programs such as IFAW
and its counterparts in other parts of the country depend. Is
there anyone to whom you might want to voice your concerns about this?
Lastly, keep learning. One source of excellent, general
information is a brochure compiled by NOAA which can
be found at www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/health/capecod_mass_
stranding_factsheet2012.pdf.
Beth Larson is the Volunteer Coordinator of the Cape
Cod Bay Monitoring Program at the Provincetown Center
for Coastal Studies.
CSI’s Grant Program since January 2011 has awarded over $130,000 in grants to more than 120 projects and people, from a
modest beginning in 1981. Our grant program has since helped cetaceans in all the world’s oceans and fostered the careers of
some wonderfully amazing and productive people. We help people to help whales and we’re proud of it! A recent example is the
Community Conservation and Education for River Dolphins in the Colombian Amazon, a project of Colombia’s Fundación
Natutama. Their successful methods to reduce impacts on local dolphins and manatees is of value to anyone interested in changing the attitudes and actions of people that support the killing and harming of cetaceans. What follows is a digest of wise experience from Dr. Sarita Kendal, Director of Conservation and Founder of Fundación Natutama. CSI will be pleased to send a more
complete report to anyone with an interest.
COMMUNITY CONSERVATION and EDUCATION
for RIVER DOLPHINS
in the COLOMBIAN AMAZON
By Dr. Sarita Kendall
12
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do not keep them or send them on to rehabilitation centers,
and they trust us on this. Local people never forget if you
do things that you are asking them not to do (e.g. catch and
mark animals when saying they mustn't touch them. You
can never explain this away).
4. We do our best to avoid mixed messages in the kinds of
communities we work in. We don't say, "Don't hunt or kill
animals, but if you happen to hunt one or find a dead one,
bring us bones/skin samples." People are not stupid, they
don't respect that kind of approach.
5. We try and ensure that local people are never out of
pocket when they advise us of a problem, help with information or call us. We also try and find alternative income for
those who stop hunting animals which brought them food/
income. Usually this alternative income is earned on education/conservation /research work.
6. We try and make the process interesting and fun for
all concerned, using games, plays, stories to get our points
across - and we work with children all the time, some of
them tell their parents not to eat turtle eggs!
7. Above all, people should feel you are on their side,
not against them, and that you care
about them as well as the animals.
Obviously not everyone will feel like
that but if some do, then things can
work. This means maximum community involvement in everything.
Local schoolchildren visit the
Natatuma Community Conservation Center and learn about marine
mammals with displays such as this
floating kelp forest. Note the river
dolphins and manatee hovering
above the children.
Photo: Sarita Kendall
1. We listen all the time - we try and find out everything
we can about how they see the animals and we go out in
canoes with them and listen to all the stories and other cultural information that helps give context. We found that one
of the things that mattered to our local people was that their
children should be able to see manatees - this opened an
important door. There is nearly always a way in to change
people's attitudes....
2. Our work is based on social agreements that are negotiated with local people over time and backed by legislation
which, though not enforced, can be called on. In the few
cases where we actually denounced fishermen to the authorities, we also made sure they did not go to jail as that would
have been counterproductive, leaving a hungry family behind. They get a fright and have to do community service;
we got local chiefs to agree to this.
3. We have been entirely consistent all the way along, never touching any of the animals ourselves and ensuring that
people who work with us respect this, too. The only exception was the case of an injured manatee orphan calf which
we rehabilitated and returned to the wild ten years ago. Also,
we continually exhort fishermen to
return dolphins and manatee calves
from their nets directly to the river
- in the few cases where the fishermen take the manatee calves in and
keep them in a tank, we usually hear
about it almost immediately (sometimes they ask us to help them) and
we meet with the community to
persuade them to decide jointly to
return the calf to the river. Even if
2 or 3 days have passed, the mother
will stay nearby the capture site. The
local communities have seen that
we always return the animals; we
Photo Antibes Marineland
Unnatural
behaviors:
Orcas are
rewarded for
performing
acts that
are not
normal for
the species.
Aquarium
conditions
result in
premature
mortality in
cetaceans.
