MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Pro-whalers' progress worries campaigners.
Whale Strandings

PROGRESS by pro-whaling nations at a meeting of the International Whaling Commission this month has caused concern among conservationists and anti-whaling nations.

In last year's meeting (IWC 57) Japan proposed the moratorium on commercial whaling should be lifted, allowing a commercial take of whales again. They also requested that all conservation research be removed from the IWC agenda.

Small majorities beat the proposals, but the next few years may not be as successful. Recent applications have seen several developing nations, such as Cambodia and Gabon, join the IWC despite lack of whaling history or obvious interest.

These nations have all voted in favour of Japan and the pro-whaling nations, pushing the majority vote toward resumption of commercial hunts.

Oli Yates of Falklands Conservation has been keeping a close eye on the situation. This year, he said, out of over 70 members the number of votes has been "alarmingly close" to 50-50, with the St Kitts and Nevis Declaration adopted, despite hard protests from all the anti-whaling nations. "The declaration essentially supports the pro-whaling agenda and states that the IWC will collapse unless whaling resumes, going further to describe the moratorium as a ?temporary measure'."

Japan currently takes up to 965 minke whales, 50 fin whales and 50 humpback whales each year as part of their ?scientific whaling programme', Mr Yates said, "...even though non-lethal research carried out by other nations provides better data.

"The humpback whale is listed as vulnerable and the fin whale endangered under the World Conservation Union, the body that categorises species by threat of extinction. "There are no decent global estimates for any of these whale species, and no estimation at all for the fin whale making it impossible to decide what a ?sustainable catch' would be." It is a sad day, Oli said, when, 20 years after the moratorium on whaling came into effect, a commercial hunt looks set to be reinstated."

So what can the Falkland Islands do to help prevent the pro-whaling nations bringing back the slaughter?

"As an Overseas Territory we already have a vote through the UK, however after following the meeting closely I noted that the UK representatives have had less input than other members.

What can our Councillors do to help push this point to UK ministers?

"We can also act individually by sending protest messages to pro-whaling nations by visiting the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society website and following the anti-whaling campaign link: www.wdcs.org

Find more information on the International Whaling Commission at: www.iwcoffice.org (PN)

Whale Strandings

FISHERIES scientists have begun to investigate the reasons for the whale strandings which occur on Falklands beaches almost every year. As well as being home to various species of dolphin and long-finned pilot whales, the Islands are also on the route followed by large species such as sei and sperm whales as they migrate between tropical and Antarctic waters.

Some species follow prey-rich waters close to shore, putting themselves at risk of stranding. Mass pilot whale strandings can see over 200 animals washed up on the same beach - and they will almost inevitably perish there. It is a regular problem - in mid-May this year scientists had to visit Elephant Beach on East Falkland, where a number of the animals had become stranded.

The new study aims to collate as much data as possible on the location, dates and numbers of stranded whales from early times to the present day. The records will be compared with information on climatic and oceanographic conditions and ocean topography.

Helen Otley, of the Falkland Islands Government Fisheries Department, is currently gathering information on recent pilot whale strandings. She told Falkland Friends: "We hope that collating all the data will help us to predict times that are particularly risky for whales to become stranded."

This will in turn enable landowners and volunteers to be better prepared for periods when strandings are more likely, and could also help to plan seismic or sonar operations (which may cause hearing damage or disorientation) for lower-risk periods.(FF)