Hungry whales - or more political maneuverings?
As fisheries decline, nations are busy arguing over who's to blame. Japan is pointing to whales as a culprit, and in doing so, drawing the ire of conservationists and scientists.
Japan has claimed that whales' eating habits are responsible for the diminishing numbers of fish. Many say this is because Japan has been campaigning to end the ban on whale hunting and is looking for international support.
At the annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission, a coalition of conservation groups and scientists accused Japan of dodging responsibility for the declining stocks.
Daniel Pauly, director of a renowned fisheries research center, said whales are "no more responsible than the Martians" and that Japan's accusation "prevents the very small resources of West African countries from being devoted to understanding the real reasons why their fisheries are declining."
According to Dr. Pauly’s decade-long study, only about 1 percent of what whales eat is also desired by human consumers.
He and others blame not whales but East Asian and European fishing fleets trolling the coast of West Africa.
Here's one thing you can do to make sure that doesn't happen: Urge the U.S. Senate to ratify the Law of the Sea Treaty, which would ensure that the world's oceans are managed sustainably.
The World Wildlife Federation, whose website offers letters you can email to your Senator and e-postcards to alert your friends, gives ample reason why the law is needed:
"Two-thirds of fish stocks that supply the global market have been overexploited or fished to maximum capacity; more than half of the world's coral reefs are threatened by human activity; and close to one-fifth of Southeast Asia's reefs have been damaged or destroyed by coral bleaching.
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Declining Fisheries and Japanese Whaling
Japanese aspirations to reestablish its whaling industry have been well documented since the international commercial whaling ban of 1985. Many have argued that the annual number of around 1,000 whales permitted for Japanese research is only a thinly veiled cover for a highly profitable industry. Taking this into account it comes as no surprise that spokespeople for Japanese whaling interests would point to an increase in whale population as the cause of decreasing fisheries. Putting aside this doubtful assertion, the recent decline in many fisheries is still a process that is not entirely understood by researchers. Given this lack of understanding it is easy to see why a comprehensive fishery conservation program has yet to be established.
Some researchers have proposed establishing large ocean wildlife reserves in which no commercial fishing is allowed. Others have suggested imposing mandatory repopulation periods of several years at a time in order to allow specific fishery populations to rebound. No matter the differences in proposed solutions for this problem, there is no denying that many fisheries today are in tremendous peril of falling below levels of sustainability and that if this problem continues on its current trajectory our environment will be harmed by not only a decline in fishery populations, but a decline in all wildlife dependant on these fisheries.
Japan's Fishing Crisis
Japan's fishing industry has been hit hard by rising fuel prices, according to an article by the Los Angeles Times. Fishermen are now saying it's too expensive to take out their boats, and plans were made for a strike today. In a country where seafood is a staple, many are now fearing a food crisis. As fuel prices have risen, fishing companies have been forced into bankruptcy, claiming they can't raise customer prices to cover the difference because of competition from imports. And according to the article, restaurants in Japan are now "procuring" fish from around the world rather than locally.
I wonder how this will affect the global fishing industry and Japan's position on whaling?
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