WWF - 61st International Whaling Commission meeting

Slow swimming whale meeting makes climate change breakthrough

2009-06-26

Madeira, Portugal – The International Whaling Commission adopted a major climate change resolution on the last day of its 61st meeting, although it failed to take decisions on contentious whaling issues after days of negotiations that have hampered its progress in recent years.

On Thursday, IWC member countries unanimously agreed to adopt a resolution on climate change co-sponsored by the United States and Norway. The 85-member body began its annual meeting on Monday, though it set aside most major decisions until later in the year.

The resolution states that climate change is a key threat to whales, and urges governments to commit to reducing their carbon emissions at the UN Climate meeting in Copenhagen in December. It also directs IWC to engage in external climate change meetings in the run up to Copenhagen.

“This is a very positive development that will help ensure that climate negotiations take into account impacts on biodiversity,” said Dr. Susan Lieberman, WWF International Species Programme Director. “However, members did not take action that would stop commercial whaling outside of IWC regulation, which is a fundamental problem that the IWC must address—and which continues today.”

IWC members, for example, did not take action on “scientific whaling” by Japan, which has led to the killing of thousands of whales, particularly in the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary. Under the guise of scientific research, Japan has continued to defy the 1986 moratorium on commercial whaling by hunting whales in both the Antarctic and the North Pacific, claiming that these whales must be killed to answer critical management questions.

Although IWC members did not take decisions on many key whaling-related issues that have dominated negotiations during the annual meeting in past years, they did discuss another prominent whale conservation issue that needs attention – the protection of smaller whales, such as dolphins and porpoises.

That discussion coincided with the release during the meeting on Wednesday of Small Cetaceans: The Forgotten Whales, a new WWF report stating that small whales are disappearing from the world’s oceans and waterways as they fall victim to fishing gear, pollution, and habitat loss – compounded by a lack of conservation measures such as those developed for great whales.

Support for the recommendations in the report at the meeting came from Australian Environment Minister Peter Garrett, who simultaneously announced an AU$500,000 pledge to the IWC for the conservation and protection of smaller whales. Meanwhile, Belgium called for a review of work on conservation and management for small cetaceans to take place before IWC 62 in 2010.

“It is time for the IWC to build on these commitments, to become a modern 21st century convention, and to dedicate itself to the conservation of all whales, great and small,” Dr. Lieberman said.

Disappearing dolphins clamour for attention at whale summit

2009-06-24

Madeira, Portugal: Small whales are disappearing from the world’s oceans and waterways as they fall victim to fishing gear, pollution, and habitat loss – compounded by a lack of conservation measures such as those developed for great whales, according to a new WWF report.

Small Cetaceans: The Forgotten Whales, released today, states that inadequate conservation measures are pushing small cetaceans – such as dolphins, porpoises and small whales – toward extinction as their survival is overshadowed by efforts to save their larger cousins.

“Although great whale species of the world are by no means secure and still require conservation attention, the situation is just as critical for these smaller, seemingly forgotten species,” said Dr. Susan Lieberman, Director of the Species Programme for WWF-International.

While great whales are now protected (to an extent) by the international commercial whaling moratorium, in effect since 1986, small cetacean hunts continue around the globe, largely unmanaged and unchecked by the international community.

For example, the hunt of 16,000 Dall’s porpoises every year in Japan is considered unsustainable. Yet several of the pro-whaling nations taking part in the International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting this week object to discussing small cetacean conservation.

“It is time for the IWC and its members to take full responsibility for the conservation future of all whales great and small. The IWC – and the world - must not ignore the small whales of our planet until it is too late,” said Dr. Lieberman.

A significant disadvantage smaller whale species face compared to great whales is a crippling lack of data on their numbers and habits. Forty of the 69 small cetacean species, or 58%, are classified by IUCN as ‘data deficient’, meaning that there is not enough information available to even determine whether they are threatened or not.

“It must never be assumed that “Data Deficient” means that the species is out of danger - rather, it means that the world’s top scientists just don’t know,” the report says.

Only four out of 15 Species, or 27%, of great whales are listed as data deficient, even though many of the reasons why smaller whale species are difficult to study also apply to the great whales.

According to the IUCN Red List, population trends – whether the species is increasing or decreasing in number – are unknown for 60 of the 69 small cetacean species. The 9 remaining species are in decline.

Great whales also have more protection in international conservation efforts. Almost all great whale species, for example, have the strongest level of protection offered by CITES – a conservation convention which regulates international trade in protected wildlife species – compared to just 17% of dolphin and porpoises species. In addition, the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) protects 87% of great whale species, but less than half of smaller whale species.

Small cetaceans fulfill a critical role in their environment, stabilising and ensuring a healthy and productive ecosystem. They also are part of the highly profitable whale and dolphin watching industry worldwide, which generates over US $1.5 billion each year.

“If small cetaceans are not central to negotiations on current whaling, it is possible that conservation successes achieved for great whales could simply result in a shift of problems from great whales to small cetaceans,” the report states.

IWC 61 runs June 22 to 26 in Madeira, Portugal.

Australia pledges big funds for small whale conservation

2009-06-24

Madeira, Portugal – Australia on Wednesday pledged AU$500,000 (€284,927) to help save the world’s small whales as part of a major contribution to the International Whaling Commission.

Peter Garrett, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts committed to using the funds to protect small whales, dolphins and porpoises during an appearance at the 61st meeting of IWC member countries, taking place this week in Madeira, Portugal. The money will be dedicated to the IWC’s Small Cetacean Fund.

Garrett’s announcement coincided with the release by WWF of a new report entitled Small Cetaceans: The Forgotten Whales, which was unveiled simultaneously with the Australian funding commitment.

Small whales are disappearing from the world’s oceans and waterways as they fall victim to fishing gear, pollution, and habitat loss – compounded by a lack of conservation measures such as those developed for great whales, according to the report.

The report states that while great whales are now protected (to an extent) by the international commercial whaling moratorium, in effect since 1986, small cetacean hunts continue around the globe, largely unmanaged and unchecked by the international community.

“For many small cetaceans the scientific information available is so limited that we are unable to make informed decisions on their conservation status,” Garrett said.

The contribution is part of a larger AU$1.5 million (€854,900) commitment to support IWC activities in three key areas: the Southern Ocean Research Partnership; conservation management plans; and small cetacean conservation research.

“It’s time that someone stood up for the underrepresented whales, dolphins and porpoises,” said Dr. Susan Lieberman, Director of the Species Programme for WWF-International. “Australia’s commitment is a step in the right direction and we call upon other governments to follow suit.”

Meanwhile, the IWC Commissioner of Belgium, Alexandre de Lichtervelde, called for a review of work on conservation and management for small cetaceans to take place before IWC 62 in 2010. Belgium will produce a collaborative paper as a contribution to the discussions on the future of the IWC.

IWC 61 runs June 22 to 26 in Madeira, Portugal.

Norway, Japan prop up whaling industry with taxpayer money

2009-06-19

Economics and Subsidies to Whaling found that Norway and Japan provide commercial whalers with huge government subsidies—even though killing whales is unlikely to ever be profitable without taxpayer support.

