Winter Lectures 2016 - 3. The unusual relationship between whales and humans

• Main Author: Palmer, G. W. R (Geoffrey W. R.)
• Format: Audio
• Language: English
• Published: The University of Auckland 2016
• Subjects: Whales > South Pacific Ocean; Whaling > South Pacific Ocean; Whaling > Law and legislation; Tohorā; New Zealand; Pacific; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: https://mediastore.auckland.ac.nz/library/public/2016/WL-2016-08-02-L3-GeoffreyPalmer.mp3.low.preview; http://dtlappprd01.its.auckland.ac.nz:1801/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=694954&custom_att_2=simple_viewer

A public lecture delivered by Sir Geoffrey Palmer (Former Prime Minister on New Zealand and International Whaling Commissioner). The unusual relationship between whales and humans: The unusual relationship between whales and humans: how whaling went from being a major industry to a leading environmental issue. New Zealand has a long legal involvement in managing whales and whaling. As a whaling nation we helped develop the International Whaling Commission (IWC), an agency that in a short timeframe has had many challenges. Sir Geoffrey Palmer will talk about the development of the whaling industry, particularly in New Zealand, and the history of the IWC and the terrific struggles there. He will discuss the International Court of Justice decision about the Japanese whaling programme in Antarctica and what it means for the IWC in the future. Winter Lectures 2016 - Whales and us: The past, present and future. New Zealand has a long history with whales. Whalers played a crucial role in our colonial history and we had a thriving whaling industry for many years until stocks were decimated. Today whales have taken on new importance for Māori and Pakeha New Zealanders as cultural symbols and generators of tourist revenue. Pacific nations have declared 2016 the "Pacific Year of the Whale". We think this is an excellent opportunity for an interdisciplinary consideration of the extraordinary, difficult, bloody, and political relationship between humans and whales throughout New Zealand's history and looking into its future. Our Winter Lecture Series brings together scholars from the University of Auckland and elsewhere in New Zealand from a variety of disciplines and professions. They'll identify key points of conflict and convergence in cetacean and human histories. They'll look at the ways humans have used whales as devices of profit and imagination, the exciting new trends in scientific understandings of whales, and the future of both our species.