Trying to help Springer

FOR THIS IMAGE THANKS TO CNN.COM

(SEATTLE - Washington) - After months of doubt and polemics scientists has took a decision. The one ton female baby killer whale nicknamed "Springer" will be reunited with it's pod in Canadian waters.

The spokesman of the National Marine Fisheries, Bob Lohn, said that the animal will be captured, medicated (her conditions aren't good) and transported as soon as possible (perhaps with an Hovercraft) to Vancouver waters. Once there, Springer would be held in a pennel lagoon for acclimation. According to plan she will be reunited with her pod during summer, when the pod passes through the area. Costs are big but will be useful to understand killer whale biology and sociality.

We hope that next year little Springer will be swimming happy with his pod.

related news 13/05/2002 26/03/2002 02/03/2002

IWC annual meet

FOR THIS IMAGE THANKS TO CNN.COM

(SHIMONOSEKI - Japan) - The annual meet of the IWC (International Whaling Commission) has started, as foreseeable, with helicopters and Coast Guard in surveillance, to fend off any seaborne protest.

The pro-whaling nations has suffered the first defeat with the rejection of the Iceland bid for full membership. This is an important decision because its return to full membership would have given the pro-whaling group a majority for the resumption of commercial whaling.

Iceland could remain as observer and not as a voting member. The pro-whaling nations, in spite of only two (Japan and Norway) has a whaling industries, are many but Greenpeace accuse Japan of vote buying. Stefan Asmundsson head of IWC's Iceland delegation said "they have gone against our rights"..."it's an illegal act".

Norway has objected to the moratorium that since 1986 has stopped the whaling and Japan continues whaling for "scientific research" (last year 400 minke whales) but whale meat goes to Japanese restaurants and shops.

As in the last year IWC reunion, has failed the collection of the 3/4 votes necessary for the creation of two sanctuaries in southern hemisphere. Australia and New Zealand says that sanctuaries are necessary for protecting many whales still in danger, on the other hand Japan says that whale are not in danger because from 1986 whales can't be hunted.

Another Japan query has rejected, the proposal to take 150 minke whale (50 more then last season) for expanding the "whaling program research". Masayuki Komatsu, a fisheries official, said "i'm disappointed".

Another pro-whaling request has turned down (in two times voting), but in this case United States and Russia were the proponent, they asked to the IWC to renew the quotas that allows their native peoples to kill whales (eskimo whale hunt a millenary tradition); also Japan voted against this request perhaps to punish the U.S. governments for his opposition to the commercial whaling. The ban would begin in 2003. 

U.S. and Russia delegates asked for allowing American Makah Indians, Eskimos Inuit and russian Chukotka to catch a quote of whales (not for commercial purpose but for nutritional needs).

Rolland Schmitten told "In the 56 years of history of the IWC, that was the most unjust, unkind, unfair, vote that was ever taken".

Other japan request rejected were:

- to lift the global ban on commercial whaling

- the right to coastal whaling

So has closed one of the most divisive IWC reunion of those years. 

Next year in Berlin.

related news 10/05/2002

Attention !!!

(CETACEAN SANCTUARY) - It's Spring time, the most propitious season for whale-watching is starting.

All you are invited to the Sanctuary, lovely sunny days in contact with whales and dolphins. For this season the excursions number will grow up exponentialli.

Baby killer whale is sick

(SEATTLE - Washington) - Scientists says that the young killer whale separated from her family group (we are talking about since January), has health problems.

A skin ailment has led to discoloration and sloughed skin, she also has ketosis, breath that smells, metabolic problems, underweight and fecal parasites.

So a quickly decision must be taken to save her in spite of polemics and different obinions between scientists, ambientalists. 

related news 26/03/2002 02/03/2002

New IWC Reunion

(TOKYO - Japan) - During the next IWC (International Whaling Commission) reunion (20 may 2002) Japan hopes to gain a simple majority from the 43 members; this will not be enought for lifting the moratorium, but will constitute a significant symbolic step. Japan wants to resume whaling and precisely to capture minke-whales considered in a sufficient number for being hunted again. The streets of Tokyo has seen the pro-whalers marching; they walked behind a giant whale balloon shouting "Resume whaling! Fight on, Japan! We'll eat whale!!" theese events has not been stopped by the important, but not happy, news given from experts; they sayd that whale meat may be tained with mercury, cancer-causing dioxins, or polychlorinated biphenyls and so dangerous for human eaters ("Whale are at the top of the food pyramid, so that any pollutants in the oceans concentrate in their bodies" Yoko Timiyama chair woman of the Consumer Union of Japan). Surely this is a sad news, we are killing whales directly or indirectly.