“In this time of global economic crisis, the use of valuable tax dollars to prop up what is basically an economically unviable industry, is neither strategic, sustainable, nor an appropriate use of limited government funds,” said Dr Susan Lieberman, Species Programme Director, WWF International.

The analysis considers a range of direct and indirect costs associated with whaling and the processing and marketing of whale products, such as whale meat. Researchers conclude that these costs, combined with declining demand for whale meat and the risk of negative impacts such as trade or tourism boycotts, make commercial whaling unlikely to produce benefits for either country’s economies or taxpayers.

In Norway, for example, the government since 1992 has spent more than US$4.9 million on public information, public relations, and lobbying campaigns to garner support for its whaling and seal hunting industries, according to the report. In addition, government subsidies for the whaling industry have equalled almost half of the gross value of all whale meat landings made through the Rafisklaget, the Norwegian Fishermen’s Sales Organisation.

The report notes similar use of taxpayer funds by Japan. During the 2008-09 season, the Japanese whaling industry, for example, needed US$12 million in taxpayer money just to break even. Overall, Japanese subsidies for whaling amount to US$164 million since 1988.

Other major findings in the report include:

Wholesale prices of whale meat per kg in Japan have been falling since 1994, starting at just over $30/kg in 1994, and declining to $16.40 in 2006.
Norway has spent an additional US$10.5 million covering the costs of an inspection programme from 1993 until 2006, when it was scrapped due to the losses it was causing the country’s whalers.

Exploiting loopholes to continue whaling

Japan and Norway, in defiance of the International Whaling Commission’s moratorium on commercial whaling, kill up to 2,000 whales a year, exploiting loopholes in the IWC’s founding treaty that allow whaling under ‘objection’ to management decisions (Norway) and “scientific” whaling for research purposes (Japan).

Ahead of the 61st IWC meeting next week, researchers point out that killing more whales likely would hurt whale-watching and tourism, trade, and the international image of Norway and Japan – impacts which would far outweigh any economic benefits of whaling.

“It is clear that whaling is heavily subsidised at present,” the report states. “In both Japan and Norway, substantial funds are made available to prop up an operation which would otherwise be commercially marginal at best, and most likely loss making.”

“Norway and Japan are hurting tourism, a potential growth industry in both countries in order to spend millions of dollars obtaining whale meat, the sale of which makes no profit,” said Sue Fisher, WDCS US Policy Director. “How much longer are they going to keep wasting their taxpayer’s money?”

The analysis was conducted by independent economists eftec and commissioned by WWF and the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society.

The International Whaling Commission's 61st meeting is being held in Madeira, Portugal, from 22-26 June. Learn about WWF's work with governments to find the best possible solutions for the conservation of whales, dolphins and porpoises.

Mekong dolphins on the brink of extinction

2009-06-18

The Mekong River Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris) population inhabits a 190km stretch of the Mekong River between Cambodia and Lao PDR. Since 2003, the population has suffered 88 deaths of which over 60 percent were calves under two weeks old. The latest population is estimated between 64 and 76 members.

“Necropsy analysis identified a bacterial disease as the cause of the calf deaths. This disease would not be fatal unless the dolphin’s immune systems were suppressed, as they were in these cases, by environmental contaminants,” said Dr Verné Dove, report author and veterinarian with WWF Cambodia.

Researchers found toxic levels of pesticides such as DDT and environmental contaminants such as PCBs during analysis of the dead dolphin calves. These pollutants may also pose a health risk to human populations living along the Mekong that consume the same fish and water as the dolphins.

“These pollutants are widely distributed in the environment and so the source of this pollution may involve several countries through which the Mekong River flows. WWF Cambodia is currently investigating the source of the environmental contaminants,” said Dr Dove.

High levels of mercury were also found in some of the dead dolphins. Mercury, suspected to be from gold mining activities, directly affects the immune system making the animals more susceptible to infectious disease.

“A trans-boundary preventative health programme is urgently needed to manage the disease affected animals in order to reduce the number of deaths each year,” said Seng Teak, Country Director of WWF Cambodia.

Limited genetic diversity due to inbreeding was another factor in the dolphin deaths.

“The Mekong River dolphins are isolated from other members of their species and they need our help. Science has shown that if the habitat of cetaceans is protected then populations can show remarkable resilience,” said Mr Teak.

The Mekong River Irrawaddy dolphin has been listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species since 2004.

Scientists find whales more endangered in Exxon, BP and Rosneft oil areas

2009-06-11

Gland, Switzerland – Oil and gas exploration by energy giants Exxon, BP and Rosneft is seriously threatening one of the world’s most critically endangered whales, according to a panel of top scientists in a new report.

The Western Gray Whale Advisory Panel (WGWAP), composed of 11 scientists and representatives from Shell and Sakahlin Energy, met in April to discuss how oil and gas development affect the whales’ main annual feeding area off the northeastern coast of Sakhalin Island, Russia.

The scientists found that in 2008 there was a large decrease in the number of whales in their annual feeding area near the shore during a period of loud industrial activity, including a seismic survey. This is significant because if the whales are displaced from this primary annual feeding area, they will have less success reproducing.

“Western gray whale cows with their calves feed near the shore, but the industrial noise resulting from oil and gas development activities is pushing them out of the area,” Doug Norlen from Pacific Environment. “Any disturbance of these critically endangered whales’ behavior is particularly concerning as there are only 130 of them left."

However, Exxon, BP and Rosneft have refused to address their threats to the Western Gray Whale and these oil giants plan to carry out further activities in 2009 including seismic testing, construction and other loud activities that could displace whales from their annual feeding area.

“The new information presented at this meeting has heightened rather than diminished the Panel’s concern that whale distribution and behaviour may have been seriously affected by industrial activities – on land and offshore - in 2008,” according to the panel’s report.

Meanwhile, 35,000 people from across the world have signed on to a petition calling on five major oil companies including Exxon, BP and Rosneft to postpone any new development work in the vicinity of the Western Gray Whale feeding area this summer, and to work with experts find adequate measures to protect the critically endangered population.

WWF is sending the petitions to oil companies this week, urging them to act immediately as the gray whales will start to arrive at their summer feeding area near Sakhalin in a couple of weeks.

“Tens of thousands of people are calling on Exxon, BP and Rosneft to immediately halt their potentially destructive activities at Sakhalin Island this summer, and these companies can either choose to act responsibly or stay their course and help push the western gray whale further toward extinction,” said Aleksey Knizhnikov, WWF Russia.

The panel reiterated it call for a moratorium on all development activities in the area this summer. Because of those concerns, Sakhalin Energy - a partnership between Shell, Gasprom and other sharholders – agreed in April to cancel their proposed 2009 seismic activities in the whales’ feeding area.

The Western Gray Whale is one of the world’s most endangered whales, with only 25-30 breeding females remaining.

Too much to whalers and not enough to conservation in IWC proposals on Japanese whaling: WWF

2009-02-02

Gland, Switzerland – Two “compromise packages” to end the deadlock on so-called scientific whaling are too much of a compromise according to WWF.

