ECO: The Environmental Voice at the International Whaling Comission | International Marine Mammal Project

ECO: The environmental voice at the IWC

ECO is published by Earth Island Institute’s International Marine Mammal Project at the meeting of the International Whaling Commission in Madeira, Portugal, on behalf of environmental and animal welfare organizations around the globe.

For further information, please contact: Mark J. Palmer, Associate Director, Earth Island Institute, International Marine Mammal Project.

Targeting Mothers?

Volume LXI · No. 4 · Madeira, Portugal · Thursday June 25, 2009
Acrobat .pdf of issue

Humane Society International pulled an interesting bit of information from the gross “scientific” whaling scheme conducted by Japan in the Southern Ocean whale sanctuary: fully one third of the whales harpooned for the so-called science program were pregnant females.

The Humane Society said these figures show the “true, disgusting nature” of the whale hunt. Of 679 whales killed for the bogus Japanese science, 304 were females, and 192 were pregnant. At least four female whales were lactating, which means that their young babies were left behind to starve.

Said Kitty Block on behalf of Humane Society International: “The fact is this hunt is commercial, and killing pregnant females makes it all the more egregious.”