Declaration of Rights for Cetaceans:
Ethical and Policy
Implications of Intelligence
By William Rossiter
Declaration of Rights for Cetaceans: Ethical and Policy
Implications of Intelligence was a breakthrough symposium
at February’s annual meeting of the American Association
for the Advancement of Science, “the world’s largest general
scientific society.” (http://aaas.confex.com/aaas/2012/webprogram/Session4617.html) CSI must apologize that our
newsletter cannot include even the full abstracts of presentations by three experts, each of whom argues for something
many of us may believe, but our societies and systems do
not, yet.
Lori Marino, Emory University, presented “The Scientific
Evidence for Complex Intelligence and Self-Awareness in
Cetaceans.” (http://aaas.confex.com/aaas/2012/webprogram/
Paper6688.html) Excerpts from her statements include: “The
scientific evidence for complex intelligence and self-awareness in cetaceans…is abundant and robust;” “Evidence for
complex cultural traditions [exists] in many cetacean species, including orcas, sperm whales and humpback whales;”
“Scientific evidence on cetacean psychology – which continues to demonstrate their keen intelligence and awareness
- argues for a major shift in human attitudes and treatment
of them from commodities and resources to beings with a
similar level of intelligence, self-awareness and sensitivity to
our own.”
Thomas I. White, Loyola Marymount University, presented “The Ethical Implications of Dolphin Intelligence:
Dolphins as Nonhuman Persons.” (http://aaas.confex.com/
aaas/2012/webprogram/Paper6692.html) Excerpts from his
presentation include: “Scientific progress regularly raises
important ethical questions;” “Human slavery and dissimilar treatment between men and women became ethically indefensible when scientific research proved that claims about
racial and sexual superiority were nothing more than irrational biases;” “The evidence for the centrality of ‘social intelligence’ in the life of cetaceans underscores the challenge
of identifying and assessing intelligence in nonhumans in a
way that is free from the ethically indefensible factor of species bias;” and “Scientific research on cetacean intelligence
must take great care not to inadvertently use only human
criteria.”
Chris Butler-Stroud, Whale and Dolphin Conservation
Society, presented “Fostering Moral and Legal Change Toward Recognizing Cetacean Rights.” (http://aaas.confex.
com/aaas/2012/webprogram/Paper6693.html) Again, to
present a few of Butler’s thoughts: “The political and legislative implications of recognising cetaceans as non-human
persons are manifold;” “The formal recognition of cetaceans
as non-human persons mandates a new approach, whereby
the intrinsic value of the individual is a greater consideration over conservation status;” and “We must be careful not
to fall into the trap of using humans as the benchmark for
intelligence and evolutionary success and in so doing misguidedly sustain the notion of the dominion of humankind.
Instead, we should move towards a philosophy of cohabitation with these other ‘people’.”
(Continued on Page 14)
Cetacean Society International
Winter, 2012
13
Rights for Cetaceans, from Page 13
Whales and Dolphins; Cognition, Culture, Conservation
and Human Perceptions will accelerate a developing inquiry into the reality of cetaceans versus how they are viewed
by human cultures. Edited By Philippa Brakes and Mark Peter Simmonds, this seminal collection of experts’ chapters
is summed up in Dr. Jane Goodall’s preface as: “A compelling case for scientists, conservationists and animal welfare
groups to combine to develop a new approach to the conservation of cetaceans,” and it’s available on Amazon!
Consciousness in Humans and Non-Human Animals will
be the focus of July’s Francis Crick Memorial Conference,
in Cambridge, UK. The conference will explore sciencebased perspectives of anatomy, physiology, and behavior to
better understand consciousness in humans and dolphins,
somewhere along the spectrum starting with flies and ending in… As the conference announcements declare: “Until
animals have their own storytellers, humans will always have
the most glorious part of the story, and with this proverbial
concept in mind, the symposium will address the notion
that humans do not alone possess the neurological faculties
that constitute consciousness as it is presently understood.”
(http://www.neurovigil.com/fcmc/)
The Code of Professional Ethics (CoPE) for members of
the Society for Marine Mammalogy (SMM) is being revised,
including sections involving the welfare of animals used for
research. CSI’s Bill Rossiter made several submissions for the
final CoPE and expects that the Society’s Ethics Committee
will recognize the obvious increase in ethics in marine mammal welfare concerns expressed by scientists around the world.
