News

OSLO, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Norway turned down an application to export whale blubber to Iceland on Monday, saying the time was "not quite right" to resume the controversial international trade in whale products.

The Fisheries Ministry said it had rejected an application by Bastesen Fishing Corp AS to export up to 100 tonnes of minke whale blubber to Nordic neighbour Iceland.

Norway resumed commercial whaling in 1993, defying a worldwide moratorium banning the practice. Oslo justifies whaling as part of domestic coastal traditions.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Fish-eating beluga whales appear to be blameless in the recent sockeye salmon disasters that have struck southwestern Alaska's Bristol Bay region, scientists from the National Marine Fisheries Service said.

The scientists found that there has been no dramatic increase in the number of Bristol Bay beluga whales, and there appears to be no correlation between beluga population and harvest failures, contrary to some fishermen's accusations that whale predation has caused two years of poor salmon fishing.

This morning the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society received a Keiko update from a colleague representing the Earth Island Insititute who is in Iceland:

"Keiko is here. He's healthy. He's doing fantastic!

By 1:30, Keiko was in the sea pen. The minute he hit the water, he gave a huge splash with his tail and dove to the bottom and swam the whole perimeter of the pen. He explored for about 15 minutes, then came up and started eating immediately.

The U.S. Agriculture Department will, on Friday (September 11) issue rules to protect dolphins at tourist attractions that allow people to swim with dolphins.

The rules have been condemned by US animal welfare and conservation organizations as weak and ineffectual.

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) point out that the Agriculture Department has taken 3-1/2 years from its first proposal to make the regulations law.

Australia - September8, 1998 HEFTY FINES FOR DOLPHIN KILLERS

The Australian Government is to impose prison sentences of up to two
years for anyone convicted of killing dolphins in Australian waters.

Federal Environment Minister Robert Hill said that in the case of threatened
species, fines of up to five-million dollars for a corporation or half-a-million
dollars for individuals will be issued.

There has been little research on dolphin populations and the government