World Fishing Fleet Threat To Survival Of 86% Of Toothed Whale Species, Though Data Lacking For Some

[hatrack]

BONN, Germany, February 5, 2010 - The Baiji dolphin, which used to live in the Yangtze River, is probably extinct, and the Vaquita porpoise from the northern Gulf of California is facing the same fate, with only 150 individuals remaining in the wild. Entanglement in fishing gear has claimed an unsustainably high number of both species, concludes a new United Nations report released today.

In fact, entanglement and death in gillnets, purse-seine nets, traps, weirs, longlines and trawls threatens 86 percent of all toothed whale species, finds the report, posted on the website of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, CMS, often called the Bonn Convention after its headquarters city.

This is a substantial increase in toothed whale species at risk of dying as fishing by-catch as compared to 2001, when by-catch was reported to affect 50 species or 70.4 percent of all toothed whales, says author Boris Culik.

Lack of food and forced changes in diet as a result of overfishing pose additional threats to 13 of the world's 72 toothed whale species, his report finds.

EDIT

http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/feb2010/2010-02-05-01.html

[Bigmack]

1. Repub answer to this problem...

Eat the whales!

I know I'm just putting words in their mouths, but that is soooo Repub.

Never mind the unintended and unforeseen consequences in the future.

[Dead_Parrot]

2. You mis-spelt "Japanese". nt.

[Nihil]

3. That is a phrase that should be outlawed internationally ...

... "fishing by-catch" ...

:grr:

(OK, not the phrase but the behaviour that leads to it.)