Broader in scope, the new Journal of Animal Ethics is the first
named journal of animal ethics in the world. Devoted to the
exploration of progressive thought about animals, it is multidisciplinary in nature and international in scope. It covers
theoretical and applied aspects of animal ethics – of interest
to academics from the humanities and the sciences, as well
as professionals working in the field of animal protection.
The Journal is published by the University of Illinois Press in
partnership with the Ferrater Mora Oxford Centre for Ani-
Japanese Whalers HOMEWARD BOUND
WITH Less Than 1/3 Their CATCH: Japan has
ended its whaling season in the Southern Ocean with less
than one third of its self-allocated quota. Thanks to interference from Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS), the
fleet hauled in only 266 out of the targeted 900 minke whales,
and just one of the 50 fin whales intended for harvest! This despite the Japanese government’s gift to whalers of $29 million
for added vessel security, funds originally marked for disaster
(tsunami, nuclear meltdown) relief. Despite the increased patrol, SSCS boats chased the whalers for almost three months
of the “scientific whaling” season, thwarting the kill. This was
one of Japan’s worst whaling seasons; last year’s efforts were
also obstructed by SSCS pursuits and yielded only 172 whales.
The financial losses may ultimately shut down the industry.
Meanwhile, Japan’s Institute for Cetacean Research, the
agency responsible for its whaling program, took matters
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w w w .csiwha lesa live.o r g
mal Ethics. The aim of the Centre is to pioneer ethical per
spectives on animals through academic research, teaching,
and publication. For more information: see http://www.
press.uillinois.edu/journals/jane.html.
Towards a New Paradigm of Non-Captive Research on
Cetacean Cognition, by Drs., Toni Frohoff and Lori Marino
presents the ethical and scientific arguments for phasing
out cognitive research with captive dolphins and replacing it with a new paradigm of collaborative research with
cetaceans in their natural habitat. “Collaborative research
with free-ranging cetaceans can deliver methodological
innovation and invaluable new insights while not necessitating the ethical and scientific compromises that characterize research in captivity. Further, it is representative of a
new epoch in science in which research is designed so that
the participating cetaceans are the direct recipients of the
benefits.” The article, part of a Special Collection entitled:
“Animals, Research and Alternatives: Measuring Progress 50
Years Later”, is available at http://www.plosone.org/article/
info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0024121.
Five SeaWorld Orcas represented by “Next Friends”, a
coalition led by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), had their case dismissed in mid-February by
the 9th U.S. District Court of Southern California. The suit
had sought a declaration that five orcas at Sea World were
being “held by the Defendants in violation of Section One
of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of the United
States, which prohibits slavery and involuntary servitude.”
The suit was dismissed because the judge said, “The clear
language and historical context reveal that only human beings, or persons, are afforded the protection of the Thirteenth
Amendment.” A copy of the Court’s finding is at http://www.
zoenature.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Court-rulingin-PETA-v-SeaWorld.pdf. The larger issue is whether this
was the best case with which to challenge the broad legal
concepts that non-humans have no standing under the law,
that common law “personhood” does not apply to nonhuman animals.
against SSCS to a Seattle federal court in February. However,
the judge denied an injunction to stop SSCS from employing physical tactics aimed at interfering with whaling vessels
in the Southern Ocean, an international whale sanctuary. Japan’s costly whale hunt proceeded, despite more than 6,000
tons of unwanted whale meat in frozen storage! Adding to
anti-whaling pressure, Australia has filed a lawsuit against Japan’s so-called “research whaling” in the International Court
of Justice. No decision is expected before the next whaling
season begins in December, 2012. (TW)
F ollow the L atest in
the W orld of W hales !
visit
THE NEWSFEED:
www.ny4whales.org
A Message from the President
CSI’s Place in the World of...
W
Charities
hat do you know about CSI, or any other charity you
support? No one wants their money wasted, especially in
these lean times, so may we offer some suggestions to help
find organizations that are worthy of your support? Obviously we think CSI deserves financial help, but we’re just
one of thousands of organizations registered by the IRS as a
501(c)3 not-for-profit charity. After you Google a non-profit’s name and visit their website, search for their Employer
Identification Number, or EIN. (CSI’s EIN is 06-6183660.)
Then go to Charity Navigator (CN), www.charitynavigator.
org, one of the best of many foundation-supported charity
validation services, and search for that EIN.
