Nearly 12 months ago a proposal to allow Greenland to increase their permitted whaling rights to include 10 humpback whales per year was rejected. Now humpback whales are back on the radar as the proposal is being resubmitted to the IWC (International Whaling Commission) for further consideration of the proposal for 10 of these beautiful mammals to be caught each year.
The request, which will be submitted by Denmark, is being proposed under the category of Aboriginal Subsistence Whaling, which is meant to enable countries to continue to hunt an agreed number of whales in order to maintain the culture and subsistence requirements of indigenous people who depend on whale products. The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) is calling on people to lobby representatives on the IWC to decline the request as they do not believe the additional 10 whales are necessary for Aboriginal Subsistence
In addition to the loss of 10 whales from the humpback whale population, which in itself would be a terrible crime, the WDCS has also expressed concern at the number of other animals that would be at risk as a result of approving the application. In a letter on their website that will be sent to a number of recipients including UK Secretary of State for the Environment, Hilary Benn, and Minister for the Environment from Ireland, John Gormley, as well as their counterparts across Europe, the WDCS points out that,
“In addition to its whale hunts, Greenland kills 4,000 dolphins, porpoises and small whales every year, but these hunts are not taken into account by the IWC when it calculates how many whales can be killed to meet Greenland’s need.”
WDCS also points out that the amount of whales Greenland is currently permitted to hunt – 19 fin whales and 212 minke whales – already leaves the country with a surplus to that needed to fulfil their requirements. This claim is made based on the knowledge the whale meat and blubber is sold in supermarkets across the country, and this is without a further 10 creatures added to the bill. To show your support for the humpback whales, join the campaign and send a letter to those who can make the right decision about Denmark’s proposal by visiting the WDCS website.
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Tags: dolphins, humpback whales, IWC, unsustainable fishing, WDSC, whaling