Government’s Commitment To Non-Lethal Whale Lauded

Government’s Commitment To Non-Lethal Whale Research Applauded

The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) applauds the New Zealand Government’s commitment to non-lethal whale research.

New Zealand is one of more than eight countries which has signed up to the Southern Ocean Research Partnership (SORP), a five year programme to undertake non-lethal whale research in the Southern Ocean.

As part of the SORP programme, scientists from New Zealand and Australia will head to Antarctic this February to conduct research on the region’s whale populations.

The expedition, a joint initiative by the New Zealand and Australian governments, will be the first time anyone has been to the Ross Sea to do non-lethal whale research.

The crew will use DNA samplings, faeces collection, satellite tags, acoustics and photographs of tail markings to study the whales.

The information collected will be used to study how whale populations are organised genetically and their migration habits.

WSPA’s programmes manager, Bridget Vercoe, says the research will also confront Japan’s claims that the mammals have to be killed to be studied.

Japan’s whalers are in the Southern Ocean at present, where each year they kill up to 1,000 whales under a so-called scientific whaling programme.

Ms Vercoe says this research will prove that it is not necessary to kill whales to study and understand them. The hunting methods used by the whalers are cruel, outdated and completely contradictory to current international guidelines for the humane slaughter of animals.

WSPA has scientifically proven evidence that there is no humane way to kill a whale, with some whales taking an hour or even longer to die, she says.

ENDS

© Scoop Media