However, CSI won’t show up on CN, because they “require
public support to be more than $500,000 and total revenue
more $1,000,000”! Like so many charities functioning below
that level, CSI depends upon supporters recognizing that we
might be even more worthy than the big ones. In fact, CN’s
three main criteria to look at when “evaluating charities
not currently rated on Charity Navigator” are “the financial
health of the organization, their accountability and transparency, and their results.” We’re pleased to say that you’ll find
CSI’s performance outstanding. Pound for pound, dollar for
dollar, we do more than any other organization working for
whales, we’ve done it for decades and we’ll keep at it for years
to come.
Beyond a charity’s success at addressing target issues, a
sure way to judge a non-profit is the ratio between their income and program expenses. Ask yourself how much is applied directly to projects, how much goes into overhead, such
as staff, facilities, and in particular fundraising. CN recommends charities that spend less than 25% on overhead. CSI
overhead costs are below 8%; more than 92% of the donated
dollar goes directly to projects or programs that will benefit
whales, dolphins and porpoises! One analysis of 25 industries showed overhead rates ranged from 13 to 50%, averag-
ing in the mid 20’s. (http://www.bridgespan.org/nonprofitoverhead-costs-2008.aspx) CSI’s overhead costs are far below the average! To confirm this data, view CSI’s publicly
available IRS Form 990-EZ. Simply put, we help people help
whales, worldwide!
So what’s a 990-EZ? Form 990-EZ is the short form of the
990, with a different format. It’s a public document, and the
data is there, but why doesn’t CSI file a 990 as most charities
do? Because, as our CPA has warned us, the cost to prepare
a 990 would be several times what we spend for a 990-EZ,
money better spent helping whales.
We hope you agree that CSI deserves your support as you
read Whales Alive! because we’re involved in almost everything included here! Much of CSI’s quiet advocacy is done
out of the public eye, and we don’t trumpet our successes,
perhaps a flaw since, unlike the larger non-profits, we do litte
promotion. Neither do we focus on fundraising (perhaps another flaw!), but loyal members, knowledgeable donors, and
supporting foundations have kept us relatively healthy and
productive. Members get one mail solicitation a year, asking for support aimed at our IWC advocacy efforts. Donors
get satisfaction knowing their money is well spent! We don’t
send umbrellas, tote bags or membership cards, and even
Whales Alive! is archived online.
AMAZON.COM BANS SALE OF WHALE MEAT:
amazon-com-profits-from-slaughter-of-whales)
After consumer pressure the internet giant relented, pulling the whale meat products from its site, but stopped short
of saying it would institute a permanent ban. The public’s
response: a Change.org petition to Amazon.com that generated over 200,000 signatures in just one week! Amazon
quickly set a policy in place that prohibits the sale of “parts
or products from whale or dolphin” in all its stores. (TW)
Cetacean Society International
“Minke whale to be eaten
raw” for sale on AmazonJapan. Bowing to consumer
pressure, Amazon.com has
banned sales of whale and
dolphin meat/products
from its stores.
Winter, 2012
Photo: EIA-International.org
An Environmental Investigation Agency/Humane Society International report released in February exposed Amazon.com-Japan’s online sale of 147 whale meat products. In
violation of Japanese labeling laws, many of the products
had no species name, many were found with mercury levels
exceeding Japan’s safety limits and included alleged “whale
meat” products originating from Taiji’s infamous dolphin
drive hunts.
“Amazon is selling threatened and endangered cetacean
species that are protected by two international treaties,” said
EIA’s Clare Perry. “By allowing vendors to sell whale products on its sites, it is effectively helping to prop up an unsustainable trade that should have been consigned to the
history books long ago.” (http://www.eia-international.org/
SAVING WHALES IS THE ULTIMATE GOAL
For over three decades we’ve kept our focus on whales and
their kin, while choosing to remain lean, independent and
staffed entirely by volunteers. But we’re always evolving: our
website is being renewed, Whales Alive! is adapting, and CSI
is reaching out in this new age of “social media”. Look for
significant changes in our public face, but know that even
as the issues have grown more numerous and complex, CSI
will continue what we do best: helping people save whales.
--Bill Rossiter
15
HERE’S AN IDEA FOR HONORING SOMEONE!
by Meg Barstow
Would you like to donate a book or books to your local
library, or as a gift to a friend? For book suggestions, email
Patti Sullivan, CSI Education Director at kauaipatty@yahoo.
com.
