READ RECENT NEWS FROM OUR WHALING CAMPAIGN

Norway's whaling season began yesterday, with the government upping their quota from 670 whales in 2004 to 800 whales this year. 

The whale hunt already flies in the face of an international ban on commercial whaling instituted in 1986, and has drawn the condemnation of  Whalewatch, a coalition of more than 140 non-governmental organizations from over 55 countries. WSPA is a founding member of Whalewatch.

A beached sperm whale in Norway. Bernardo Alps photo

  “By increasing the number of whales that it plans to kill this year, Norway is once again defying world opinion and flouting the existing international ban on commercial whaling," said Kitty Block, from the HSUS/Humane Society International (HSI), who was speaking on behalf of Whalewatch.

Government inspectors replaced with machines

For the first time, Norway's whaling boats will sail without a government inspector aboard.  In the past, inspectors were used to track the outcome of the hunt, including how long it took for a harpooned whale to die. This year these inspectors have been replaced with an automated data-collection mechanism called a ‘Blue Box' that is not expected to be able to verify that whales are killed humanely as reliably as a live observer could. The boxes should record when a harpoon is fired and when a carcass is winched aboard, but cannot necessarily ascertain the time of death.

Is a humane whale hunt possible?

According to a comprehensive report released by Whalewatch last year, whales can take over two minutes to die after being harpooned and in some cases for over an hour after the harpoon has struck.  The report, titled, 'Troubled Waters,' provides hard scientific evidence into the welfare implications of modern whaling activities.  It supports what has long been believed, that these highly evolved mammals experience extreme trauma and suffering in the hunt and kill process.

Pro-whaling nations wrestle for upper hand

Despite the fact that the International Whaling Commission (IWC) bans commercial whaling, Norway, Japan and Iceland have continued to hunt whales, with a death toll of over 25,000 since 1986. More than 1,400 whales are expected to die this year alone.  Japan and Iceland kill hundreds of whales between them each year for ‘research' but then sell the meat commercially. Pro-whaling nations work hard to influence the IWC, hoping to resume large-scale commercial whaling.

In June, the IWC will hold its annual meeting in Ulsan, South Korea, and pro-whaling countries may have a voting majority for the first time. Whalewatch will be lobbying to keep the ban on whaling in place and prevent any compromise deal that could bring back commercial whaling.

The US Government needs to hear your opinion on whaling!

The United States historically has been supportive of the ban on commercial whaling.  But with constant pressure from Japan and other pro-whaling nations to compromise, whale advocates need your help to ensure that the US stays strong.  Please take a moment to call the National Marine Fisheries Service to send the message that the American public will not stand for any moves that would make way for the resumption of commercial whaling:

National Marine Fisheries Service
Office of the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries
Dr. William T. Hogarth
301-713-2239
cyber.fish@noaa.gov

Want to spread the message even further?  We encourage you to register your concern with your Representatives in Congress.  Don't know who your Senators or Congresspeople are, or how to contact them? Click here for a complete listing of Senate and House of Representatives contact information.