The packages, announced today by IWC Chairman William Hogarth, would either phase out Japan’s scientific whaling programme in the Southern Ocean in exchange for Japan being allowed to take a unspecified number of minke whales off its coast in the North Pacific or would allow Japan’s scientific whaling programme to continue in the Southern Ocean if it adheres to annual limits set by the IWC’s Scientific Committee.

“WWF is glad to see the IWC taking steps toward ending the deadlock on commercial whaling, and to ending commercial whaling under the guise of science once and for all, but these compromise packages give too much to the whalers and not enough to whale conservation,” said Dr. Susan Lieberman, director of WWF International’s Species Programme.

“What is needed is a plan to put an immediate halt to all scientific whaling, which simply has no place in the 21st Century,” added Lieberman.

The package makes no mention of other whaling nations Iceland and Norway, which whale under objection to the IWC’s commercial whaling moratorium. Iceland recently announced a quota of 100 fin whales – an endangered species – which is a dramatic increase its original self-assigned quota of nine. They also almost doubled their quota of minke whales.

“No package will heal the IWC if it deals exclusively with one whaling nation and ignores the rest,” added Lieberman. “The world’s whales will not be saved until all governments commit to their conservation together. It is time to bring the IWC into the 21st century—as a whale conservation organization”

The current membership of the IWC is approximately evenly divided between whaling and non-whaling nations, resulting in a political deadlock which makes it impossible to secure the ¾ majority of votes needed to make major changes such as putting an end to Japan’s scientific whaling.

Another baleen whale washes up in Manila Bay

2009-01-05

Manila, Philippines - The lifeless body of another baleen whale was found floating beside a passenger ship moored on Manila Bay’s Pier 13 two days before the end of the year, according to WWF-Philippines.

Measuring 9.8 metres and weighing almost three tonnes, the whale, thought to be either a Minke (Balaenoptera acutorostata) or a Bryde's whale (Balaenoptera edeni) was brought to and buried in a local fish cemetery.

In August 2007 another baleen whale carcass was found floating at the mouth of Manila Bay. Bloated and badly decomposed, it was towed ashore to an isolated cove. After photographs and all possible records were obtained, it was buried properly by a team from the Hamilo Coast with the assistance of WWF.

Due to the condition of the animal’s body, and local concerns about possible health impacts of a large decomposing carcass on the coastline, it was difficult to conduct a proper necropsy at the time and as such the cause of death for the 2007 animal was not determined.

Baleen whales may be harmed in a number of ways: entanglement in fishing gear, heavy boat traffic leading to ship strikes, pollution, and competition with humans for food resources. They could also die from disease.

Between 2001 and 2005 a total of 417 such events were reported on the US Eastern Seaboard, involving both live and dead whales. Of these 292 mortalities were confirmed. However, the cause of death could not be determined for 76 per cent of the animals and so the odds are against ever determining how and why the 29 December whale died.

“Over the past two years the dead carcasses of two baleen whales that we rarely see in the wild these days were found floating in the area of Manila Bay,” said Jose Ma. Lorenzo Tan, WWF-Philippines Vice-Chair.

“Due to new species information about these large filter feeders, no one can say for sure what species they belong to without a proper DNA analysis. We are not even certain what whales these were. Can anyone estimate how many more whale deaths may have occurred in and around Manila Bay, which we do not even know about?”

WWF y CBA inauguran muestra fotográfica: Ballenas azules y jorobadas al palacio “La Moneda”

2008-07-03

Santiago, Chile, 2 de julio de 2008 - En las aguas del Pacífico Sur se han identificado dos importantes ecosistemas, únicos por cuanto resguardan la vida de especies marinas emblemáticas para la conservación nacional y mundial. La majestuosa ballena azul y la carismática ballena jorobada, son las protagonistas de estos parajes de vida en el sur de Chile-Ecorregión Chiloense y en bahía Málaga en Colombia.

La importancia de estos lugares para la conservación se verá reflejado en la exposición fotográfica “Ballenas del fin del mundo: gigantes del mar tras la búsqueda de ecosistemas de vida”, organizada por WWF Chile, WWF Colombia y el Centro Ballena Azul, y patrocinado por el Sello Bicentenario del Gobierno de Chile y el Centro Cultural Palacio La Moneda. Dicha muestra será inaugurada este miércoles 2 de julio a las 12.00 horas, y permanecerá abierta al público durante todo el mes de julio en el Centro Cultural Palacio La Moneda.

La muestra "Ballenas del fin del mundo" cuenta con 16 impactantes imágenes, en donde se exiben momentos únicos de estos gigantes marinos: espectaculares soplos de ballenas azules; saltos y giros de ballenas jorobadas; y principalmente los maravillosos y bien conservados hábitat que las resguardan.

Es importante destacar que este trabajo de divulgación científica-educativa evidencia los esfuerzos de estas instituciones para lograr la conservación de dos importantes ecosistemas marinos del Hemisferio Sur. En donde la zona de la Ecorregion Chiloense (golfo de Corcovado, Chiloé y Guaitecas en el sur de Chile), representa una de las áreas más importantes para la alimentación y el cuidado de crías de ballenas azules; mientras que bahía Málaga es un área de confluencia de ballenas jorobadas durante su temporada reproductiva. En este lugar, llegan a reunirse hasta el 25% de la población total de ballenas jorobadas del Pacífico Sudeste, convirtiendo a Málaga en la zona con la tasa de nacimiento más alta del mundo.

Posteriormente, la muestra viajará por varias ciudades del sur de Chile, para posteriormente seguirá su rumbo a Colombia.

Notas para los Editores:
Sobre WWF, la organización mundial de conservación.
WWF es una de las organizaciones independientes de conservación más grandes y con mayor experiencia en el mundo. WWF se creó en 1961 y es conocida por el símbolo del oso panda. Actualmente cerca de 5 millones de personas cooperan con WWF, la cual cuenta con una red mundial que trabaja en más de 100 países. Para saber más sobre WWF visite: www.panda.org

Sobre WWF en Chile
WWF Chile, se estableció en el año 2002. Trabaja en la investigación y planificación para la diversidad, en la consolidación del sistema de áreas protegidas, la promoción del uso sustentable del bosque nativo, la protección y recuperación de especies amenazadas y la conservación comunitaria de los bosques templados lluviosos del sur de Chile, incrementando las capacidades de las organizaciones locales y fortaleciendo el capital social.

