Sunday, September 16, 2007
Save the whales dude!
Our planet's whales are fighting a fight caused by us. They are fighting for their lives.
Whales face more threats today than at any other time in history. More than 30 000 whales were killed for commercial purposes in 1986. Commercial whaling was banned for more than two decades but Japan, Norway and Iceland continue fireing harpoons into these gentle creatures for products that nobody needs. Now the beautiful humpback whale is being targeted by the Japanese government. Less than 1% of the humpback whales in the Antarctic are left unharmed. This leaves us with a big problem...one with epic preportions! After two decades of protection, whalers are continuing to kill the humpbacks, even though more than 90% of their population has been killed in the last 30 years. Hunting a specific species can lead to endangerment or worse, extinction.
The harpoons are ready and the whaling season has begun for the Norwiegan government. The government plans to take 670 Minke whales in in the only open commercial whale hunt, where as the Japanese government, aim to kill 210 Minke whales. The Japanese are killing Brydes, Sei and Sperm whales in the north-western Pacific, for supposed "scientific research". Iceland, the third whaling nation, has not yet made a descision on this years season or if their "scientific research" will continue.
Expectations for the recovery of whale population are expected to take over a century. This is not a good situation and the only way we can stop it is to call all whaling nations to come to an abrupt halt. This is the only way to recover all lost whales. Will Japan, Norway and Iceland ever learn to stop?
How long can we protect them for? Finally some effort has payed off. Worldwide conservation efforts are seeing success and some whale populations are on the verge of bouncing back.
By Isabelle Macnicol 2007
all rights remain reserved by
the whale buddies.
Whales face more threats today than at any other time in history. More than 30 000 whales were killed for commercial purposes in 1986. Commercial whaling was banned for more than two decades but Japan, Norway and Iceland continue fireing harpoons into these gentle creatures for products that nobody needs. Now the beautiful humpback whale is being targeted by the Japanese government. Less than 1% of the humpback whales in the Antarctic are left unharmed. This leaves us with a big problem...one with epic preportions! After two decades of protection, whalers are continuing to kill the humpbacks, even though more than 90% of their population has been killed in the last 30 years. Hunting a specific species can lead to endangerment or worse, extinction.
The harpoons are ready and the whaling season has begun for the Norwiegan government. The government plans to take 670 Minke whales in in the only open commercial whale hunt, where as the Japanese government, aim to kill 210 Minke whales. The Japanese are killing Brydes, Sei and Sperm whales in the north-western Pacific, for supposed "scientific research". Iceland, the third whaling nation, has not yet made a descision on this years season or if their "scientific research" will continue.
Expectations for the recovery of whale population are expected to take over a century. This is not a good situation and the only way we can stop it is to call all whaling nations to come to an abrupt halt. This is the only way to recover all lost whales. Will Japan, Norway and Iceland ever learn to stop?
How long can we protect them for? Finally some effort has payed off. Worldwide conservation efforts are seeing success and some whale populations are on the verge of bouncing back.
By Isabelle Macnicol 2007
all rights remain reserved by
the whale buddies.
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