July 13, 2001. Copyright, 2001, Graphic News. All rights reserved

New threat to great whales
By Elisabeth Ribbans

LONDON, July 13, Graphic News:  WHALES are big enough to be occasional hazards in themselves Ð as yachtsmen and women who have survived encounters with the largest of their order will attest. But ranged against these giants of the sea are such varied and increasing dangers that, 15 years after the moratorium on commercial whaling, many species are still floundering at the brink of extinction. According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), seven of the 13 great whale species remain endangered and there are fears that more could be added to the critical list.

Among the chief threats are collisions with large ships, entanglement in fishing nets, habitat loss and the hunting that continues to account for around 1,000 whale deaths a year. But scientists believe an even greater threat than the harpoon may be the ÒhiddenÓ menace of pollution. A report published by WWF ahead of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) conference taking place in London from July 23, claims there is growing evidence that industrial chemicals and pesticide run-offs could be one of the gravest threats to whales and dolphins. ÒWanted Alive! Whales in the WildÓ says pilot whales, still hunted and eaten by the people of the Faeroe Isles, have such high levels of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), pesticides and heavy metal that the Faeroese have been warned to restrict their consumption.

Meanwhile, new research reveals baleen whales Ð toothless species that filter food through sieves in their mouths Ð are also affected by chemicals that accumulate in their blubber and then slowly release into their milk when they migrate to winter calving grounds.

ÒIt was a surprise to find that baleen whales Ð which include most of the great whales Ð were so affected,Ó said Cassandra Phillips, co-author of the WWF report. ÒIt had always been thought that the toothed whales were more susceptible to toxic contamination because they fed higher up the food chain.Ó She explained that although baleen whales fed for only part of the year, living off their fat for the remainder, this was usually the time at which they were producing and feeding their young. ÒWhales are long lived and hard to count, so we canÕt point to any immediate decline in their numbers caused by pollution,Ó says Phillips. ÒBut we are seriously worried that the endocrine disruption caused by chemicals could affect reproduction in coming generations.Ó

The issue of pollution will be high on the agenda when the IWC meets in London. A full report from Pollution 2000+, a research programme established in 1999 to investigate the impact of environmental change on cetaceans, is to be discussed by the commission and, although its contents will not be revealed in advance, an IWC spokesman said toxic contamination was Òa cause of great concern.Ó

The IWC, which has 40 member countries, published its own report on chemical pollution two years ago. It also concluded that evidence for a link between chemical pollutants and the health of cetaceans was growing, especially in coastal areas. It said PCBs were of particular concern. Polychlorinated biphenyls were once used in an extensive range of industrial applications and, although they are no longer manufactured, hundreds of thousands of tonnes remain in certain types of electrical equipment. Once in the environment they do not break down easily, accumulating in fatty tissues of animals and humans. PCBs were among the so-called POPs (persistent organic pollutants) outlawed by the Stockholm Convention that was signed in May. ÒThe convention is a start,Ó said Cassandra Phillips. ÒNow we need its ratification, implementation and further protection of the marine environment all round.Ó
/ENDS

Sources: WWF, IWC, UNEP