Whales Facing Extinction - Essay Example

Whales Facing Extinction Introduction It is estimated that almost a quarter of the world’s whales are facing extinction due to a variety of factors. The international union for the conservation of nature has listed the whales as one of the species that is currently facing extinction. It has classified the following species o whales as endangered species that need urgent measures in order to prevent their extinction. These include the blue whale, the sei and the fin whale. On the other hand the humpback is showing improvements as a result of conservation efforts that were taken to conserve it when it was on the brink of extinction (Estes, 2006). There are various reasons that lead to animal extinction. This paper will discuss the various reasons that are pushing the whales to extinction. It will also look at their habitats and feeding habits that might have triggered this move. It will also discuss the conservation efforts that are being put in place to ensure the survival of the whales. The various efforts that have been made both at national level and international level will also be considered and recommendations will be put forward to help stop the trend (Perrin, Bernd, & Thewissen, 2008). Reasons why they are facing extinction There are various reasons that are causing this trend toward extinction. The major causes of whale extinction are the activities that take place in the sea. People go whaling in order to get meat. The whales are said to be delicious and therefore so many people want the meat. On the other hand the meat is also expensive because of the scarcity of the whales. Tourist hotels are said to pay highly for this meat and therefore encourage people to go out looking for the whales. The scarcity creates a huge demand for the meat which is bought immediately the whale is caught. This is the biggest cause of whale extinction (WWF-Australia, n.d). The second cause of whale extinction is hunting whales for oil. Historically whale oil had a variety of uses. It was used as lamp fuel and also for the production of soap. This oil was treated with sulphur so as to provide high pressure lubricants that were used to run machinery. Apart from that whale oil was used in the manufacture of rough cloth, varnish, linoleum and leather. Whale oil has continued to be of use even in the first half of the twentieth century where it was hardened into fat used for margarine. During world one and two whale oil was used to manufacture nitroglycerin for explosives. During the 1960’s Whale liver oil was an important source of vitamin D. At the moment most of the products that were made from whale oil are being made from petroleum and therefore reducing the rate at which the whales were being hunted. On the other hand conservation efforts by international organizations and laws have stopped this hunting for whales (Tønnessen & Johnsen, 1982). The third cause of whale extinction is habitat deterioration coupled with climate change. The effects of climate change are vast and the sea has not been spared either of its effects. The waters have continued retreating and therefore reducing the land occupied by the whales. On the other hand temperatures continue to rise and this causes them to seek alternative places within the sea where they can live and breed. Another issue is that whales feed on small fish and other sea creatures, as the habitat continues to change as a result of climate change the prey population declines and therefore they lack food to make them survive. This is one of the contributing factors causing whale extinction (Tønnessen & Johnsen, 1982). The last cause is noise disturbance. As the hunting spree for the whales reduced due to the decline in the demand for whale oil, another problem emerged that has made it difficult for this species to survive. Large parts of the sea are now filled noise that is human generated emanating from military sonar, seismic surveys and shipping. This noise affects many of the sea creatures which are forced to relocate their habitats. In the worst scenario they lead to the death of these sea creatures and the whales are not spared (Perrin, Bernd, & Thewissen, 2008). Whales, food chain and the ecosystem Whales play an important role in the food chain and the ocean ecosystem. The size of whales and their high metabolic rates make them important players in the ocean food web. The killer whales are found on top of the food web and feed on the great whales such as the blue whales and the humpback. The humpback on the other hand feed on zooplanktons, small fish and krill. During the twentieth century, the massive killing of the whales led to a decline in the ecosystem. This is because as the whales disappeared as a result of mass slaughter the killer whales had to find other sources of food to survive. This led to the decline in the number of sea otters, sea lions and seals in the ocean. With the absence of sea otters many oceans have become overpopulated with sea urchins that have depleted underwater forests. This has continued to affect the ecosystem (Tønnessen & Johnsen, 1982). Conservation measures There are various conservation measures that have been put in place to ensure the survival of the whales. This is because of the roles that these animals play in the ecosystem. There are various campaigns that have been initiated such as the ‘save the whale’ campaign. This aims at sensitizing people on the importance of protecting the whales because of the many benefits that they bring to the ocean ecosystem. Other campaigns include the campaigns to end overfishing in the south east and in the mid-Atlantic ocean. It has been proved that it is not the massive hunting of whales that have caused the change in the ocean ecosystem but rather overfishing at that depletes the sources of food for these whales thus causing them to seek for alternative food. In the end such whales end up dying because they are unable to find alternative foods (Perrin, Bernd, & Thewissen, 2008). Besides campaigns there are also policies that have been enacted to ensure the survival of the whales. One such policy is the National ocean policy that protects the ocean creatures from overexploitation by the humans. This policy is aimed at protecting and restoring the health of America’s marine ecosystems. Others include the Federal fisheries reform project and the European maritime program. All these are efforts that are aimed at ensuring the whales are protected from extinction (Estes, 2006). Organizations involved in conservation There are various organizations that have come up to protect the whales from extinction. One such organization is the PEW charitable trusts. This organization is involved in advocacy efforts that are conducted through marine conservation campaigns aimed at protecting the nation’s fisheries and ocean wildlife. The wildlife include: marine mammals, birds and invertebrates both in the United States and around the world. This organization works to address issues that come as a result of overfishing shark finning and whaling. Another organization that is engaged in conservation efforts is the Whale and dolphin conservation society (WDCS). This is an organization that is known internationally for its efforts in stopping the deliberate killing of whales and dolphins, raising awareness about cetaceans and the threats they face. It also prevents the extinction of endangered species and promotes recovery of all cetacean populations including whales and dolphins (WWF-Australia, n.d). Other organizations involved in the conservation efforts of whales include the International whaling commission (IWC). This commission is tasked with ensuring that no commercial or scientific whaling is carried out. This commission also looks at ways of ensuring the conservation of all ocean endangered species. Another is the world whaling federation that works hand in hand with the IWC in ensuring that all laws are followed regarding whaling (WWF-Australia, n.d). Conclusion In conclusion we have found that whales play a major role in the ocean ecosystem and their extinction will cause a great effect on the oceanic resources. We have found out that there are many efforts that have been put in place to stop commercial whaling. We have also seen that there are various policies that have been put in place to stop people from hunting these whales and other sea creatures (Perrin, Bernd, & Thewissen, 2008). Organizations have also been formed with the sole purpose of protecting the endangered species and also help in restoring the oceanic population. Therefore it is important that people stop whaling so as to protect them for the future generations. Apart from that whales should also be conserved because in doing so we will also be protecting the environment. If we protect the environment that means we will have adequate resources from it especially ocean resources and in so doing we will be saving the world. References Estes, J. A. (2006). Whales, whaling, and ocean ecosystems. California. USA. : University of California Press. Perrin, W. F., Bernd, W., & Thewissen, M. (2008). Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals. . Waltham. USA: Academic press. Tønnessen, J. N., & Johnsen, A. O. (1982). The history of modern whaling. California. USA: University of California Press. WWF-Australia. (n.d.). Whale conservation- Protecting the giants of the sea. Retrieved 8 23, 2011, from http://www.wwf.org.au/ourwork/oceans/whales Read More