New Study Shows Whale Repopulation will Not Overturn Hunting Moratorium

[Submariner]

Commercial whale hunters are certain to be upset by a new study from two US scientists. Based on an examination of whale genes, the researchers conclude that these mammals will not repopulate fast enough to overturn an international whaling ban anytime soon, but other scientists are skeptical of the conclusion.

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"Their normal population size is not 20,000, but 240,000 in the case of humpback whales. So our conservation targets for that species should be geared to the natural population levels that that species has always had, and those targets should then be dramatically increased," said Mr. Plaumbi.

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