If you are like me, you were elated, but guardedly so, when the Japanese ended their annual Antarctic massacre earlier in the year.
But the defeat of their continued slaughter of whales in the name of research and in the true name of commerce of whale meat was indeed a short one, the Japanese sent another fleet of three whaling vessels to the northwest Pacific with "plans to catch 260 whales including 100 minkes until late August to study their stomach contents, DNA and other information, according to the Institute of Cetacean Research."
Sure, okay, and the Japanese don't know, after how many years of killing whales under the absurd lie of scientific research, what these species of whale subsist on. It's a farce.
It was just the day before that I received an update regarding the "Declaration of Cetacean Rights" and I think that this is an important part of the Japanese's continued hunt and slaughter of ceteceans and our responsibility to pressure the international community to stop this bloodshed. It should not be happening and we need to stand up to the Japanese and let them know they can not continue. (As well as Iceland and Norway!).
Dear supporter of the Declaration of Rights for Cetaceans: Whales and Dolphins
It is one year since the Declaration of Rights for Cetaceans: Whales and Dolphins was agreed and we thought it would be opportune to update you on the progress we have made over the last year and the difference your support of the Declaration will make.
A decision was taken by some of the early signatories soon after the Helsinki meeting that we need to engage in some detailed political work to prepare the way towards the Declaration achieving international adoption. WDCS offered to facilitate this work. Our ultimate target is the United Nations, which is a complicated body and we must ensure that we get the timing and the approach exactly right.
This is a very complex and important campaign that will undoubtedly change the relationship between humans and cetaceans – and as a result shift our relationship with other species – forever. Consequently, we need to ensure that we are setting off with exactly the right strategy.
The philosophical thinking which has brought us to this point is underpinned by sound, independent science. There can be little doubt now that cetaceans are sentient, sapient beings. Research over the last decade has revealed that many cetaceans live in complex societies, that some individuals within these societies have very specific roles, that some (certainly bottlenose dolphins) are self-aware and even that some have unique cultures.
These revelations should have a profound impact, not just on the way we view cetaceans, but also on how we treat them.
A new book ‘Whales and Dolphins: cognition, culture, conservation and human perceptions’, recently published by Earthscan, examines the paradox that whilst many human cultures revere cetaceans, we are falling far short of providing the protection that they need and deserve. This new book provides information from a range of experts on the emerging scientific evidence for the complexity of cetacean societies examining cetacean brains, communication, their relationships and their cultures. This is contrasted with a range of human attitudes towards cetaceans around the world, from the whaling nations of Japan and Norway, to the Pacific Islands and the USA.
These two elements – emerging science and human perceptions - are synthesized into a ‘clarion call for action’, as Jane Goodall puts it in the Foreword.
As part of the launch of this book WDCS is hosting a panel discussion on Whales and Dolphins at the Cheltenham Science Festival in the UK, where Founding Signatories of the Declaration, Professor Hal Whitehead (sperm whale and cetacean culture expert) and philosopher Professor Thomas I White will be joining us to discuss the evidence to support and the issues associated with recognising cetacean rights.
WDCS is proud to be the first organisation in the world to officially adopt the Declaration. To adopt the Declaration we must ensure that our activities complement its objectives and adhere to its principles. We are confident that we can achieve this and are now working towards implementation over the next year.
To find out more about the progress of the Declaration, the discussions at the Cheltenham Festival, expert opinion and new initiatives on cetacean rights please keep a watchful eye on the WDCS website.
We thank you for your support of this groundbreaking initiative and look forward to updating you on future progress.
Philippa Brakes, Ethics Programme Leader, WDCS
We are learning more and more every year about the complex behaviors of whales and dolphins and their relationships within their communities and to ours. And as someone who lives so close to the ocean, who is lucky enough to be able to go whale watching at the drop of a hat, I want to keep it that way.
Blue Whale season is on the start, where California is lucky enough to see these magnificent creatures congregate to feed and has one of the healthiest and larges populations left in the world.
We have, all of us have, a responsibility to protect these animals. I continue to urge President Obama, the international community and anyone with a voice to ask Whaling Countries to stop this unnecessary slaughter, please.