Pollution of oceans threatens whale stocks

THEY are the largest and most spectacular mammals on earth, but commercial slaughter and the continued pollution of the oceans is threatening the future of whales.

On the eve of the annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission, wildlife campaigners, led by the Environmental Investigation Agency (IEA), say the contamination of the seas must be addressed immediately.

But there are fears the conference could be dominated by pro-whaling member countries that want the resumption of commercial killing.

A report from the EIA highlights the susceptibility of cetaceans, (whales, dolphins and porpoises) to accumulating toxic chemical pollutants and warns of the health risks to people who eat their meat, blubber and organs.

Clare Perry, EIA’s Cetacean Campaign Manager, said: “The threat of chemical pollutants to cetaceans is real.

“Combined with an increase in the number of pro-whaling countries joining the IWC, the outlook for whales looks increasingly bleak.”

Chemical pollutants, such as mercury, brominated flame retardants and organochlorines, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and other pesticides are highly toxic and are thought to cause various disorders in cetaceans, including immunosuppression, reproductive failure, developmental problems and cancer.

Exposure to these chemicals in humans, through eating whale meat, has been shown to cause irreversible neurological damage, with developing foetuses and children especially at risk.

A recent analysis of canned “whale stew” on sale in Japan through the internet revealed average mercury levels almost three times higher than those allowed under Japan’s food safety legislation.

The EIA urges the IWC to focus its efforts into determining the effects of contaminants in cetaceans in order to identify and implement measures to protect them and the people that eat cetacean products.

The IWC has grown from 14 member states when it was set up in 1946 to the current 55.

It is the only global body to formally address all threats to the continued existence of cetaceans.

Six species are critically endangered and at least one, the Yangtze River Basin Dolphin, is in immediate danger of becoming extinct.