Protection And Conservation Of Marine Mammals In Canada: A Case For Legislative Reform
The twentieth century was the century of modem whaling, as new technologies allowed whalers to exploit enormous numbers of whales from all oceans for processing into various products for industry and trade. Seals and sirenians (manatees and dugongs) were also heavily exploited in the 1900s, adversel...
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University of Maine School of Law Digital Commons
2016
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| Online Access: | https://digitalcommons.mainelaw.maine.edu/oclj/vol7/iss2/2 https://digitalcommons.mainelaw.maine.edu/context/oclj/article/1210/viewcontent/vol7_oclj_221.pdf |
| Summary: | The twentieth century was the century of modem whaling, as new technologies allowed whalers to exploit enormous numbers of whales from all oceans for processing into various products for industry and trade. Seals and sirenians (manatees and dugongs) were also heavily exploited in the 1900s, adversely affecting the populations of certain species. On entering the twenty-first century, numerous governments and organizations, and much of the general public now regard marine mammals, especially cetaceans, as having aesthetic and economic importance as well as intrinsic value outside the realm of exploitation. During the past decade, general awareness of the need to study the natural world at the ecosystem level has heightened, and it is recognized that threats to the survival of marine mammals go beyond that of commercial exploitation. Potential threats include habitat degradation, noise and chemical pollution, accidental strikes by ships, and incidental catch by commercial fisheries. Strategies for resolving these problems include the creation of marine protected areas to protect critical habitat, international cooperation in the development of conservation programs, and an increase in biological research to enhance management. The formulation of strong conservation policies and legislation at the national level is necessary to provide guidance for the implementation of these potential solutions. There is precedence at the international level for the types of protection needed. One example is the global moratorium on commercial whaling initiated in 1982 and implemented in 1986 by the International Whaling Commission (1WC). Despite the moratorium, however, a number of large whale species, including the right, Eubalaena glacialis; bowhead, Balaena mysticetus; blue, Balaenoptera musculus; sperm, Physeter macrocephalus; and humpback, Megaptera novaeangliae, are still considered endangered by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), the U.S. Division of Endangered Species, and the ... |
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