13 million people enjoyed whale watching in 119 countries resulting in more than $2 billion in expenditure
“It proves that whale watching is an internationally dynamic industry that is not only offers significant commercial benefits for local communities, creating jobs and new businesses but also offers a terrific opportunity to educate the public about whales and the marine environment.”
“And it further reinforces the point that whales are worth more to nations alive than dead, with the economic benefits of whales extending far beyond hunting them.”
The Hon. Peter Garrett MP Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts Aus.
Whale watching has significant educational, environmental, scientific and other socio-economic benefits. Local guides trained as naturalists expand scientific and local knowledge. The scientific programs of several research organizations have flourished through collaborations with local whale-watch operations. Data collection on board whale-watching platforms has been instrumental in establishing marine protected areas and sanctuaries that benefit people, whales and the environment.
Whale watching offers communities a sense of identity and cultural pride. In many places, whale watching provides valuable, sometimes crucial, income to local people through the creation of new jobs and businesses. It also helps foster appreciation of the marine environment through hands-on education and research.
Whalewatch’s report shows “there is no humane way to kill a whale at sea”. The gunners themselves admit that if whales could scream the industry would stop, for nobody would be able to stand it …. Dr Harry Lillie
Fisheries, Not Whales, To Blame For Shortage Of Fish
The argument that increasing whale populations are behind declining fish stocks is completely without scientific foundation. In the past reports
presented three reports debunking the science behind the ‘whales-eat-fish’ claims emanating from whaling nations Japan, Norway and Iceland.
Cruel Killing Methods
Whaling nations claim that the killing methods used are humane . Firstly the whale is franticly chased across the seas for hours and then shot with a harpoon grenade. This grenade tipped harpoon explodes inflicting severe pain. The fortunate ones die from the shock and exertion of the chase alone. Once embedded inside the whale the grenade explodes causing massive trauma and internal bleeding from lacerations, this results in agonizing pain and suffering.
In addition shockwaves from the blast cause neurotrauma, that is brain and spinal chord damage which is meant to kill the whale with in 2 minutes. However in order to better preserve the integrity of the flesh a lower amount of explosive is used, therefore the whale takes longer to die and consequently suffers for longer.
In most cases the whales are fully conscious as they slowly die from these horrific wounds and so suffer extreme fear and distress. So profuse is the bleeding that many of the whales spew blood from the blow holes on the top of their heads. They eventually are dragged on to the ships and with some butchered alive
No stunning methods are at any time during these slaughters
Whaling is not sustainable:
A) whales mature slowly, the impact of even a single death will have long
reaching effects for the future of that species and, ultimately on
the environment as a whole.
B) Unsustainable fuel is consumed by the whaling fleets en route to the Antarctic and other open seas. Also, fuel is consumed by the freezing ship for transporting the byproducts of whaling to the Japanese markets.
Consumption, Contamination, Catastrophe The blubber and meat of whales in some areas are so highly contaminated with organochlorines such as PCBs heavy metals and pesticides that it would be classified “hazardous” to human health. Organochlorines and heavy metals are known to damage development of children and affect reproduction.
Whale droppings is vital to ocean’s carbon cycle Saving endangered baleen whales could boost the carbon storage capacity of the Southern Ocean, suggests a new study of whale feces. Whale feces once provided huge quantities of iron to a now anaemic Southern Ocean, boosting the growth of carbon-sequestering phytoplankton.
