ahoo! urged to stop selling the meat of endangered whales
October 2011. The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) has confirmed that another 131 tonnes of Icelandic Fin whale meat has been shipped to Japan and renewed its call for global retailer Yahoo! to immediately prohibit the sale of the endangered species via Yahoo! Japan.
The latest shipment brings the total of Fin whale exported to Japan since Iceland resumed commercial whaling to more than 1,500 tonnes, despite the CITES Appendix 1 listing of Fin whales clearly prohibiting international trade.
In July, the EIA report Renegade Whaling identified Icelandic company Hvalur and its multi-millionaire boss Kristján Loftsson as hunting Fin whales for export to Japan via a company he helped to set up.
US sanctions
But despite Iceland being certified under the US Pelly Amendment later that same month, it has now been confirmed that in August a new export to Japan took place of 131 tonnes of Fin whale product with an estimated value of 209 million Icelandic króna ($1.7 million).
On September 15, US President Barack Obama stated that Iceland's whaling and trade in the meat threatens the conservation status of an endangered species and undermines multilateral efforts to ensure greater worldwide protection for whales. Stopping short of targeted trade sanctions, he nevertheless announced diplomatic measures aiming to push Iceland to halt the trade.
Yahoo!
Yahoo Japan! sells numerous Icelandic Fin whale products, including large (1.5kg) blocks of meat, bacon (blubber) and canned products. As of September 2011, these products and many more were still available on the internet from Yahoo! Japan shopping sites; a survey by EIA found 10 different retailers offering Icelandic Fin whale meat products for sale via Yahoo! Japan.
"At a time when the US Government is applying international pressure to force an end to Iceland's whaling and international trade, Yahoo! Japan is effectively encouraging further hunting of the species by selling endangered Fin whale meat products on its website," said EIA Senior Campaigner Clare Perry.
"It's long past due that Yahoo! put its house in order and stopped profiting from, and stimulating, this bloody and wholly unnecessary slaughter."
EIA first called on Yahoo! Japan in April 2010 to ban all sales of whale, dolphin and porpoise products on its store and auction websites after discovering that many products contained high levels of the neurotoxin mercury.
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/whale-meat.html
Showing posts with label fin whales. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fin whales. Show all posts
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Iceland exports 131 tonnes whale meat, despite sanction threat
The Icelandic killing of Fin whales is illegal'
September 2011: More than 100 tonnes of whale products from Iceland's endangered Fin whales was exported in July - despite the pending threat of US trade sanctions.
America had warned Iceland it was considering the sanctions because it had violated a global ban on commercial whaling - but this has failed to prevent the export of a further 133 metric tonnes of whale meat.
The meat, worth more than $1.2million was exported to Japan in July.
Only US sanctions will stop this crime‘There is a line in the sand that Iceland has just crossed,' said Allan Thornton, president of America's Environmental Investigation Agency.
‘The Icelandic killing of Fin whales is illegal and its illegal export of whale meat will lead to further illegal killing of Fin whales. Only US sanctions against fish imports by the seafood company linked to Iceland's whaling company will stop this environmental crime.'
Since 2006, 280 endangered Fin whales, the second largest animal on the planet, have been killed by the Icelandic whaling company Hvalur, and earlier this year America confirmed that Iceland was undermining the effectiveness of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) by permitting commercial whaling and international trade in endangered Fin whale meat.
Iceland has exported almost 1400 metric tonnes of Fin whale meat and blubber to Japan , worth around $18 million, since it began killing Fin whales.
Meat shipped to Japan, Norway and LatviaAs well as the shipments of whale meat and blubber to Japan, Iceland has exported whale products including whale oil to Norway, the Faroes Islands and Latvia, despite a ban on such international trade in products of great whale species by the Convention on International trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
Conservationists are now pressing for action. Sue Fisher, policy director for the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society said: ‘Not only is Iceland abusing two international conservation agreements, it is setting Fin whale quotas that are three times higher than sustainable levels according to the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), the world's foremost authority on whale science.
‘American citizens overwhelmingly oppose commercial whaling, and nothing less than economic sanctions will fulfill President Obama's promise to strengthen the commercial ban on whale hunting.'
Susan Millward, executive director of the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) said: ‘This recent export demonstrates the urgent need for President Obama to immediately impose economic measures including trade sanctions against Iceland.'
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/iceland-sanctions.html
September 2011: More than 100 tonnes of whale products from Iceland's endangered Fin whales was exported in July - despite the pending threat of US trade sanctions.
America had warned Iceland it was considering the sanctions because it had violated a global ban on commercial whaling - but this has failed to prevent the export of a further 133 metric tonnes of whale meat.
The meat, worth more than $1.2million was exported to Japan in July.
Only US sanctions will stop this crime‘There is a line in the sand that Iceland has just crossed,' said Allan Thornton, president of America's Environmental Investigation Agency.
