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IWMC
World Conservation Trust |
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Whale Watching and Consumptive
Use of Whale
Resources
Editorial by Eugene Lapointe |
Those
who oppose any consumptive use of whales commonly cite whale watching as a
satisfying and economically advantageous alternative to hunting them. Millions
of people who don't know any better, agree in principle. Abolitionist NGOs have
insisted that this "passive use" of the animals causes no harm to the
populations, and that there is no adverse impact on them. This perspective
ignores a number of biological facts.
When any "top of the food chain" species is not itself a prey
object, it increases as long as its habitat is favorable, and beyond, until
stress conditions prevail. In today's world, large whales and man are in
competition for fish and other seafood resources; thus when whales are
selectively protected from hunting by man, a perceived imbalance between whales
and fish occurs. Both whales and fishermen are consciously impacted by their
shared resource use, whether it is space or prey species.
Problems with whales getting themselves entangled in lobster gear, set nets,
and purse seines, are commonly reported. More recently, tragic collisions
between merchant marine traffic and the seriously endangered Atlantic right
whale have been cause for international concern. No one is suggesting that the
right whale should be hunted, but that its food supply and its needs to forage
and migrate are out of balance with man's needs and presence. Similarly,
humpback whales have recovered in the Atlantic and in some other areas, are
encountered by fishermen, commercial marine traffic, and of course, by whale
watchers.
On July 16, a pregnant humpback whale was found dead, floating in Glacier Bay
National Park, in Alaska. Reports from the Park Service and others have led to
the conclusion that a cruise ship is likely to have been responsible for the
fatal strike. One such vessel in the area at the time was of British registry,
and officials are questioning its owners. Humpback whales regularly frequent the
Glacier Bay in the summer, because of its rich and diverse food sources. The
animals are a major tourist attraction and one of the highlights of any cruise.
Because there are so many cruises conducted in the area, and because there are
so many humpbacks present during the summer, the animals may not be particularly
wary of the vessels, and indeed, many often surface and even breech close to the
delighted observers.
The July 16 accident that resulted in the death of the adult whale and its
fetus may not even have been avoidable, given the habits of these animals in the
presence of cruise vessels. Nevertheless, this turned out to be a form of
consumptive use, even though there was no human benefit from the kill. It is
neither the first time, nor will it be the last, that whale watchers have
inadvertently harmed their "prey". We share their unquestionable
remorse and concern, and urge that whale watch advocates put all possible effort
into sponsoring research and legislation that may be put to good use in
prevention of such consumption in the future. It only makes sense to insist that
cruise ships have and use the technology to detect subsurface animals and their
speed and direction, so that they may take appropriate evasive action. If this
technology is not yet deployed on such vessels, then it is high time to remedy
the situation.
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