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Previous whale news Subsequent whale news home August 16, 2000 August 10, 2000 Croatian port authorities in the Adriatic town of Spilt halted sea traffic for three hours to facilitate the escape of a mother whale and her calf. The 90-foot whale and her 36-foot baby had been wandering in the Adriatic for 11 days, the mother almost becoming stranded at one point. At the time traffic was stopped, they had become trapped between the island of Hvar and the mainland. Whale exerts from the Institute of Oceanography and Fishery accompanied the pair back to the Mediterranean in a coast guard boat. August 1, 2000 Low frequency sonar kills more whales off coast of Scotland (click) July 27, 2000 Baby beluga found dead of two gunshot wounds on Alaskan beach. The baby was about a month old and weighed under 200 oounds.Hunting beluga whales has been illegal since May 1999 and incurs a fine of $20,000 in Cook Inlet. The Native village of Tyonek is the only group than can legally kill belugas and their quota for this year is one whale. The Cook inlet population has dropped from c. 700 animals in 1994 to about 350 today. July 21, 2000 The Netherlands is trying to revive worldwide commercial whaling. Press release from Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (click) July 21, 2000 US bullies other nations not to bring up illegal Makah hunt. Press release from Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (click) July 19, 2000 Danmark abets killing of 36 whales in Faroe Islands by delaying Sea Shepherd vessel by instigating an unnecessary inquiry into the legality of the Ocean Warrior's registration and private vs. commercial status. Further delay was caused by a routine inspection by a British registry official flown from London as the vessel lay at anchor in the Shetland islands. Sea Shepherd is calling for an extension of the boycott against Faroese fish products to include those from Danmark as well. As a party to the Berne Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife, Danmark is obligated to afford full protection to long-finned pilot whales (among other species). Danmark is also a party to the Bonn Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals which lists the pilot whale as a species needing protection. July 13, 2000 Hawaiian judge's decision on Navy low frequency sonar testing (click) July 7, 2000 IWC meeting ends on unsatisfactory note. The International Whaling Commission wound up with a resolution to speed up work on plan for commercial whaling with the thought that a management plan might be better than letting Japan and Norway set their own quotas. Japan has announced her intention to kill 50 Bryde's and 10 sperm whales (both endangered species) in addition to killing 540 minke whales for "scientific" (i.e. financial) purposes. Japan's proposed action was condemned by IWC delegates, but the condemnation has no teeth. The Scientific Committee reported that, contrary to Japan's claim, the number of minke whales in the southern hemisphere has declined. Japan and Norway reported killing 1255 whales last year compared to 326 in 1988. There is no record of the number of other species detected by DNA testing from flesh in Japanese restaurants. Japan and Norway abetted by six Caribbean countries prevented the requited 75% approval to needed to establish the Southern Pacific Sanctuary actively promoted by Australia and New Zealand July 10, 2000 The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has nixed University of Delaware plans to conduct further tests of the navy's low frequency sonar this summer. Despite harmful effects in previous tests the University had planned to do more testing in Delaware Bay at the height of the bottle nose dolphin birthing season and an important feeding season for other cetaceans and sea turtles. The University is working under a grant from the navy and plans to reapply to conduct the tests at another time. Whale news index Previous whale news Subsequent whale news |