Padilla Family Photo: Joy Barstow Padilla
In Harlingen, Texas, Joy Barstow Padilla and her four
children Jason, John Robbins, Victoria and Victor purchased books and films and donated them to the library
of St. Paul Academy. They were given “in honor and
memory” of their uncle, Dr. Robbins W. Barstow, Jr., a
leader in saving whales. The collection has already become popular at this Texas elementary school as it is used
for reading by children and for research by their teachers.
Joy wrote about a touching experience Jason, 13, had at
the ceremony dedicating these books:
Jason was standing next to a young girl at the
dedication ceremony. As she was looking at pictures in one of the newly-dedicated books, she saw
a photo of a whale being killed. Distressed, she
turned to him and asked what they were doing. He
explained what was happening to the whale adding,
“That’s why my uncle worked so hard to save them.”
“Yes, but your uncle is dead, so who will protect the whales now?” she asked in dismay.
Jason replied, “You will! That’s why we donated
the books, so that someday you and your friends
will grow up to protect the whales just as he did!”
Joy Barstow Padilla with children
L-R: Victor, 8; Jason, 13; John, 11; Victoria, 9
Climate Change? Whale Poo To The Rescue!
by Taffy Lee Williams
One of the simplest things we can do to help lessen the ef-
fects of greenhouse gases is to boost whale populations. Believe it or not, whale “poo” can slow global warming!
We now know how important the by-products of cetaceans are to our oceans. Their waste products infuse massive
amounts of micronutrients, and especially iron, into seawater, which has lately, with the decreasing numbers of whales,
become more and more anemic. If waters are anemic, specifically lacking iron, phytoplankton mass decreases. Simply
put: phytoplankton blooms, generated by the iron-rich whale
fecal matter, suck in enormous amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide through the process of photosynthesis, decreasing global warming. It could truthfully be said, “Whales are
the world’s ‘greenest’ inhabitants!”
The phytoplankton-greenhouse gas reduction and whale
poo link was confirmed in an exciting study by an Australian team from Flinders University. Australian Antarctic
Division Scientist Stephen Nicol believes that before commercial whaling decimated whale numbers, baleen whale
feces produced some 12% of the iron on the surface of the
Southern Ocean. He notes that whale poo is critical to the
health of the oceans, and a significant factor in the absorption of greenhouse gas CO2.
"If you add soluble iron to the ocean, you get instant
phytoplankton growth," says Nicol. (http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18807-whale-poop-is-vital-to-oceans-car
bon-cycle.html) Antarctic krill concentrate iron in their tis16
w w w .csiwha lesa live.o r g
sue as they feed on phytoplankton. Baleen whales then feast
on the krill, and excrete the iron back into the water through
their fecal matter, making it available again to phytoplankton through feces. Whale feces thus fertilize the ocean and
regenerate the cycle.
Nicol’s team discovered that whale feces had 10 million
times as much iron as Antarctic seawater, and that indeed,
the “vast majority of the iron in the poo came from krill.”
(ibid) Krill in fact store about 24% of the iron of the Southern Ocean in their body tissue.
Iron is the limiting micronutrient in the Southern Ocean
and experiments have demonstrated that the addition of
soluble iron to surface waters results in phytoplankton
blooms, particularly by large diatoms. Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) eat diatoms and recycle iron in surface
waters when feeding. Baleen whales eat krill, and, historically, defecation by baleen whales could have been a major mechanism for recycling iron, if whale faeces contain
significant quantities of iron. We analysed the iron content in 27 samples of faeces from four species of baleen
whale. Faecal iron content (145.9 ± 133.7 mg kg−1) is
approximately ten million times that of Antarctic seawater, suggesting that it could act as a fertilizer. Furthermore, we analysed the iron content of seven krill species
and of muscle tissue of two species of baleen whales; all
samples had high iron levels. Using these figures, together with recent estimates of the range and biomass
of krill, we calculate that the Antarctic krill population
contains approximately 24% of the total iron in the surface waters in its range. Thus, krill can act as a long-term
reservoir of iron in Antarctic surface waters, by storing
the iron in their body tissue. Pre-exploitation populations
of whales and krill must have stored larger quantities of
iron and would have also recycled more iron in surface
waters, enhancing overall ocean productivity through a
positive feedback loop. Thus, allowing the great whales to
recover might actually increase Southern Ocean productivity through enhancing iron levels in the surface layer.
