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Japan, which kills about 60 rare Baird’s beaked whales per year, does so by arguing that they are small cetaceans, even though they can grow larger than minke whales. And like other fish and ocean mammals at the top of the food chain, they are dangerously high in mercury. And they are rare, perhaps endangered. But that doesn’t seem to mean shit to Japan. Scientists believe they’ve discovered proof of a new form of unregulated whaling along the coastlines of Japan and South Korea – “bycatch” whaling. “Bycatch” refers to whales killed incidentally by legal coastal fisheries. Japan and South Korea are the only countries allow for the commercial sale of “bycatch” whale products. According to Scott Baker of Oregon State University, “DNA analysis of whale-meat products sold in Japanese markets suggests that the number of whales actually killed through this ‘bycatch whaling’ may be equal to that killed through Japan’s scientific whaling program – about 150 annually from each source.” Along with Vimoksalehi Lukoscheck of the University of California-Irvine, Baker told the International Whaling Commission at its most recent conference that “46 percent of the minke whale products they examined in Japanese markets originated from a coastal population, which has distinct genetic characteristics, and is protected by international agreements.” In past years, Japan has reported as few as 19 minke whales killed in a single year through bycatch. According to Baker, the price of an adult minke whale can reach as high as $100,000, and he says, “Given these financial incentives, you have to wonder how many of these whales are, in fact, killed intentionally.” In 2008, Korean police broke up an illegal whaling operation in Ulsan, where they reportedly seized 50 tons of minke whale meat.  Fisheries officials examine dead whale attached to cruise ship bow in Vancouver, BC (Darryl Dyck / THE CANADIAN PRESS) The Sapphire Princess cruise ship docked in Vancouver on Saturday with a dead 70 fin whale stuck to its bow. It’s not clear if the ship killed the whale or just dragged its already dead carcass back to port. Fin whales (also called finback whales) are the second largest living creatures on the planet, smaller only than blue whales, and they are listed as an endangered species in Canada. Ship strikes remain a very serious threat to many species of whales, including the North Atlantic right whales, of which only about 350 are believed to remain.  Bubbie and Flapjack Australian Olympian Leisel Jones has launched a new cartoon that urges kids to help stop the killing of whales. The cartoon, which premiered on Australian TV earlier this week, follows the adventure of Flapjack the Sailor who befriends Bubbie The Blue Whale. Check out this video. The Assuies really don’t like whaling very much. It’s a feature piece on a kids cartoon that shows graphic images of whale hunting and butchering. Jones gives some good interview in the video, and there are also a few bites from Skye Bortoli, founder of Teens Against Whaling. And let’s none of us forget that Leisel Jones has one of the greatest tramp stamps of all times.  Leisel Jones' Olympic Rings And if anyone knows what the hell “spruiks” means – or how you say it – please let me know.  A Northern Krill - This is what a lot of whales eat In order to protect the food supply of whales, the NOAA has banned krill harvesting in parts of the Pacific Ocean off California, Oregon and Washington. It seems that krill harvesting is processed for food in salmon farms, home aquariums, and for human consumption in something called Krill Oil. The web sheet Natural News argues that a more eco-conscious choice for marine Omega 3 oils is “green-lipped mussel oil” from “aquatic farms that are not fed anything other than the natural phytoplankton circulating in the water.” They go on to add:
I don’t know if it’s possible to find out if the fish farm fish you buy comes from an eco-conscious farm or not, but I suppose it couldn’t hurt to ask. You might know Kristin Bauer as Pam on True Blood. Or you might remember her as “man hands” on Seinfeld. But now you can know her as someone who hates whaling! Kristin is currently working on behalf of the IFAW‘s Tails For Whales campaign. The Tails for Whales campaign involves you going to this web sheet and uploading a picture of yourself making a whale tail with your hands. IFAW will use your image (maybe) in petition and images spots for the organization. And I think there’s about a widget for your facebook too…Honesty, they could use a better web sheet, imo. Here’s a picture of Kristin Bauer doing this correctly: And here’s an example of someone doing it wrong, wrong…wrong. And here’s another picture of Kristin Bauer  Kristin Bauer hates whaling (and shark de-finning too) A study published this month’s issue of Nature Reviews Cancer asserts that cancer threatens the survival of some species, including beluga whales in the North American St. Lawrence River system. These whales have a high rate of intestinal and breast cancer, due to pollutants in their habitat. Suddenly this video isn’t so funny anymore.  Migaloo, The White Whale According to his official web sheet: “MIGALOO has survived the Japanese Whale slaughter in the Southern Ocean and has just cruised into Queensland waters.” In case you don’t know who Migaloo is, he’s a real-life all white humpback whale that frequents the Queensland coast of Australia. He’s the only documented all-white adult humpback whale on the planet, and his name means “white fella” in the aboriginal tongue. |
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