einharjr saidQuote:but I understand minke whales, though far below their pre-whaling numbers, are plentiful, and not at all in danger of extinction. As for ecological balances, that is for each nation to evaluate, in cooperation with its neighbors.
Any species that is removed from the planet at a rate higher than its replacement rate, is going to become extinct. You are kidding us if you believe that the minke whale population, estimated at about 1.2 million worldwide, can stand a critical population reduction, when noone knows its breeding patterns, or what constitutes a minimally viable population (we seem to feel that " right" whales are doomed because they have a minimum population requirement so that "random" breeding hits are accomplished by species density. Its maybe too late for them, because many of the nubile young cows are unmated giving credence to the observation that right whales just "hook up" they really dont have a mating relationship.
For all these recent conclusions about the projected fates of some whale species, I blame all nations that whale. The Norwegians cant mount any moral high ground and place blame on the Japanese, when the Norwegians were still whacking away at right whales until the stock was depleted.
The oceans in general are in a critical state for availability of resources and the only way that commercial stocks of anything can be replenished (Using your delightful parlance) is to quit taking them until you understand the rate that is safe to deplete. You cannot prove to me that the combined taking of whales by Norway, Japan, Russia, and whoever else is engaged in this reckless destruction of entire species, is not marching these animals to extinction. If only your country and the others would communicate the rate of destruction that youre engaged in, perhaps, together you could reach the conclusion that seems self evident to many of us.
If only you could really realize and employ the husbandry skills of commercial meat producers, maybe you could do something to repopulate whales. Ive been plying the waters of the Bay of Fundy looking for whales and we noticed that, this year, its already mid July and we havent seen one Right whale yet.
Excuse me if I dont pat the Norwegians on the back for practicing sustainable whaling. Your just as guilty as the damn Japanese. Itll take another 15 million years or so for a common land dwelling ancestor to develop from manatees or dugong to evolve another whale-like creature from a semi oceanic Sirinea species. I dont have that long and I dont wish the existing whale species to be wiped out while you just point at each other saying "it was his fault"
Whales dont recognize political boundaries, they are creatures that have evolved genetic memories of their worldwide travels and they return to familiar grounds after thousands of trip-miles. Theres where the slaughters occur.
Ya know, at least with the sturgeon population, the Russians, Iranians, and the people of the Ohio River basin have learned how to rear and raise sturgeon for the caviar market. Caviar, like whales comes only at the price of a life that, until recently , was a total mystery . There may be hope for Sturgeon, somehow I dont see the Norwegians or Japanese "hand rearing" or insemnating female whales at a rate that exceeds your plunder.
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