Research is no excuse to kill whales

2002/03/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Ekologia

Australian scientists have worked on the deathless whale research method. The research is based on the analysis of whale excrement, obtaining important data: what they eat, what are the parasites of their digestive system... In addition, DNA analysis can be performed to identify the whale in detail.

Whales are released near the ocean surface and researchers collect excrement in the nets. The method is cheaper and deeper than the analysis done with the finished whales, so it has been presented to the International Whale Commission (IWC). By the way, their goal is to protect whales. One of the objectives of Japanese whale hunting is research, with the excuse that more than 500 whales and sperm whales kill each year.