No-kill expedition sets out to challenge hunts
WELLINGTON, New Zealand - Researchers are en route to study whales off Antarctica without killing them -an open challenge to Japan's killing of up to 1,000 whales a year in the name of science.
Japan has a six-boat whaling fleet in Antarctic waters as part of its scientific whaling program, an allowed exception to the International Whaling Commission's 1986 ban on commercial whaling. Opponents claim Japan's program is commercial whaling in disguise, with the whale meat sold for food in Japan.
Australian government crew photographed this dead minke whale and her calf being hauled aboard a Japanese whaler in February 2008. Australia is considering a lawsuit against the hunts.
Some 18 scientists from Australia, France and New Zealand are taking part in the initial six-week voyage to research whales, their food and their interaction with the environment.
Source taken from : http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35198535/ns/world_news-world_environment/
Eight whales species are listed as endangered animal under the protection of Endangered Species Act which include blue whale, bowhead whale, fin whale, gray whale, sperm whale, bottlenose whale, minke whale and bryde whale. The future of whales now depends on Japan's decision whether to cease or continue whale hunting. According to Webecoist.com, Japanese whaling fleet claims to slaughter whales in the name of research, yet not a single study has been published ever since their hunting. Besides hundreds of minke whales, they slaughter few dozens of fin whales annually too, at the end turned out to be cans on store shelves. Article VIII of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) stated that member nations can kill as many whales as they need for scientific research purposes. However, opponents argued that Japan is exploiting IWC's rule to sustain its whaling industry thus Australia government is considering to file a lawsuit against Japan's hunt based on the article. If Australia takes legal action towards Japan, the lawsuit will be carried into international court to resolve whether Japan was using scientific research as smokescreen to escape the international ban on commercial whale-catching.
(images via Biotechonology Learning Hub)
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