Además, WWF Chile apoya las iniciativas de investigación en torno a la ballena azul y a la planificación de su ecosistema; así como también, junto a otras organizaciones (Centro Ballena Azul, Universidad Austral de Chile, CONAMA y muchos otros), promueve la protección, en forma urgente, de la Ecorregion Marina Chiloense, a fin de proteger uno de los hábitat vitales para la conservación de este mamífero marino. Para saber más sobre WWF Chile visite: www.wwf.cl

Sobre WWF Colombia
WWF Colombia conjuntamente con el Gobierno y organizaciones, ha venido trabajando en el desarrollo de una estrategia de conservación para Bahía Málaga, área ubicada en el pacífico colombiano de importancia estratégica por la amplia riqueza biológica, comprendida en su múltiples ecosistemas que incluyen entornos costeros, marinos y continentales, con una gran abundancia de especies de flora y fauna endémicas y migratoria y hábitat de especies como la ballena jorobada, la cuales permanecen en sus aguas y donde se reúnen hasta el 25% del total del Pacífico Sudeste, durante la temporada reproductiva: presentando la tasa de nacimiento de ballenas jorobadas más alta del mundo. En esta zona actividades como el ecoturismo de observación han contribuido al desarrollo socioeconómico de las poblaciones costeras del Pacífico colombiano.

Sobre Centro Ballena Azul (CBA)
El Centro Ballena Azul (CBA) es una organización sin fines de lucro, creada en el año 2000. El CBA realiza investigaciones multidisciplinarias que buscan comprender de mejor forma los procesos y patrones que determinan el funcionamiento de los ecosistemas marinos, así como identificar potenciales amenazas que afecten la integridad de éstos. La información generada tiene el propósito de impulsar estrategias de conservación, manejo, educación ambiental y desarrollo sustentable, integrando los intereses así como las necesidades de los actores involucrados.

El CBA ha enfocado gran parte de sus esfuerzos en los últimos años a estudiar la ecología de grandes especies emblemáticas marinas como son los delfines, los lobos marinos y las ballenas de Chile y Antártica. Entre éstos, el proyecto "Ecología y conservación de la ballena azul en Chile" ha buscado dilucidar los aspectos ecológicos esenciales que determinan la supervivencia de la ballena azul, el animal más grande que haya jamás existido en la Tierra y que se encuentra en Peligro de Extinción debido a la caza indiscriminada de la que fue objeto.

Entre los resultados más destacados de este proyecto se cuenta con el descubrimiento de un numeroso grupo de estos animales en las aguas de Chiloé y el golfo de Corcovado, relevando esta área como una de las más importantes hasta ahora conocidas, para la alimentación y el cuidado de crías de ballenas azules en todo en el Hemisferio Sur. Por esta importante inciativa, en el año 2006 el Centro Ballena Azul recibió de manos de la presidenta de la República Michelle Bachellete el Sello Bicentenario. Para saber más sobre CBA visite: www.ballenazul.org

Para mayor información, y coordinar entrevistas favor contactar:
Comunicaciones WWF Chile. Tel. +56 63 - 24 45 90 / www.wwf.cl
Susan Díaz Herrera / +56 8-827 71 80 / susan.diaz@wwf.cl

Pasos en favor de la conservación de las ballenas, pero un largo camino por andar

2008-07-01

Santiago de Chile. “Al cierre de la Sexagésima Reunión de la Comisión Ballenera Internacional (CBI) el progreso en la protección de las ballenas se mueve a la velocidad de un caracol, mientras que el número de ballenas asesinadas asciende rápidamente”, dijo Susan Lieberman, directora del Programa de Especies de WWF Internacional. “Se han dado pasos importantes para que la CBI se oriente hacia un futuro más constructivo, auque no se acordaron resoluciones sobre asuntos sustanciosos. Y mientras tanto, la caza “científica” no disminuye”.

Las acciones positivas de este encuentro incluyen la posición consensuada y unilateral del bloque latinoamericano –una resolución oportuna y significativa que coincidió con la primera reunión de CBI llevada a cabo en Suramérica después de más de 25 años. Los 12 gobiernos latinoamericanos miembros de la CBI están apoyando ahora fuertemente la conservación de las ballenas.

Otro gran éxito de la reunión fue la priorización del cambio climático como una amenaza para las ballenas. Un reporte de WWF presentado en este certamen reveló los peligros del cambio climático para los cetáceos –sin duda, un punto en el que estuvieron completamente de acuerdo muchos gobiernos durante la reunión. Por ello, la CBI incluirá, para el siguiente año, un taller de cambio climático, iniciativa apoyada financieramente, además, por algunos gobiernos para que se desarrolle y sea exitosa.

Por otro lado, una serie de nuevos estudios científicos coincidieron en sus conclusiones que las ballenas son inocentes en la disminución de las pesquerías globales, una acusación hecha por países como Japón y Noruega, para poder justificar sus programas de ballenas. La sobrepesca y el exceso de la capacidad de pesca fueron encontrados como las causas reales. Acusar a las ballenas afecta a las naciones en desarrollo, pues las distrae de cualquier debate sobre las razones verdaderas de la disminución de las pesquerías.

“Hacemos un llamado a los países balleneros a que sean más flexibles, y a todos los gobiernos a que estén de acuerdo en que la CBI debe consolidarse como un actor crucial en la conservación de las ballenas”, concluyó Lieberman. “También hacemos un llamado a los gobiernos para que involucren plenamente a las organizaciones no gubernamentales en todas sus deliberaciones en el próximo año. La CBI está en un cruce de caminos; el mundo está observando, y tanto el futuro de la CBI como el de las ballenas del mundo están en equilibrio”.

Notas para el editor:

1. Entre el 23 y 27 de junio de 2008, la Comisión Ballenera Internacional (CBI) está celebrando su reunión anual número 60. En casi un cuarto de siglo, es la primera vez que la CBI se reúne en América del Sur.

2. “Ballenas del fin del mundo: gigantes del mar tras la búsqueda de ecosistemas de vida”, es una muestra fotográfica organizada por WWF Chile, WWF Colombia y el Centro Ballena Azul, y patrocinado por el Sello Bicentenario del Gobierno de Chile y el Centro Cultural de la Moneda. Dicha exposición, se inauguró el pasado martes 24 de junio, en el marco de la 60° Reunión Anual de la Comisión Ballenera Internacional (Santiago, Chile). A través de diversas imagines se evidencian allí los esfuerzos para la conservación de Bahía Málaga (Colombia) y la zona de Chiloé-Corcovado-Chonos (Chile), dos importantes ecosistemas marinos de Suramérica para las dos especies de ballenas que los habitan: la azul (Balaenoptera musculus) y la jorobada (Megaptera novaeangliae). Tanto bahía Málaga como la zona de Chiloé-Corcovado-Chonos. Durante el mes de julio podrá ser visitada en el Centro Cultura de La Moneda, en la capital chilena, y luego continuará su recorrido por algunas ciudades del sur de Chile y Colombia.

Para mayor información:

María Ximena Galeano M.

Oficial de Prensa

WWF Colombia

mxgaleano@wwf.org.co

Celular: (57) 3147008226

Ximena Barrera

Directora de Política Pública y Responsabilidad Corporativa

WWF Colombia.

Some progress for whales – but a long way to go

2008-06-27

WWF has applauded the International Whaling Commission’s willingness to re-examine its role in whale conservation, but is concerned the process might take too long for some threatened whale and dolphin species.

