Serious problems for whales around the globe

Kristopher Hilbert / 11:12 AM / 02.08.08 / Pollution / 4

        Though these 2 stories may not sound like normal pollution stories I feel that they are both important in understanding humans’ affects on the oceans.

        Japan began whaling in 2006 after a brief hiatus since 2002. This year whaling ships are currently planning on killing 950 whales in Antarctic regions. Though the Minke whales have relatively large numbers they are still technically categorized as endangered. Australia, which has opposed Japans 2008 whale hunt, has recently released pictures of slaughtered whales.
        One major debate over the whale slaughter is its purpose. Japan claims to be killing the whales for scientific research while conservationists believe this is a facade. The new pictures show a mother whale and her calf which would not be a scientific way of killing. Japan has been known in the past to kill pregnant whales and mothers.

        A US judge recently overturned a Bush exemption on the use of sonar by the Navy. A longstanding law has stated that when any ship is within 2,200 yards of marine mammals they may not use sonar. Sonar interferes with the way many sea mammals communicate, travel, and hunt. Some research has even shown that sonar affects behaviors of fish and other sea life that aren’t able to use sonar. Sonar can also injure and damage ears and brains of whales.

        Pretty much humans like to go and mess up habitats for their own benefit. Japan under the guise of “science” and the US military under the guise of “national security.” I feel as if these current events are a world pollution problem. They are examples of the way humans treat non-human animals and the environments in which they live. It upsets me that just because humans have technology they feel they can use it to better themselves even though it is destroying lives of other creatures.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7232239.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7227708.stm