Posts by George Berry
Japan’s government agrees to more funding for whale hunts
Japan’s Diet (parliament) has passed a law to help support commercial whaling through increased funding despite the falling demand for meat in the country. The government has said that it will promote the consumption of whale meat in schools as well as financially help the country’s whaling industry in securing hunting ships and crew. This…
Read MoreNew research shows bottlenose dolphins turn to the right
New research has revealed that dolphins have a dominant right-hand side. The research shows that bottlenose dolphins appear to have an even stronger right-side bias than humans, discovered through crater feeding observations. Crater feeding is a hunting technique where the dolphins swim close to the ocean floor, use echolocation to find prey, and then use…
Read MoreScientists discover new humpback whale feeding technique
Humpback whales are renowned for the many different ways they catch their prey, such as lunge-feeding, kick-feeding, bubble-netting and many more. However, up-to-now scientists have been unable to work out how the whales might use their five-metre long pectoral flippers to help catch their food. Finally, using aerial observations and photographs, they have been able…
Read MoreJapanese whalers kill over 200 whales in commercial hunt
Japanese whalers returned to port today after completing the first commercial hunt since Japan left the International Whaling Commission (IWC) at the end of June. The whalers killed 187 Bryde’s whales, 25 sei whales and 11 minke whales, bringing back a total of around 1,430 tons of whale meat. The Japanese Government announced that it would be leaving the IWC earlier…
Read MoreNorway’s whaling future uncertain after survey shows little domestic appetite for whale meat
The future of Norway’s whaling industry appears to be in serious doubt as it struggles to deal with low catch numbers, falling prices for whale meat and declining interest in its products on the domestic market. The head of Norway’s Whalers’ Association, Truls Soløy, described the 2019 whaling season as “particularly disappointing” after a total…
Read MoreMore Success! WDC’s negotiations with travel giant TripAdvisor pay off
Online travel giant, TripAdvisor is to stop the promotion of whale and dolphin captivity shows, a move that follows many months of positive dialogue between the company and WDC. The news is the latest success for WDC’s tour operators campaign, which has targeted big travel industry names and challenged them to stop promoting this kind of cruelty.…
Read MoreNew beaked whale species discovered in Japan
A new species of beaked whale who lives in the North Pacific has been identified in Japan, according to scientists who have published their discovery in the scientific journal Nature. The whale is thought to possibly be a new member of the Berardius family, which would mean there are now three whales in this group,…
Read MoreUS authorities put forward proposal for Makah gray whale hunt
Federal authorities in the United States have put forward a proposal that would allow the Makah, a Native American tribe, to resume the aboriginal subsistence whaling of gray whales in Washington State. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) made the announcement earlier this month. Under the proposal, the Makah would be allowed to…
Read MoreFossil of prehistoric four-legged whale discovered in Peru
Scientists have unearthed the fossil of a 43-million-year-old whale in Peru, which was adapted to living both on land and in water. The mammal is thought to have been around 13 feet (4 meters) long and had four legs, webbed feet and hooves as well as a tail. The discovery adds further light to our…
Read MoreShepherd’s beaked whale filmed underwater for the first time
A rarely seen species of beaked whale has been filmed underwater for the first time. Two Shepherd’s beaked whales were observed together on video footage obtained via a camera deployed off the coast of Inaccessible Island, Tristan da Cunha, in the South Atlantic. It was the first sighting of the species here since 2002 and…
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