Report Demands the End of Whaling
Shooting a whale with a grenade-tipped harpoon does not guarantee that the animal will be instantly killed. Often, a second harpoon is required, and rifles are used to finish the animal off.
A coalition of over 140 organizations from more than 55 countries is calling for the end of this type of slaughter at sea. While cows and sheep are treated humanly in slaughterhouses, the viciousness in which whales are killed is deemed cruel and unnecessary.
In 2004, it is projected that 1,400 whales are expected to be slaughtered by Norway, Japan, and Iceland. Although commercial whaling has been banned since 1986, over 20,000 whales have still been killed.
During hunts, many of the whales are shot and ?lost? which means that, if they survive the initial attack, they die a slow, agonizing death.
Their adaptations for diving, their sheer mass, complex vascular systems, and specific anatomical features also impede the efforts to kill whales in a swift and humane manner, the report also points out.
the report can be viewed at http://www.NewScientist.com.