“We applaud moves to take the IWC towards a future much more constructive than a continuing deadlock on commercial whaling”, said Dr. Susan Lieberman, WWF International Species Programme said as the IWC’s 60th meeting drew to a close in Santiago, Chile. “We regret that no resolution has yet been found on any issues of substance, while so-called ‘scientific’ whaling continues unabated.”

A major success at the meeting was the prioritisation of climate change as a significant threat to whales. A well-received WWF report at the meeting revealed the dangerous extent of the climate warming threat to whales – a point made strongly by many governments during the meeting. The IWC will now be holding a special workshop on climate change next year, and several governments have made financial contributions to ensure this initiative is a success.

On other fronts, a series of new scientific studies have conclusively found whales ‘innocent’ of declines in global fisheries, a charge placed on them by Japan, Norway and other nations in order to justify their whaling programmes. Over-fishing and excess fishing capacity were found to be the real culprits. Blaming whales serves to harm developing nations by distracting any debate on the real causes of the declines of their fisheries.

“We call upon whaling countries to show flexibility, and on all governments to agree to move the IWC into a meaningful future for whale conservation,” Dr Lieberman said. “We also call upon governments to fully engage non-governmental organizations in all their deliberations in the coming year.

“The IWC is at a crossroads—the world is watching, and both the future of the IWC and the world’s whales are in the balance.”

Dr Lieberman also applauded the achievement of a unilateral consensus position by the Latin American bloc at the meeting – a timely and significant move which coincided with the first IWC meeting to be held in South America for almost a quarter of a century.

“All 12 Latin American member governments of the IWC are now strongly in support of whale conservation,” she said.

For further information:

Dr Susan Lieberman, Director, Species Programme, WWF-International, IWC Head of Delegation, English, Santiago cell phone (until 28 June) +56 9 8834 4856, slieberman@wwfint.org
Wendy Elliott, Species Programme, WWF-International, English/some French, Santiago cell phone (until 1 July) +56 9 7704 1514, welliott@wwfint.org
Dr Carlos Drews, Regional Marine Programme and Species Coordinator Latin America and the Caribbean, WWF – Latin America and Caribbean Secretariat, Spanish/English/German, Santiago cell phone (until 3 July) +56 9 8834 4834, cdrews@wwfca.org
Ximena Barrerra, Public Policy and Corporate Responsibility Director, WWF-Colombia, Spanish/English, Mobile +57 1 3137652286, xbarrera@wwf.org.co
Ricardo Bosshard, Director, WWF-Chile, Spanish/English, Office +56 63 244 590, ricardo.bosshard@wwf.cl
Cesar Guala Catalan, Marine Conservation & Sustainable Livelihood Program Officer, WWF-Chile, Spanish, Mobile +56 9 8827 7177, cesar.guala@wwf.cl
Susan Diaz, Communications Coordinator, WWF-Chile, Spanish only, Mobile +56 9 9005 5544, susan.diaz@wwf.cl
Patricio Alvarez, Communications Assistant, WWF-Chile, Spanish only, Mobile +56 9 8233 7675, patricio.alvarez@wwf.cl
Andrea Caldas, Coordinator, WWF-Latin America and Caribbean Secretariat, Spanish/English, Santiago cell phone (18 June – 30 June) +56 9 9969 3532, Andrea.Caldas@wwfus.org

About WWF
WWF, the global conservation organization, is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations. WWF has a global network active in over 100 countries with almost 5 million supporters.

WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

Scientists find whales innocent of global decline in fisheries

2008-06-23

The argument that great whales are behind declining fish stocks is completely without scientific foundation, leading researchers and conservation organizations said today as the International Whaling Commission opened its 60th meeting in Santiago, Chile.

The Humane Society International (HSI), WWF and the Lenfest Ocean Programme presented three reports debunking the science behind the ‘whales-eat-fish’ claims emanating from whaling nations Japan, Norway and Iceland. The argument has been used to bolster support for whaling, particularly from developing nations.

“It is not the whales, it is over-fishing and excess fishing capacity that are responsible for diminishing supplies of fish in developing countries,” said fisheries biologist Dr. Daniel Pauly, director of the University of British Columbia Fisheries Centre. “Making whales into scapegoats serves only to benefit wealthy whaling nations while harming developing nations by distracting any debate on the real causes of the declines of their fisheries.”

Who’s eating all the fish? The food security rationale for culling cetaceans, examines the final destination of catches of coastal fisheries in the South Pacific, Caribbean and West Africa. Less than half the catch goes to domestic markets – the majority of the catch supplies markets of affluent countries in the European Union, Japan, North America, and increasingly China. “One can speak of fish migrating from the more needy to the less needy” states the report.

Also presented to the IWC Scientific Committee were the preliminary results from an analysis of the interaction between whales and commercial fisheries in north west Africa. The modeling, supported by the Lenfest Ocean Program, shows no real competition between local or foreign fisheries and great whales.

The great whales spend only a few months in the area during their vast seasonal migrations, eat relatively little while breeding and tend to consume fundamentally different types of food resources than the marine species targeted by both local and foreign fisheries. Inserting modelling assumptions to presume that great whales are not breeding in the area and eat species important to the fishing industry still fails to show that great whales are a significant source of competition to fishing, the report concluded.

Also released today is a review of the scientific literature originating from Japan and Norway - the two countries most strongly promoting the idea that whales pose problems for fisheries. The review, funded by WWF, found significant flaws in much of the science and concluded that “where good data are available, there is no evidence to support the contention that whale predation presents an ecological issue for fisheries.”

Dr. Susan Lieberman of WWF said, “These three reports provide yet more conclusive evidence that great whales are not responsible for the degraded state of the world’s fisheries. It is now time for governments to focus on the real reason for fisheries decline – unsustainable fishing operations.”

"Dr. Pauly's findings should refute, once and for all, the misconception that whales are eating all the fish and need to be killed to protect the world's fisheries," said Patricia Forkan, president of the Humane Society International.

Notes:
These three reports can be downloaded under embargo from the “whales-eat-fish” fallacy, at https://intranet.panda.org/documents/folder.cfm?uFolderID=61441
The log-in is: intranet@wwfint.org and the password is: dropbox

Dr. Daniel Pauly will be available throughout the day of Monday 23rd June at the IWC meeting to give press interviews (please contact Bernard Unti to arrange.) Dr. Peter Corkeron, author of the WWF funded paper, will also available to give press interviews from the US (please contact Wendy Elliott to arrange.)

For further information:
Bernard Unti, Senior Policy Advisory, HSI, +1 301 980 6882 bunti@hsus.org

Kristen Everett, Public Relations Manager, HSUS, +1 301 721 6440 keverett@hsus.org

Dr Susan Lieberman, Director, Species Programme, WWF-International, IWC Head of Delegation, Chile cell phone (16 - 28 June) +56 9 88344856, slieberman@wwfint.org

Wendy Elliott, Species Programme, WWF-International, Chile cell phone +56 9 77041514, welliott@wwfint.org

Justin Kenny, Lenfest Ocean Programme, +1 202 441 1408, jkenney@pewtrusts.org

Whales set to chase shrinking feed zones

2008-06-20

Ice breaker: Pushing the boundaries for whales, released just ahead of the opening of a crucial International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting, summarises WWF research showing that levels of global warming predicted over the next 40 years will lead to winter sea-ice coverage of the Southern Ocean declining by up to 30 per cent in some key areas.

