Is Japan's whaling humane? |
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Authors: | Nick Gales Russell Leaper Vassili Papastavrou |
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Institution: | 1. Australian Antarctic Division, 203 Channel Highway, Kingston, Tasmania 7050, Australia;2. International Fund for Animal Welfare, The Old Chapel, Fairview Drive, Bristol BS6 6PW, UK |
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Abstract: | Video taken by Greenpeace of whaling by the Japanese whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean provided a unique opportunity to obtain quantitative data relevant to the welfare aspects of the killing of whales. Catches of 16 individual Antarctic minke whales (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) were analysed and in two of these asphyxiation appeared the most likely cause of death. Fewer than one in five whales were killed instantaneously and the average time to death for the remaining whales was around 10 min. The presence of Greenpeace did not result in a reduced accuracy of harpoon shots when compared with previous studies. |
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Keywords: | Whaling Killing methods Welfare |
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