Over 300 Gray Whale Strandings This Year

More than 300 beached or floating dead gray whales have been reported so far in 2000, along with a dramatic drop in births, from a high of 1,520 in 1997 to just 282 this year. Many experts have explained the event as an indicator that the whale's numbers have reached the point where the habitat can't support the population, and that the food source has diminished because of changes in the Bering and Chukchi seas. Gray whales were removed from the U.S. endangered species list in 1994. In March 1999, federal biologists concluded a five-year study to assess the whale's progress since being taken off the list, concluding that everything was wonderful. Mortalities began to rise after El Niño. A new federal study adds chemical contaminants, natural toxins, entanglements and ship strikes to the pressures on the gray whales' population. Concern will turn to alarm if the decline continues.

Eating Whales Is Dangerous To Your Health

The IWC Commissioner from Monaco made the following statement in the Plenary Session on 4 July: "There is mounting evidence from the scientific front that a diet based substantially on the meat and organs of cetaceans acts as a vector for various contaminants, particularly the organics and heavy metals such as mercury and cadmium. We do welcome the attention placed by the Scientific Committee on these matters, particularly since we know from recent studies that these compounds, PCBs, dioxins, methyl mercury and cadmium, bioaccumulate in the fatty tissues of cetaceans in much greater concentrations than in fish. In other words, to paraphrase a famous label found on cigarette packs, it is fair to say at this stage that consuming whale products may be dangerous to your health. For instance, recent toxicological studies have revealed unacceptable dioxin and mercury levels in many cetacean products that are found in markets. Mercury levels have been found to exceed the toxic threshold by 1600 times in whale meat sold in Japan, particularly as bacon blubber, and dioxin levels exceed the acceptable level by 170 times. Now, Mr. Chairman, who in his or her right mind would wish to get poisoned? Surely not the aboriginal whalers, their wives, children, babies, surely not the innocent consumers who may not be aware of the risk."

Whales Eat Fish?

The preposterous Japanese allegation that whales needed to be killed because whales eat too many fish, as reported in April's Whales Alive!, have stimulated excellent studies on declining fish stocks. CSI recommends highly "The Facts About Whales and Fish Stocks". In graphic and objective form this NOAA booklet demonstrates that fish eat fish, whales usually eat species humans don't eat, and most important, humans are the major causes of fisheries collapses. The booklet is in English, French and Spanish, and is available from NOAA, Office of Public & Constituent Affairs, U.S. Dept. of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230-0001, 202-482-6090, (http://www.noaa.gov). Why wasn't it also translated to Japanese? The horrific drive fisheries continue in coastal Japan, fed by local frustrations with fisheries collapsing one after the other. Aided by the government, local fishermen kill hundreds of small cetaceans in hopes of recovering the livelihood they themselves are destroying. Meanwhile the Japanese people are responding to reality in many positive ways, in spite of government propaganda, and are certainly ready to accept the truth presented in the NOAA booklet.

Lost Fishing Gear Found

The International Fund for Animal Welfare ( http://www.ifaw.org) does many excellent things. CSI congratulates IFAW for coordinating a spring cleanup of "ghost" fishing gear such as nets, ropes, and lobster pots and buoys, from areas in Cape Cod Bay needed by right whales. The cleanup will expand considerably next year.

Price Of A Stamp

The Endangered Species Act is a very good law, which is why it's the constant target of "wise use" interests who slip under public apathy to weaken the law. An educated and concerned public is the best defense. The Endangered Species Coalition (ESC) is our best weapon to prevent public apathy. CSI is proud and relieved to be one of many organizations in the ESC, esc@stopextinction.org, http://www.stopextinction.org. According to the ESC less than 32 cents of each American's taxes goes to endangered species conservation, less than the price of an endangered species stamp.

"From the Harpoon to the Heat: Climate Change and the International Whaling Commission in the 21st Century", http://www.pacinst.org/IWCOP.pdf, is a report from the Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment, and Security (PISDES) that concludes that global warming may pose a significant threat to many cetacean species.

NMFS announced in June that it would not list Cook Inlet beluga whales as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The Center for Marine Conservation announced that they intended to sue NMFS to force an endangered listing. NMFS is currently investigating two cases of possible illegal hunting of Cook Inlet beluga whales.

The American Cetacean Society will host its Seventh International Conference from 17-19 November, in Monterey, California. This unique event will bring people together from the full spectrum of our collective relationship with whales. It will be educational and fun, a celebration that should not be missed. For more details see http://www.acsonline.org, or call 310-548-6279.