OVERVIEW

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OVERVIEW

• Lethal whaling in the Southern Ocean
• Non-lethal research
• Conclusion

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LETHAL RESEARCH JARPA 1987-2005

• 1987/05 More than 6800 minke whales killed
  during the 18 year programme
• Few peer-reviewed papers
• No formal review has been completed by the IWC
  Scientific Committee
• Data derived not required for management

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LETHAL RESEARCH JARPA II 2005-INDEFINITE

• JARPA II announced in 2005
• IWC 57 Resolution called on the proponent not to
  proceed
• 2 year feasibility study 2005/06 and
  2006/07
• Full programme from 2007/08 open-ended
• Up to 935 minke whales per year
• 50 fin whales per year
• 50 humpback whales per year

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JARPA II HUMPBACK WHALES

• Listed as vulnerable by IUCN
• Southern Hemisphere Humpback Whale Comprehensive
  Assessment Workshop in April 2006 concluded that
• Humpback whale populations more complex than
  previously thought
• Knowledge gaps can be filled with non-lethal
  techniques, particularly genetics, and remote
  telemetry
• A small take of humpback whales that migrate
  between the Southern Ocean and the South Pacific
  could have severe conservation implications
• Humpbacks are the basis for whale watching in
  Australia and the South Pacific

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JARPA II FIN WHALES

• Second largest animal in the world after blue
  whales
• About 723 000 killed to 1979
• So rare we do not have even a rough estimate of
  numbers
• Listed as endangered on the IUCN red list
  there should be no human induced mortality
• Lethal sampling of these endangered whales will
  not improve our knowledge and will threaten the
  species survival

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NON-LETHAL RESEARCH TECHNIQUES

• Non-lethal research techniques currently being
  used by Australia and others include
• Visual and acoustic surveys to determine
  population numbers
• Satellite tracking to gain information on whale
  movements necessary to determine population
  boundaries and structure
• Faeces sampling to gain a complete picture of
  whale feeding habits
• Biopsy sampling to provide material to assist
  with
• Population structure (using genetic techniques)
• Pre-exploitation stock size (using genetic
  techniques)
• Reproductive status (hormone analysis)
• Age profiling (through emerging DNA research)
• Toxin concentrations (e.g. heavy metals and
  pesticides)

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CONCLUSION

• Lethal whaling
• is not required to identify the gaps in the IWCs
  knowledge of whale populations
• impacts on endangered and vulnerable populations
  
• Non-lethal research techniques
• have been developed that enable us to study whale
  populations without threatening their status
• can, and should, be used in all circumstances

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