‘The Icelandic killing of Fin whales is illegal and its illegal export of whale meat will lead to further illegal killing of Fin whales. Only US sanctions against fish imports by the seafood company linked to Iceland's whaling company will stop this environmental crime.'
Since 2006, 280 endangered Fin whales, the second largest animal on the planet, have been killed by the Icelandic whaling company Hvalur, and earlier this year America confirmed that Iceland was undermining the effectiveness of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) by permitting commercial whaling and international trade in endangered Fin whale meat.
Iceland has exported almost 1400 metric tonnes of Fin whale meat and blubber to Japan , worth around $18 million, since it began killing Fin whales.
Meat shipped to Japan, Norway and LatviaAs well as the shipments of whale meat and blubber to Japan, Iceland has exported whale products including whale oil to Norway, the Faroes Islands and Latvia, despite a ban on such international trade in products of great whale species by the Convention on International trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
Conservationists are now pressing for action. Sue Fisher, policy director for the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society said: ‘Not only is Iceland abusing two international conservation agreements, it is setting Fin whale quotas that are three times higher than sustainable levels according to the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), the world's foremost authority on whale science.
‘American citizens overwhelmingly oppose commercial whaling, and nothing less than economic sanctions will fulfill President Obama's promise to strengthen the commercial ban on whale hunting.'
Susan Millward, executive director of the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) said: ‘This recent export demonstrates the urgent need for President Obama to immediately impose economic measures including trade sanctions against Iceland.'
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/iceland-sanctions.html
Sunday, June 26, 2011
55-Foot Beached Chinese 'Sea Monster' Identified
http://news.discovery.com/animals/55-foot-sea-monster-found-dead-on-beach-identified-110624.html
According to multiple media reports, a 55-foot-long marine animal recently washed up dead on a beach at Guangdong, China. You can see its decaying body in the above image. Now the question is: What's this species that beach goers are calling a "sea monster?"
Live Science showed the photo to three marine biology experts: Scott Baker of Oregon State University Marine Mammal Institute, Bill Perrin, senior scientist for marine mammals at the National Marine Fisheries Service, and Bob Brownell, senior scientist for international protected resources with NOAA's Fisheries Service.
Read on...
According to multiple media reports, a 55-foot-long marine animal recently washed up dead on a beach at Guangdong, China. You can see its decaying body in the above image. Now the question is: What's this species that beach goers are calling a "sea monster?"
Live Science showed the photo to three marine biology experts: Scott Baker of Oregon State University Marine Mammal Institute, Bill Perrin, senior scientist for marine mammals at the National Marine Fisheries Service, and Bob Brownell, senior scientist for international protected resources with NOAA's Fisheries Service.
Read on...
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
'Largest' Fin whale gathering spotted in British waters
 |
| Fin whales seen by scientists 'lunge-feeding' near the surface of the water |
Scientists have described whale sightings off the Cornish coast as one of the "largest gatherings" of the species ever seen in British waters.
Researchers spotted 21 fin whales 50 to 70 miles offshore, feeding near the surface over 30 minutes.
The fin whale, the second largest animal on the planet, is a globally endangered species.
Dr Tom Brereton, research director from Marinelife, said it was an "incredibly rare event".
The species were seen in an area known as the Celtic Deep, between north Cornwall and south west Pembrokeshire, on 21 May while researchers were on a three-week cruise in the area surveying numbers of schooling fish such as sardines.
The survey is due to finish on Thursday.
'Top predators'
Dr Brereton said: "It is very unusual to see those numbers, historically it's never occurred in that area.
"In the last 10 years there's been one or two sightings that have cropped up off the coast of Wales and Cornwall which has been quite big news, but to see 20 more or less together in one small area is really fantastic."
Fin whales are usually found in large numbers in the Bay of Biscay, but their presence in British waters is a relatively new discovery.
Experts on the ship suggested that the whales may have been chasing a dense crowd of krill into the area.
Dr Colin MacLeod, Marinelife's chief scientific adviser, said the sighting could be part of a wider movement of sea creatures around Britain's coast as a result of climate change.
"These changes indicate the extent to which climate change is affecting our marine animals.
"If it is affecting these top predators to such an extent, it is likely that it is also affecting other marine life further down the food chain, including species which are commercially important for the fishing industry," he said.
Marinelife is a charity working to study and maintain numbers of whales, dolphins and seabirds around the British coast.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-13680731
(Submitted by Liz R)
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Spate of Fin whale sightings off Irish Coast
Fin whales concentrating along Waterford coast - Courtesy of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG)
December 2010. There has been a steady flow of sightings of Fin whales in the past month off Waterford in South East Ireland.
Andrew Malcolm reports from the mine shafts area just east of Bunmahon, at least 6 fin whales, some of whom were so close inshore that on one occasion they could be heard "blowing" within 400m of the shore. None of the others were >1KM out. This is exceptional behaviour for the planet's 2nd largest animal. IWDG member Declan Clarke has been recording almost daily fin whale activity from Bunmahon in recent weeks.