“Essentially, what we are seeing is that ice-associated whales such as the Antarctic minke whale will face dramatic changes to their habitat over little more than the lifespan of an individual whale,” said Dr Susan Lieberman, Director of WWF International's Species Programme and head of the WWF delegation to the IWC meeting.

Migratory whales meanwhile may need to travel 200-500 kilometres further south to find the “frontal” zones which are their crucial foraging areas. Migratory whale species which will be affected include the Blue Whale, earth's largest living creature, and the humpback whales which are only now coming back from the brink of extinction after populations were decimated by commercial whaling, mainly during the first half of the 20th century.

Both species build up the reserves that sustain them throughout the year in the frontal zones, which host large populations of their primary food source – krill.

“As frontal zones move southward, they also move closer together, reducing the overall area of
foraging habitat available,” the research notes. As the krill is dependent on sea ice, less sea ice is also expected to reduce the abundance of food for whales in the feeding areas.

“The impact on whales is one more imperative for the world to take decisive action to reduce the risk of catastrophic climate change,” Dr Lieberman said. “However, the IWC must also take the opportunity of this southern hemisphere meeting to look at every possible way to increase the resilience of whale populations to climate change.

“For Antarctica’s whales, the best way to do this would be to reduce all other threats – such as the unregulated and unjustified so-called ‘scientific whaling’ of these species conducted by Japan.”

WWF is recommending the protection of critical habitats and for also limiting other non-climate stresses to whale populations such as fishing, pollution and ocean noise.

Notes

• The IWC will hold its 60th annual meeting in Santiago, Chile from 23-27 June. This is the first time the IWC has met in South America in almost a quarter century. .

• Ice breaker: Pushing the boundaries for whales summarises research commissioned by WWF from scientists Dr. Cynthia Tynan and Dr. Joellen Russell which was presented to the IWC Scientific Committee in the following paper: Tynan, C. T. and Russell, J.L. 2008. Assessing the impacts of future 2°C global warming on Southern Ocean cetaceans. International Whaling Commission, Scientific Committee document SC/60/E3. Ice Breaker (English, French and Spanish) and the report (English only) are available at https://intranet.panda.org/documents/folder.cfm?uFolderID=61441 The log-in is: intranet@wwfint.org and the password is: dropbox

• Current projections have 2°C of average global warming over pre-industrial levels – widely regarded as a threshold level for unacceptable risks of runaway climate change – arriving on average in 2042, with impacts going furthest and fastest in polar regions.

• Warming of 2°C will reduce winter sea-ice coverage by 10-15 per cent overall and up to 30 percent in some key areas.

• Shrinking ice covered areas affect krill production in two ways –sea ice is a refuge for krill larvae in winter, and an area of intense algal blooms in summer on which the krill feed. Krill is so fundamental to the Southern Ocean ecosystem that the impacts will not be confined to whales but also to seals, seabirds and penguins, and to fisheries productivity.

• “Frontal zones” are where water masses of different temperatures meet. They are associated with upwelling of nutrients supporting large plankton populations on which species such as Antarctic krill feed.
For further information:

Dr Susan Lieberman, Director, Species Programme, WWF-International, IWC Head of Delegation, Chile cell phone (16 - 28 June) +56 9 88344856, slieberman@wwfint.org,

Wendy Elliott, Species Programme, WWF-International, English/some French, Chile cell phone +56 9 77041514, welliott@wwfint.org

About WWF
WWF, the global conservation organization, is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations. WWF has a global network active in over 100 countries with almost 5 million supporters.

WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

Colombia avanza en su camino hacia la Comisión Ballenera Internacional

2008-04-23

Bogotá, Colombia: El Congreso de Colombia dará trámite al proyecto de Ley que hará activa la membresía del país en la Comisión Ballenera Internacional (CBI), anunciada en 2007 por el Ministerio de Ambiente, Vivienda y Desarrollo Territorial (MAVDT) y la Cancillería colombiana. Dicho anuncio fue respaldado por la comunidad ambientalista nacional e internacional, representada por organizaciones gubernamentales, no gubernamentales y de la sociedad civil.

Este avance ocurre previo al próximo encuentro de la CBI, que será en Santiago de Chile en junio de 2008. A pesar de que la participación de Colombia en dicho encuentro no será aún efectiva, su voluntad e interés en la toma de medidas que favorecen la conservación de estas especies son de vital importancia.

“Dado que estamos a dos meses del siguiente encuentro de la CBI, es urgente adelantar el trámite para la aprobación por parte del Congreso de dicha Ley”, dijo Felipe Vallejo de Greenpeace Internacional.

“Actualmente en la CBI se ha formado un Bloque Latinoamericano que integra a los países que de manera más activa (Argentina, Belice, Brasil, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Méjico, Nicaragua, Panamá, Perú y Uruguay), reiteran su firme compromiso con la vigencia de la moratoria a la caza de cetáceos, la investigación científica no letal, el desarrollo del turismo de observación y el establecimiento de áreas protegidas como estrategia de conservación y mejoramiento de la calidad de vida de las comunidades locales. Para fortalecer este bloque es necesario que Colombia y Venezuela sean miembros de la Comisión”.

Si bien en las últimas décadas, la población de ballenas se ha recuperado, aún existen preocupaciones frente a su sobrevivencia, de levantarse la moratoria. Por ello, concretar la participación de Colombia en la Comisión, significa una oportunidad para garantizar, desde un marco político internacional, la sobrevivencia de estos carismáticos animales.

Organizaciones ambientalistas como las fundaciones Yubarta, Malpelo, Natibo, Omacha; Conservación Internacional, Greenpeace y WWF Colombia trabajan fuertemente por la conservación de estas especies, además promueven actividades como el avistamiento regulado de ballenas como una alternativa productiva que mantiene las poblaciones de estos animales y que contribuye a la satisfacción de las necesidades de las comunidades locales.

“Seguiremos trabajando conjuntamente con el Gobierno en la consolidación de la participación del gobierno colombiano en la CBI”, manifestaron dichas organizaciones. “En la medida que se requiera, brindaremos apoyo técnico al Congreso para la aprobación de esta Ley y estaremos atentos a los avances que se den en este importante tema”.

La Comisión Ballenera Internacional (CBI) fue creada en 1946 por los países firmantes de la Convención Internacional para la Regulación de la Caza de Ballenas con el propósito de “garantizar la conservación adecuada de las poblaciones de ballenas y, de esta manera, hacer posible el desarrollo ordenado de la industria ballenera”. Su creación fue el resultado de la preocupación de la comunidad internacional ante el grave declive de las poblaciones de ballenas a escala mundial, amenazadas por la presión de las flotas balleneras. Tras la entrada en vigor de esta moratoria internacional sobre la caza de las ballenas en 1986, tres países desafiaron abiertamente la voluntad de la comunidad internacional de proteger a los grandes cetáceos.