(Fish and Fisheries Volume 11, Issue 2, pages 203–209,
June 2010)
Dispersed throughout the marine food web, phytoplankton and krill are consumed by many aquatic species, and
throughout the ecosystem, a surge in their biomass would
help support and enhance overall species’ populations.
However, findings from a team of scientists at Canada’s Dalhousie University show that phytoplankton levels have fallen
dramatically since the 1950’s. Phytoplankton’s global drop of
40% since 1950 equates to a shocking annual decline of 1%
of the average population between 1899 and 2008.
"It's very disturbing to think about the potential implications of a century-long decline of the base of the food chain,"
said lead author Daniel Boyce, a marine ecologist. They include disruption to the marine food web and effects on the
world's carbon cycle. In addition to consuming CO2, phytoplankton can influence how much heat is absorbed by the
world's oceans, and some species emit sulfate molecules that
promote cloud formation.
"Their identification of a connection between long-term
global declines in phytoplankton biomass and increasing
ocean temperatures does not portend well for [ocean] ecosystems in a world that is likely to be warmer," they wrote.
"Phytoplankton productivity is the base of the food web, and
all life in the sea depends on it." (http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=phytoplankton-population)
The study confirmed the Flinders University research that
found the biological processes of some 12,000 sperm whales
in the Southern Ocean act as a carbon sink, and that the
CO2 absorption capacity was diminished by large-scale removal of sperm whales during industrial whaling.”
act as a carbon sink may have been diminished by largescale removal of sperm whales during industrial whaling.
(Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Iron defecation by
sperm whales stimulates carbon export in the Southern
Ocean. 2010.)
Actually, how much carbon is this? Removing 200,000
tons of carbon from the atmosphere is the equivalent of
taking 40,000 cars off the road. (http://motherjones.com/
blue-marble/2010/06/whale-poop-fights-climate-change)
But whale poo is not just full of iron. Half a world away, a
team in the Bay of Fundy and Gulf of Maine also found that
through metabolic processes, whales lift nutrients from the
ocean depths to surface seawater. Whales relieve themselves
at the surface because their metabolic processes shut down
at depths. As researchers found, nitrogen levels rose during
whale diving and surfacing activities, creating a “fertilizing
effect” that benefits a host of marine animals.
The nitrogen input from whale waste in the Gulf of Maine
is "more than the input of all rivers combined" - an estimated
23,000 tonnes per year, write study co-authors Joe Roman, a
University of Vermont conservation biologist, and Harvard
University zoologist James McCarthy. Roman added that
whale waste encourages the growth of phytoplankton, which
then "pushes up the secondary productivity" as animals that
feed on plankton take advantage of the poop-fuelled bounty. Such nitrogen recycling promotes "bigger fisheries and
higher abundances throughout regions where whales occur
in high densities," Roman added. (http://www.calgaryherald.
com/technology/Whale+poop+enriches+marine+food+stu
dy/3679423/story.html#ixzz1ATy4cFqq)
This information should provoke nothing less than the
cessation of all whaling, urgent action to implement protective measures for their habitat and food supplies, and to ensure the remaining whales of each species are free to recover,
repopulate and in turn help heal the earth.
Here, we show that by consuming prey at depth and defecating iron-rich liquid faeces into the photic zone, sperm
whales (Physeter macrocephalus) instead stimulate new
primary production and carbon export to the deep ocean.
We estimate that Southern Ocean sperm whales defecate
50 tonnes of iron into the photic zone each year. Molar
ratios of Cexport: Fe added determined during natural
ocean fertilization events are used to estimate the amount
of carbon exported to the deep ocean in response to the
iron defecated by sperm whales. We find that Southern
Ocean sperm whales stimulate the export of 4 x 105 tonnes
of carbon per year to the deep ocean and respire only 2 x
105 tonnes of carbon per year. By enhancing new primary
production, the populations of 12,000 sperm whales in
the Southern Ocean act as a carbon sink, removing 2 x 105
tonnes more carbon from the atmosphere than they add
during respiration. The ability of the Southern Ocean to
Cetacean Society
Whales defecate at the surface leaving a flocculant plume suitable for analysis. Researchers have found the canine’s keen sense
of smell can help them locate the poo. Here, Tucker, ready to
sniff out whale poo, gazes out to sea. (Photo: news.bbc.co.uk/
cbbcnews)
International
Winter, 2012
17
TO O M U C H PA P E R ? M A I L B O X C L U T TE R ?
