WhaleFest 2012

I was again invited to travel with my Icelandic family to WhaleFest 2012 at the Hilton in Brighton. The same place that everyone came together 30 years ago and made the moratorium happen. Of course there are obstacles still to hurdle and IFAW, WDCS, WWF, GREENPEACE and SEA SHEPHERD amongst others have done amazing things since then to minimise these obstacles. Still new ones are always arising. 

The Elding gang 

Me with my idol Ingrid Visser and Planet Whale co-founder Dylan Walker.

I put this picture in to see the beauty of watching wild orca rather than seeing them in captivity. I learnt at WhaleFest that  about 5500 cetaceans have died in transit or in dolphinariums for the sole purpose of entertainment. 

Unfortunately wild cetaceans are still being captured for aquariums worldwide, take Morgan for example. An orca that was highly emaciated when found in the Wadden Sea and was only meant to stay in captivity until she was fit enough to be released but now finds herself in a pool in Loro Parque, Tenerife. This can all turn around though as today a court committee discussed the fate of Morgan. Keep posted at http://www.freemorgan.org/.

Once again protesting for the protection of cetaceans everywhere in the same location as protestors from around the world came 30 years ago when the moratorium was signed.

A picture of a Hectors Dolphin, a close cousin to the Maui's Dolphin. The most endangered marine dolphin in the world.

Only 55 Maui's dolphins are left along a small fraction of the North New Zealand coast. A victim to gill netting and trawling within their habitat. As they are a coastal endemic species too, only residing in waters around NZ of less than 100m its a limited habitat already. The NZ government has opened a public consultation on new protection measures. This finishes on the 12th November so sign the petition now at www.hectorsdolphins.com.

Rannveig and Vignir with Erich Hoyt whom was there to talk about making the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary a true sanctuary in reality and not just on paper.

In 1994 the International Whaling Commission (IWC) established a whale sanctuary in the southern ocean for whales however, whaling is still being continued here under the guise of "scientific  whaling" and fish stocks are still being harvested. Last month (October) there was a meeting by the Commission for the Conservation or Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR)  to decide what areas should be safe-guarded. The Antarctic Ocean Alliance is asking for 3.6 million square kilometres of the Ross Sea and surrounding areas to have full protection. Stay posted at http://www.asoc.org/issues-and-advocacy/antarctic-wildlife-conservation/southern-ocean-whale-sanctuary

Lets hope that this year will mark the release of Morgan, better protection measures for Hectors and Maui's Dolphins and also the total protection of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. Then we can tackle the challenges of next year together. Hopefully stopping the whaling also in Iceland :)