Illegal Whaling Continues, Despite The Ban

Whaling is the hunting and killing of whales for food and oil. There are 3 types of whaling taking place currently:

• Commercial Whaling: The killing of whales for monetary gain. This type of whaling is now illegal.
• Aboriginal Subsistence Whaling: Killing whales to support aboriginal people.
• Special Permit Whaling: For the purpose of scientific research.

by Howard Ignatius via Flickr.com
used under Creative Commons License

The practice of whaling has been around for thousands of years, and was most predominant among Norwegians and Japanese. Whaling slowly spread to North America, and with the rise of new technologies such as gun-loaded harpoons, it became increasingly more common. Unfortunately, as it grew, the whale population shrank.

Effects of Whaling

In the early 1900's, it started to become obvious that large-scale commercial whaling was devastating whale populations worldwide. Today, despite heavy regulations, some whale species have failed to recover entirely. These species include:

• Blue Whale (Although populations are slowly increasing)
• Fin Whale (Insufficient data, but research suggests numbers have not increased substantially)
• Western North Pacific Gray Whale (Critically endangered. It is estimated that only around 130 are left)
• North Pacific Right Whale (One of the most endangered whale species today)
• North Atlantic Right Whale (Also critically endangered)

Grey Whale - by Joe McKenna via Flickr.com
used under Creative Commons License

Despite this somewhat dismal information, there is also a wide variety of whale populations that have recovered significantly. Some have even reached pre-exploitation levels. These include:

• Humpback Whale
• Eastern North Pacific Gray Whale (In contrast to the Western North Pacific population)
• Bowhead Whale
• Southern Right Whale (Mostly confined to areas around South Africa, Brazil, and Australia)

Humpback Whale - by Graham Cook via Flickr.com
used under Creative Commons License

Efforts to End Whaling

Whaling was a fairly common practice until the 1930's, when it started becoming more and more unacceptable as whale populations dwindled. In 1946, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) was founded to regulate the worldwide threat against whales. The organization imposed limits and quotas defining how many whales could be killed to prevent overhunting, but these limits were criticized as being too loose. In 1982, commercial whaling was completely outlawed. This law is still in place today.

Killer Whale - via Wikipedia - Public Domain

Some countries continue to commercially hunt whales despite the law. Norway and Japan are two of the worst offenders. They often hide their hunting under the guise of scientific research, and many groups have tried to expose their behavior. Greenpeace is one of the most well known advocates of whale conservation today. They have spoken openly about Japan's corrupt whaling practices, and are currently trying to influence members of the IWC to put more pressure on them.

A Mystery in the Ocean: Disappearing Sea Stars

Sea stars along the Pacific coast have been dying by the thousands, and researchers don't know why. The epidemic started in the summer of 2013, and has been named "sea star wasting disease." It begins with the sea stars' limbs rotting and falling off, and follows with them completely wasting away.

by Laszlo Ilyes via Flickr.com
used under Creative Commons License

A Little Bit About Sea Stars

Marine biologists are slowly replacing the name "starfish" with "sea star," due to the fact that sea stars are echinoderms, not fish. One of their most defining characteristics is their ability to regenerate limbs. They can even regenerate their entire body in some cases, because they store their vital organs in their limbs. They use the suction cups on the bottom of their body to pull apart their prey and pull it into its body to digest it. These suction cups are also what they use to move across the sea floor.

Sea stars are natural predators; not many things eat them, but they prey on anything from mussels to snails. They play an extremely important role in their marine ecosystem by maintaining the natural balance of organisms.

The Epidemic

Although sea stars are not currently considered endangered, this rapid decrease in their population poses significant long-term risks to the species, and their environment. The ailment spreads so fast and works so quickly that it is nearly impossible for scientists to research the problem before it gets worse. It has been known to wipe out an entire local group within 24 hours.

The infection tends to start with the sea stars twisting their limbs in unnatural ways, after which they develop lesions on their tentacles, which fall off soon after. Eventually, the sea star will more or less disintegrate. Historically, similar events have occurred due to environmental factors such as El Nino, but in this particular case, no environmental factors seem to be at play. 

by Andrew Reding via Flickr.com
used under Creative Commons License

This event is occurring down the entire West Coast, from Alaska to Southern California. Because of this, scientists are scrambling to find answers. No one has been able to pinpoint a specific cause yet, but the overwhelming opinion is that it is due to pathogens in the water. The question is, what is making the stars susceptible to these pathogens? Sea stars filter so much salt water through their bodies every day, finding out which pathogen might be causing this epidemic is nearly impossible. They may have various types of bacteria from sea water in their bodies at any given time, but that does not necessarily mean that any of those bacteria are causing the illness.

Researchers have been awarded a National Sciences Foundation Rapid Response Grant to continue their research and find a solution as soon as possible.

The Gray Wolf

The Gray Wolf is one of the most common, well known animals in the animal kingdom. Their habitat includes Canada and the Northern United States, as well as Russia and some parts of Europe. 

via Wikipedia - used under Creative Commons License

So What's Happening?

via Wikipedia - Public Domain

Recently, Gray Wolves have been in the news because of their controversial status on the Endangered Species list. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) declared Gray Wolves endangered after they were hunted to extinction in the lower 48 states. Their current status is 'Least Concern' due to growing populations over the past few years, however many wildlife organizations are fighting to maintain its status on the list.

If Gray Wolves were to be removed from the Endangered Species list, all federal protection efforts in their favor would cease. Organizations like the Adirondack Council, Adirondack Wild, Protect the Adirondacks, Maine Wolf Coalition, and Wildlands Network are fighting to keep Gray Wolves on the list. They believe that maintaining the population of predators is vital to the balance of the ecosystem. Additionally, they assert that if the Wolf population goes unprotected, it will make it difficult for the species to migrate back to areas where it once lived.


Several U.S. Congressman have come forward in favor of maintaining Gray Wolves' endangered status. Representative Peter DeFazio has spoken on the topic, saying that based on a recent peer review, there is not enough scientific evidence to support changing the status. 

Despite the growing movement against changing the Gray Wolves' status, some people and organizations are still pushing for the change. Congressman Steve Stockman believes that wolves are anything but endangered, and that they are in fact a pest that must be controlled. He also speaks for farmers and ranchers who share the same opinion. They say that wolves are a common pest to their crops and livestock, and they are therefore in favor of any movement to control their growing population.

Overall, the overwhelming opinion is to keep Gray Wolves on the endangered list. In a recent letter to Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, 74 members of the House of Representatives signed in favor of maintaining the wolves' status. Currently, the public comment period for the issue has been reopened. It will close this coming Thursday.