D I D Y O U K N O W. . .
...that CSI’s WHALES ALIVE! is available on the internet? You can help us help whales by reading this newsletter
on the web and saving us the costs of printing and postage. Let us know! Contact [email protected],
then visit www.csiwhalesalive.org to read archived editions and follow all the latest developments!
MASS BALLOON RELEASES continue to plague wildlife and contribute to the overwhelming pollution
Evidence that ship noise increases
stress in right whales came from opportunistic re-
search using data collected just before and after September, 11, 2001. Normal ship traffic in the Bay of Fundy, Canada, was greatly reduced just
after 9/11, resulting in a 6 dB decrease in underwater noise with “a significant reduction below 150 Hz”, a frequency range of great significance to
North Atlantic right whales (NARW). This noise reduction was associated
with decreased baseline levels of stress-related fecal hormone metabolites (glucocorticoids) in right whales. Compared to their South Atlantic
counterparts, the reproductive rate is low among the 475 NARW alive today. Stress is known to affect the immune system and reproduction; noise
causes stress, and human noise reverberates within the narrow coastal corridor, critical habitat to right whales. We noted that the field assistants with
the most sophisticated equipment received no acknowledgement, and hope
that the dogs with incredible poop-sniffing noses receive due credit next
time. The article published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B can be
freely downloaded from rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org. (WR)
18
w w w .csiwha lesa live.or g
Photo Orlando Sentinel
problems in our oceans. Warmer weather brings graduations, outdoor memorial services, parties, holiday festivities, promotional advertising and any of the events that have become venues for the release of hundreds to thousands of balloons. The
balloon industry mantra, “Latex balloons are completely biodegradable,” and “Balloons degrade as fast as an oak leaf,” fail to
acknowledge that as latex balloons can take 6 months to 4 years to biodegrade, they continue to be swallowed by whales, dolphins, sea turtles and birds. What’s more, most tethering strings and ribbons never degrade and cause the entanglement death
of many birds and turtles who mistake them as prey: plankton, squid, jellyfish, or kelp. Sign the petition (www.thepetitionsite.
com/3/Help-Stop-Mass-Balloon-Releases/) and
Marine Mammal Protected Areas are the focus then stand with us to say: “I PLEDGE to protect
of an engrossing eight minute tour of the oceans provided by Google Earth: our environment and release NO BALLOONS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-ZW1U1eNIU&feature=youtu.be into the atmosphere at any time.” (TLW)
for this extraordinary display of where and why cetaceans are protected. EndanEmbedded videos provide extra information, sure to leave you searching gered logfor more. During the tour you’ll zoom underwater, seeing what undersea gerhead
mountains look like. In fact, on your own, Google Earth’s flight simulator turtle
will have you doing loops in the Puerto Rican trench or zooming along the hatchling
East coast’s continental shelf. The tour includes Cape Cod Bay, with an swims
embedded video of a North Atlantic right whale skim feeding the surface through
for its preferred plankton prey, Calanus. CSI’s especially proud to say that balloon
debris.
this contribution came from CSI Director Dan Knaub’s Whale Video Company’s archive of thousands of cetacean behavior videos. Dan’s a contributor to Google Oceans; look for his icons.
ADOPT
The video was produced after the Second International Conference on
THIS
Marine Mammal Protected Areas, held on Martinique in November. CSI
WHALE!
grants were awarded to several participants at this conference. For a fullsize, highly detailed (21mb) chart of Erich Hoyt’s Marine Protected Areas
for Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises go to: http://web.mac.com/erich.hoyt/
www.erichhoyt.com/MPA_files/MPAs4Whales_WorldMap_Poster_2011.
Salt and Calf
pdf. (WR)
See Page 9
CSI’s Annual Public Meeting on February 9, 2012
The Following 2012 Officers and Directors were Elected. One CSI ByLaw was Amended.