En 1987, Japón lanzó su programa de “investigación científica” como respuesta a las presiones para que este país abandonara la caza comercial, hoy dicho país caza alrededor de 1400 ballenas anuales bajo este pretexto. En 1993, Noruega sorprendió al mundo al anunciar que reanudaba la caza comercial de ballenas. Y en 2003, fue Islandia la que reanudó la captura de más de 500 ejemplares, también con fines científicos.

Para mayor información:
Felipe Vallejo, Greenpeace Internacional. fvallejo@greenpeace.org
Ximena Barrera Rey, WWF Colombia. xbarrera@wwf.org.co

Lethal whale "research" programmes produce meat, not answers: WWF

2008-03-05

Japan would do better whale research by not killing whales, said WWF on the eve of a key International Whaling Commission planning meeting.

WWF delegation head, International Species Programme Director Dr Susan Lieberman, called on Japan in particular to recognise that science had moved a long way since a provision allowing governments to issue lethal research permits was written into the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW).

The 61 year old provision is the basis of Japan's so-called scientific whaling programme, which “produces meat but not answers,” Dr Lieberman said.

“At that time, killing whales was the only way to learn some of the most basic biological information, some of which was then used to set catch quotas,” Dr Lieberman said. “Today, much more plentiful and reliable information is available using the many better new ways of collecting whale data rather than much the same old ways of killing them.

“What sort of scientific enterprise is it that uses the most outdated methodologies to produce little published data, few insights into whales and negligible useful whale management information?”

For the International Whaling Commission Intersessional meeting, starting in London tomorrow (March 6), WWF is calling on Japan “to stop abusing the special whaling permit provision of the ICRW by conducting commercial whaling under the guise of research”.

“The Contracting Governments of the IWC must ensure that IWC-related research meets modern accepted scientific techniques, so that the IWC’s credibility on this issue is maintained,” Dr Lieberman said. “The continued abuses of Japan’s whaling programme are an affront to legitimate science.”

Look at non-whaling threats to whales

In its statement to the meeting, WWF is also urging contracting governments to “look more closely and consistently at the non-whaling threats to whales”.

Whales face general threats from habitat degradation and climate change, as well as more specific challenges such as being deafened or displaced by the operations of the oil and gas exploration and development industry, or being caught up and discarded as bycatch by the fishing industry.

“The greatest threat to many cetacean species is bycatch, with estimates showing that more than 300,000 whales and dolphins are killed in fishing gear each year,” Dr Lieberman said. “Only through swift and cooperative international action to reduce bycatch will some critically endangered cetacean populations be saved.”

WWF's new bycatch initiative is highlighting the existence of practical, innovative fishing gear designs to reduce bycatch.

Populations of nearly all the great whales remain at depressed levels, a legacy of the unsustainable whaling during the last two centuries.

As long-lived mammals with slow reproductive cycles whales inevitably take several decades or more to recover from population depletion while some populations still survive as a few hundred individuals at the brink of extinction.

WWF’s goal is to ensure that viable populations of all cetacean species occupy their historical range, and fulfill their role in maintaining the integrity of ocean ecosystems.

Mixed results at international whaling meeting

2007-06-01

Anchorage, Alaska – The 59th annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) ended today with political wrangling, preventing significant developments for whale conservation.

“The meeting marked some advances for whales but they in no way match the level of threats facing the world’s whales, dolphins and porpoises today,” said Gordon Shepherd, director of international policy for WWF International.

“Governments must get serious about establishing an organization capable of dealing with the real problems these species face.”

The most dramatic moment came at the end of the meeting when the government of Japan, after numerous delays, withdrew its proposal for a quota of minke whales due to obvious lack of support, and stated its possible intention to leave the IWC.

This threat, and its refusal to participate in a number of votes, contradicts its stated intention to turn the IWC into a constructive and effective organization.

“As governments disagree on the same issues over and over again, more and more whales are being killed by governments exploiting loopholes in the moratorium against commercial whaling," said Wendy Elliott of WWF's Global Species Programme.

"This degrades the entire spirit of the convention. Time is running out for these species and for the IWC.”

Strong statements were made against a proposal by the US government to lease an area of critical habitat for the world’s most endangered whale population — the eastern North Pacific right whale — for oil and gas development.

“Governments like the US that support whale conservation at the IWC must be consistent ," Elliot continued. "It is critical that the US reinstates the moratorium on oil and gas leasing in the habitat of the eastern North Pacific right whale."

Positive steps for whales during the meeting, however, included the IWC’s Scientific Committee committing to hold a workshop on climate change, an accelerating threat to whales, dolphins and porpoises.

The IWC also adopted a resolution by consensus urging strong action to save the critically endangered vaquita porpoise in Mexico. This marks the first time a conservation resolution on a small cetacean was passed by consensus.

"The vaquita resolution demonstrates that the IWC can deal with conservation," Elliot said. "This organization obviously has the potential to help whales. Now is the time to use it.”

END NOTES:

• Bristol Bay, Alaska, contains critical habitat for the eastern North Pacific right whale, the most endangered whale population in the world, as well as 15 other cetacean species such as the endangered bowhead, blue, fin, sei, humpback and sperm whales.

• Five-year quotas for aboriginal subsistence whaling for the US, Russia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines passed by consensus. A quota for Greenland passed by vote with some governments expressing opposition. Greenland requested increased numbers and quotas for two new species – bowhead and humphead whales. These quotas would be in addition to Greenland’s other small whale hunts, many of which are unsustainable and all but two are entirely unregulated.

Drilling in Alaska's Bristol Bay threatens endangered whales

2007-05-30

Anchorage, Alaska, US – Oil and gas drilling in Bristol Bay could threaten the eastern North Pacific right whale, the most endangered whale population in the world, according to a new WWF report released at the 59th meeting of the International Whaling Commission.

A planned lease sale area in Bristol Bay overlaps with critical habitat designated for the eastern North Pacific right, as well as for other endangered cetacean species including bowhead, blue, fin, sei, humpback and sperm whales.

"Offshore oil and gas development in Bristol Bay would be the wrong step for the right whale,” said Margaret Williams, director of WWF’s Bering Sea Programme.

According to the WWF report, oil and gas exploration in the Bristol Bay area would expose whales to noise pollution, oil spills, chemical pollution, vessel collisions and entanglement with or ingestion of marine debris.

There are no reliable estimates of current abundance or trends for right whales in the North Pacific. According to US government sources, there may be fewer than 300 of these animals left compared to a pre-whaling population of more than 11,000.

Bristol Bay is also the epicenter of the Bering Sea fishery whose commercial salmon, halibut, herring and crab fisheries generate more than US$2 billion annually. Sport hunters and fishermen flock to the bay each year, pumping millions of dollars more into the economy. And the region’s spectacular wildlife supports scores of Alaskan natives who rely on a healthy ecosystem for food.

