Dan Rather on the return of global commercial whaling

[Guest guest]

Please note, that while he didn't mention the hunt in Washington State,

Rather does refer to the claim by whaling countries like Japan and Norway

that whaling is " an essential part of their native culture. "

 

Dian

 

 

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http://examiner.com/000825/0825op-rather.html

 

Relations today between humans and whales

 

Dan Rather is anchor of " The Evening News " on CBS-TV.

 

By Dan Rather

 

In the cold waters off Iceland, an organization called

Ocean Futures is at work teaching Keiko, the killer

whale from the movie " Free Willy, " how to live in the

wild once again.

 

Soon Keiko will follow his movie alter ego to freedom

- a high-profile example of human benevolence toward

whales.

 

One could infer that all is well between humans and

whales, but this (aside from the fact that killer

whales are actually a species of the dolphin family)

is not the full story.

 

At issue is the complicated and often misunderstood

international moratorium on commercial whaling, which

took effect in 1986. The moratorium, though imperfect,

has helped pull some whale species back from the edge

of extinction. Now, though, some believe the

moratorium itself is imperiled.

 

The International Whaling Commission is the

organization that initiated and oversees the

moratorium. The commission is not dedicated to saving

the whales per se, but rather to saving whaling.

 

The moratorium was conceived as a measure that would

allow whale stocks to return to what the commission

views as sustainable numbers - at which point,

theoretically, certain types of whaling could resume.

 

Some of the International Whaling Commission's member

states would like to see this indefinite halt become a

full, permanent stop. Other countries - most notably

Japan and Norway - have objected to the moratorium

from the beginning and have capitalized on loopholes

to continue whaling. They say that whaling is an

essential part of their native cultures.

 

The bylaws that govern the International Whaling

Commission allow members essentially to exempt

themselves from commission resolutions with which they

do not agree, and to grant themselves exceptions for

" scientific " whaling. When nations abuse these

provisions, there is not much the world can do but

register its indignation.

 

Many in the world environmental community are raising

voices in protest now because of two things that came

out of this year's meeting.

 

1. Japan's announced intention to expand its

" scientific " whaling to include endangered Bryde's and

sperm whales has received a good deal of media

attention and editorial outrage.

 

2. The other big piece of news has gotten

significantly less play, though its effects have the

potential to be more far-reaching. It involves

something called the New Management Scheme.

 

When completed, the New Management Sscheme will

represent a new set of guidelines for commercial

whaling, including catch limits. The International

Whaling Commission will establish numbers that it

believes will permit certain whale species to sustain

themselves, and thus sustain whaling.

 

This year, the commission voted to " fast track " the

remaining components of the New Management Scheme.

With this resolution, critics believe that the

commission is on a fast track to lifting the

moratorium.

 

The International Whaling Commission points out that

the moratorium is still in place, and that the New

Management Scheme includes plans for stepped-up

enforcement of limits.

 

But those committed to saving the whales remain

skeptical about enforcement, given past abuses, and

claim that the present moratorium was made necessary

because of the inadequacy of the previous management

plan.

 

And there are those, of course, who believe that any

hunting of these intelligent, wild mammals is morally

indefensible.

 

Wherever you stand, it's an issue worth knowing about,

from all sides. And as you enjoy the pleasures of the

ocean in these last few weeks of summer, it's

something you might want to talk about with your kids.

 

 

Because " Free Willy " isn't the whole story, and our

children might be the ones who ultimately decide the

whales' fate.