CSI Officers:
President: William Rossiter, Redding, CT
Vice-President: Brent Hall, Cheshire, CT
Secretary: Jessica L. Dickens, Hartford, CT
Treasurer Barbara Kilpatrick, West Hartford, CT
CSI Board of Directors:
Deborah Adams, New Richmond, OH
Brian M. Benito Jr, Suffield, CT
Rachel DeCavage, Southington, CT
Paul J. DiGangi, Nantucket, MA
David Kaplan Esq., West Hartford, CT
Paul Knapp, Jr., Lake Wales, FL
A. Daniel Knaub, Mechanicsburg, PA
Gary Pontelandolfo, Winsted, CT
Heather Rockwell, Marstons Mills, MA
Leesa Sklover PhD, Washington Depot, CT
Patricia Sullivan, Nantucket, MA
George A. Upton, Glastonbury, CT
Nathalie Ward, Ph.D, Woods Hole, MA
Taffy L. Williams, Tuckahoe, NY
CSI Board of Directors Alternates:
Jennifer Almquist, New Preston, CT
Lea Brown, Bridgeport, CT
Stephen Chelminski, Antrim, NH
Brian Chmielecki, Taftville, CT
Martha Fitzgerald, Hartford, CT
Ralph Formica, CPA, Cromwell, CT
Elizabeth Larson, Provincetown, MA
Jeffrey Mills, Vernon, CT
Cherron Payne, West Hartford, CT
Jean Rioux, East Hartford, CT
Steve Roys, Winsted, CT
Sue Wachtelhausen, Wethersfield, CT
Fred Wenzel, Sandwich, MA
One Amendment to CSI’s ByLaws was approved:
Article VI – Board of Directors: 1. The
Board of Directors shall consist of the
Officers of the Society and an additional
fourteen members.
FILM: BIG MIRACLE
Three Gray Whales Continue to Capture the Heart
It was in the midst of the US-Soviet cold war. Reagan was
president, and Gorbachev was General Secretary of the Soviet Union. Three Eastern Pacific gray whales who began
their migration late in the season became trapped under
miles of thickening ice. News of the beleaguered whales, who
were forced to break through freezing ice for every breath,
reached the airwaves, causing a global media frenzy! As the
brutal winter fell on Alaska more than 150 journalists from
over 26 international networks, as well as military officers,
Greenpeace activists, local Eskimos, oil company executives
and even businessmen besieged the frigid, desolate town
of Barrow, Alaska. Enduring temperatures that could easily drop to -50 F in winter, for two weeks media coverage
continued, and hundreds of millions of people around the
world focused on the plight of the three trapped and des-
perate gray whales. Would the breathing hole remain open
so the whales would survive? How could the people help in
the blinding, deadening cold? Compassion for the whales
gripped the world; the urgency of the dilemma even struck
military agencies and world leaders!
Twenty-four years later and with an all-star cast, Hollywood brings us their version of the story, Big Miracle. The
true account is told by Tom Rose, who covered the event for
Japanese TV and then wrote the book, “Freeing The Whales How the Media Created the World’s Greatest Non-Event.”
For greater historical accuracy, read the book, a whale-rescue thriller and example of one species, gray whales, “bringing out the best” in another species, the one we call humanity. (TLW)
C
Whaleman Dan Knaub
Videos: AWESOME
Whales For Kids.
The Whale Video Co.
717-763-9507
www.whalevideo.com
L ASSIFIED
ORNER
Rapture of the Deep:
Humpback Whale Singing. Paul Knapp Whale
Recordings. For more info:
www.whalelistening.com.
Soundings For
The Whale
A Commemorative Educational Album by The Morgans. CD ($25) or cassette
($20) free shipping. Includes educational booklet
with lyrics to all of the
songs. MORGAN PRODUCTIONS, 168 Shore Road,
Clinton, CT 06413-2340.
860-669-6648
Web: http://CrackerbarrelEnts.com/morgans.htm
Meet 15 Amazing Humpback
Whale Families. They have
names, unique personalities and are fascinated with
people. DVD from Whaleman
Videos: 717- 763-9507/www.
whalevideo.com.
Cetacean Society International
Winter, 2012
19
Cetacean Society International
PO Box 953
Georgetown, CT 06829
U.S.A.
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