Hello,
I give presentations on endangered animals to about 3,000 students in
the Houston, Texas area. I have two questions.
1. I read the following on a WDCS e-mail newsletter and wanted to know
if this is correct:
"The whaling operation is hugely expensive and already subsided by at
least US$8 million."
I was unaware that the U.S. would be helping fund whaling activities.
Is this right?
2. I had read from Whales on the Net, the following information
concerning the population of gray whales:
2001/2002 - 17,414
2000/2001 - 18,761
The 1997/1998 census of 26,635 caused to the removal of the Gray whale
from the Endangered Species List and the subsequent Makah whale hunt.
In the 1995/1996 census 22,263 Gray whales WERE on the Endangered
Species List.
My question is are they considering putting the gray whale back on the
U.S. Endangered and Threatened List?
Dear Mary,
Your first question is an interesting one. As far as I know, the US does
not subsidize whaling in any way. To the contrary, the US is a proponent of
stopping the hunt around the world. The only whaling that occurs in the US
today is aboriginal whaling (and that is on a very small scale, such as the
Inuit and the Makah. I am not aware of the WDCS report, but will certainly
look into it further.
Secondly, I do not believe there is talk to putting the gray whales back on
the Endangered/Threatened List - there numbers are still sufficiently high
to have them listed only as a Protected species under the Marine Mammal
Protection Act. If I learn anything different, I will let you know!
Thank you very much for your questions.
Sincerely,
Lisa Foerster
Director
Center for Oceanic Reserach and Education
www.coreresearch.org
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