In the beginning of the 20th century whalers began to exploit the herds of southern whales. With an industrialized approach to whaling in place the numbers of species began to rapidly deplete - some whale species had been reduced by more than 95%- , until some species such as Right, Blue and Humpback had been almost wiped out. In 1986 the International Whaling Commission (IWC) – which has over 70 member countries around the world, and has the purpose to provide for the proper conservation of whale stocks and thus make possible the orderly development of the whaling industry - banned all commercial whaling through a moratorium, but since then, three nations - Iceland, Norway, and Japan - have brutally slaughtered over 25,000 whales under the guise of ‘scientific research’ and for commercial purposes (Sea Shepherd). The Japanese invented the concept of 'scientific' whaling in 1987 as a way round the moratorium on commercial whaling instituted by the International
Out of all the marine mammals that would be affected, the bowhead whale would feel the worst affects of drilling. It is currently endangered and still making a recovery from nearly becoming extinct. Of the 10 thousand bowhead whales that still exist, the majority are found in the Western Arctic. These whales are extremely sensitive to noise disturbance which can damage migratory paths and interfere with breeding and nursing
With an average of 6.3 million kilograms of trash being pumped into our oceans every year, it won't be very long until they reach breaking point. One of the most common pollutants in our oceans is plastic. In the United States, it has been estimated that two million plastic beverage bottles are used every five minutes and that marine litter now contributes sixty to eighty percent of plastic. Estimates for plastic shopping bags range from five hundred to a thousand years to breakdown. This is potentially devastating in that plastic is often mistaken for food by marine animals,
How would you like to see the most beautiful place in America destroyed just for a bit of oil? Last summer, I went to the most spectacular place and came to care deeply about its wildlife. I would hate for that place to be destroyed. I saw bears, moose, salmon, elk, humpback whales, otters and much more in Alaska. I also encountered a hideous, metal snake called the Alaskan Pipeline built in the 1980s to transport oil.
Comparing slavery to the whales is one of the ways Cowperthwaite portrays SeaWorld as being evil. SeaWorld makes many false claims to convince the general public that they are in the right. Claims such as lifespan (25-30 years more with veterinary care), Dorsal Collapse (25 percent), the whales are a family, and aggression is accidental or the trainers fault. In actuality lifespan reaches 80-90 in the wild, Dorsal
Beluga Whale CAUSES of the issue. Beluga Whales are in ‘Near threatened’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The reasons why are predators, hunting by humans, and environmental hazards. 1. Predators: Killer whales and polar bears prey on beluga whale adults and babies.
It would interfere with millions of migratory birds that feed on its tundra plains. It would kill plants and animals that are native to the Beaufort Sea area and the environment would take two decades to recover. If there were a major oil spill, it would decades for the ecosystem to recover, since so many organisms would be contaminated and eventually die. Remember the 1989 catastrophe when the Exxon Valdez spilled 35 million gallons into Prince William Sound? The
While determining what the outcome of our environment is going to be, we need to examine the history, where we are now, and where these solutions in the environment will take us. Our children lives are at stack. History The environmental issue is a very old issue that has been a problem for many years now. To be honest things can become a bit overwhelming for some to understand when we try to explain the effects human beings have on the environment. Santos explains that the environmental issues “date back to the nineteenth century, when trappers, fishermen, and naturalists campaigned against the unrestrained exploitation of American’s pristine environmentals,” (Santos, 1999).
Climate Change Threatens Marine Life Axia College of UOP: SCI 275 CLIMATE CHANGE THREATENS MARINE LIFE Climate change has become a major issue over the past few years. Global warming has the potential to devastate the human population immensely. However, one key aspect of this issue that has not been addressed is how climate change will affect marine life. As the water temperature rises marine life becomes more endangered. The ocean dwellers are virtually helpless, and they will ultimately have to suffer the consequences that have been created mainly by humans.
Conclusion Introduction Everyday thousands of marine animals were being cruelly killed in many parts of the world. Most of them were for money. It grew worse after egg collection became legal in 1987.Many species of sea animals are in the verge of extinction. It includes whales, turtles and many kinds of fishes. Latest technological advances have increased the threat to the marine animal, especially for turtles.