2 year trend as herring shoals gather - Humpbacks may be attracted
This is a very interesting development and suggests the beginning of a trend in the past two years of these large whales gathering much further to the east of their former West Cork haunts. Local fishermen are reporting large densities of herring gathering in this area. But it is still early in the season for herring and it is likely that as they aggregate in even larger shoals to spawn over the coming months that they will attract larger numbers of fin whales, and let's hope some humpback whales too.
It's great to see the southeast getting such reliable large whale sightings for the second consecutive year, and IWDG would encourage local recorders to report any sightings to Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG)
Commercial Whale watching trips are available out of Dunmore East by Skipper Martin Colfer of the MV Rebecca C, Ph. 087-2657177. But places like Youghal would be excellent locations to view whales currently off East Cork and West Waterford.
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/ireland-fin-whales.html
December 2010. There has been a steady flow of sightings of Fin whales in the past month off Waterford in South East Ireland.
Andrew Malcolm reports from the mine shafts area just east of Bunmahon, at least 6 fin whales, some of whom were so close inshore that on one occasion they could be heard "blowing" within 400m of the shore. None of the others were >1KM out. This is exceptional behaviour for the planet's 2nd largest animal. IWDG member Declan Clarke has been recording almost daily fin whale activity from Bunmahon in recent weeks.
2 year trend as herring shoals gather - Humpbacks may be attracted
This is a very interesting development and suggests the beginning of a trend in the past two years of these large whales gathering much further to the east of their former West Cork haunts. Local fishermen are reporting large densities of herring gathering in this area. But it is still early in the season for herring and it is likely that as they aggregate in even larger shoals to spawn over the coming months that they will attract larger numbers of fin whales, and let's hope some humpback whales too.
It's great to see the southeast getting such reliable large whale sightings for the second consecutive year, and IWDG would encourage local recorders to report any sightings to Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG)
Commercial Whale watching trips are available out of Dunmore East by Skipper Martin Colfer of the MV Rebecca C, Ph. 087-2657177. But places like Youghal would be excellent locations to view whales currently off East Cork and West Waterford.
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/ireland-fin-whales.html
Spate of Fin whale sightings off Irish Coast
Fin whales concentrating along Waterford coast - Courtesy of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG)
December 2010. There has been a steady flow of sightings of Fin whales in the past month off Waterford in South East Ireland.
Andrew Malcolm reports from the mine shafts area just east of Bunmahon, at least 6 fin whales, some of whom were so close inshore that on one occasion they could be heard "blowing" within 400m of the shore. None of the others were >1KM out. This is exceptional behaviour for the planet's 2nd largest animal. IWDG member Declan Clarke has been recording almost daily fin whale activity from Bunmahon in recent weeks.
2 year trend as herring shoals gather - Humpbacks may be attracted
This is a very interesting development and suggests the beginning of a trend in the past two years of these large whales gathering much further to the east of their former West Cork haunts. Local fishermen are reporting large densities of herring gathering in this area. But it is still early in the season for herring and it is likely that as they aggregate in even larger shoals to spawn over the coming months that they will attract larger numbers of fin whales, and let's hope some humpback whales too.
It's great to see the southeast getting such reliable large whale sightings for the second consecutive year, and IWDG would encourage local recorders to report any sightings to Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG)
Commercial Whale watching trips are available out of Dunmore East by Skipper Martin Colfer of the MV Rebecca C, Ph. 087-2657177. But places like Youghal would be excellent locations to view whales currently off East Cork and West Waterford.
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/ireland-fin-whales.html
December 2010. There has been a steady flow of sightings of Fin whales in the past month off Waterford in South East Ireland.
Andrew Malcolm reports from the mine shafts area just east of Bunmahon, at least 6 fin whales, some of whom were so close inshore that on one occasion they could be heard "blowing" within 400m of the shore. None of the others were >1KM out. This is exceptional behaviour for the planet's 2nd largest animal. IWDG member Declan Clarke has been recording almost daily fin whale activity from Bunmahon in recent weeks.
2 year trend as herring shoals gather - Humpbacks may be attracted
This is a very interesting development and suggests the beginning of a trend in the past two years of these large whales gathering much further to the east of their former West Cork haunts. Local fishermen are reporting large densities of herring gathering in this area. But it is still early in the season for herring and it is likely that as they aggregate in even larger shoals to spawn over the coming months that they will attract larger numbers of fin whales, and let's hope some humpback whales too.
It's great to see the southeast getting such reliable large whale sightings for the second consecutive year, and IWDG would encourage local recorders to report any sightings to Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG)
Commercial Whale watching trips are available out of Dunmore East by Skipper Martin Colfer of the MV Rebecca C, Ph. 087-2657177. But places like Youghal would be excellent locations to view whales currently off East Cork and West Waterford.
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/ireland-fin-whales.html
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