Debate Continues at the International Whaling Commission

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This week, as two wandering whales in northern California make international headlines, the International Whaling Commission is meeting in Anchorage, Alaska.  Despite a 1986 moratorium on commercial whaling ban, more than two thousand whales were caught last year. Japan wants to catch more whales than it's currently allowed, whaling rights for Eskimos have been extended for another five years, and Norway and Iceland continue to hunt whales in significant numbers. Is it possible to hunt whales on a sustainable basis? What kind of scientific research is yielded from whales killed under a loophole in the moratorium? What about the rights of indigenous communities that depend on whaling? What role does public opinion about the environment play in these talks?  Sara Terry guest hosts.

Credits

Guests:

  • Patrick Ramage - Manager of the International Fund for Animal Welfare's Global Whale Program
  • Glen Inwood - Spokesperson, Institute for Cetacean Research
  • Justin Cooke - Scientist specializing in whale-population dynamics
  • Rune Frovik - Secretary of the High North Alliance

Host:

Sara Terry