On 9 January 2007, US President George Bush rescinded a long-standing presidential moratorium that prohibited drilling in Bristol Bay. In July, the new Five Year Oil and Gas Leasing Program of the Minerals Management Service (MMS) — a US government agency — goes into effect and includes plans for a lease sale in Bristol Bay and other areas along the US coastline. Bills to block leasing in Bristol Bay are pending in the US House of Representatives and the Senate.

The MMS has calculated average estimates from drilling to generate a total of US$7.7 billion, but that’s just a fraction of the annual flow of US$2 billion from the Bering Sea’s renewable and sustainable fishery.

“This is a risk we simply can’t afford to take," Williams added. "It [drilling] would jeopardize the nation’s most important fishery, the hundreds of communities that rely on fishing and a treasure trove of wildlife.”

For further information:
Tom Lalley, WWF-US
E-mail: tom.lalley@wwfus.org

Colombia joins international whaling body

2007-05-24

Colombia Environment Minister Dr Juan Lozano announced that his country would join the International Whaling Commission (IWC), just days before the inter-governmental body responsible for the management and conservation of whales meets in Anchorage, Alaska.

The IWC is made up of whaling countries, ex-whaling countries, and countries that have never had whaling industries but joined either to have a voice in the conservation of whales or to support whaling interests.

It is expected that Colombia's will join a growing number of Latin American countries opposed to whaling, including Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Mexico, Panama, Nicaragua and Belize. Costa Rica and Ecuador have also expressed their commitment to whale conservation in view of the threats faced by these animals.

"By joing the IWC, Colombia can help make a difference in ensuring the survival of these gigantic cetaceans," said Dr Mary Louise Higgins, WWF's representative in Colombia. “By joining the IWC, Colombia recognizes the biological and ecological value of cetaceans and supports the development of responsible whale-watching tourism.”

Each year, from June to November, humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) stop near the Colombian Pacific coast to mate, give birth and feed their calves.

During this period, the neighbouring coastal communities offer whale-watching activities to tourists — an alternative, sustainable source of revenues.

END NOTES:
• The 59th meeting of the IWC will meet from 27 to 29 May in Anchorage, Alaska, US.

• The IWC imposed a moratorium on commercial whaling in 1986, though though hundreds of whales are still killed eacy year for so-called scientific purposes.

For more information:
Maria Ximena Galeano, Media relations
WWF Colombia
Tel: +57 2 558 25 77 Ext 217
E-mail: mxgaleano@wwf.org.co

Disturbed, hungry and lost – climate change impacts on whales

2007-05-22

Gland, Switzerland – Whales, dolphins and porpoises are facing increasing threats from climate change, according to a new report published by WWF and the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) ahead of the 59th meeting of the International Whaling Commission.

The report — Whales in hot water? — highlights the growing impacts of climate change on cetaceans. They range from changes in sea temperature and the freshening of the seawater because of melting ice and increased rainfalls, to sea level rise, loss of icy polar habitats and the decline of krill populations in key areas.

Krill — a tiny shrimp-like animal that is dependent on sea ice — is the main source of food for many of the great whales.

Accelerating climate change adds significantly to disturbances from other human activities, such as chemical and noise pollution, collisions with ships and entanglement in fishing nets, which kills some 1,000 cetaceans every day.

“Whales, dolphins and porpoises have some capacity to adapt to their changing environment,” said Mark Simmonds, International Director of Science at WCDS, “but the climate is now changing at such a fast pace that it is unclear to what extent whales and dolphins will be able to adjust, and we believe many populations to be very vulnerable to predicted changes.”

Climate change impacts are currently greatest in the Arctic and the Antarctic. According to the report, cetaceans that rely on polar, icy waters for their habitat and food resources, such as belugas, narwhals and bowhead whales, are likely to be dramatically affected by the reduction of sea ice cover.

And as sea ice cover decreases, there will be more human activities, such as commercial shipping, oil, gas and mining exploration and development as well as military activities, in previously untouched areas of the Arctic.

“This will result in much greater risks from oil and chemical spills, worse acoustic disturbance and more collisions between whales and ships,” said the lead author of the report, Wendy Elliott of WWF’s Global Species Programme.

Other projected impacts of climate change listed in the report include: reduction of available habitat for several cetacean species unable to move into colder waters (e.g. river dolphins); the acidification of the oceans as they absorb growing quantities of CO₂; an increased susceptibility of cetaceans to diseases; and reduced reproductive success, body condition and survival rates.

Climate change could also be the nail in the coffin for the last 300 or so endangered North Atlantic right whales, as the survival of their calves has been directly related to the effects of climate variability on prey abundance.

WWF and WCDS and are urging governments to cut CO₂ global emissions by at least 50 per cent by the middle of this century. The latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change showed it was possible to stop global warming if the world’s emissions start to decline before 2015.

The two conservation organizations further call on the International Whaling Commission to facilitate research on future impacts of climate change on cetaceans, including by supporting a special climate change workshop in the coming year; elaborate conservation and management plans in light of the climate change threat; and increase efforts and resources to fight all the other threats to cetaceans.

For further information:
Sarah Janicke
Species Communications Manager
Tel: +41 22 3649250
Mobile: +41 79 528 8641
Fax: +41 22 3646624
E-mail: sjanicke@wwfint.org

Iceland to resume whaling

2006-10-18

Gland, Switzerland – Iceland has recently announced that it would resume commercial whaling despite an international moratorium for over two decades.

Iceland has stated it is to begin issuing licenses to whaling ships to hunt fin and minke whales totalling nine fin whales and 30 minke whales in the year ending 31 August 2007. WWF's understanding is that whaling ships could resume commercial whaling imminently.

"By choosing to hunt endangered fin whales, the Icelandic government is drawing a line in the sand," said Dr Susan Lieberman, Director of WWF's Global Species Programme.

"Not only is this unacceptable but it undermines the effectiveness of the International Whaling Commission, as well as a decision made in good faith by the international community over 20 years ago."

In 2003, Iceland resumed the killing of whales in the name of "scientific" testing. WWF disputes the need to use lethal means to study whale anatomy or behaviour.

Fin whales were severely reduced worldwide by modern commercial whaling and their current status is poorly known in most areas outside the North Atlantic. They are rarely encountered in those areas of the Southern Hemisphere where they were taken in large numbers. Today, the fin whale is listed as "endangered" by IUCN-The World Conservation Union.

Whale watching has seen major increases in numbers and economic value globally. It is Iceland's fastest growing tourism sector. The boom is whale watching generated approximately US$8 million in 2002 in Iceland alone. A resumption in commercial whaling could undermine this important part of Iceland's economy, according to WWF.

"This is the thin edge of a dangerous wedge and WWF implores the Iceland government to step back," stressed Dr Lieberman.

"Whale stocks have not yet recovered from the days of devastation from hunting. Today, whales face newer, increased threats such as from ship strikes, being caught and killed in commercial fishing nets, and climate change."

"Do we really want to be known as the generation that put politics before good science and good ocean management and caused needless species losses?"

For further information:
Joanna Benn, Communications Manager
WWF Global Species Programme
Tel: +39 348 726 7313
Email: jbenn@wwfspecies.org