Results for whales

Whale watchers around the world can help scientists track the journey of individual whales by taking photos of the underside of their tails, said Ted Cheeseman, co-founder and CEO of Happywhale, a website platform used to help identify whales using pictures. “The underside of a whale’s tail has markings unique to each whale, just like finger prints are to humans."

The Cook Islands ban placed on commercial fishing last month within 50 nautical miles of the nation was highlighted at the Whales in a Changing Ocean conference opening yesterday in Nuku’alofa. Cook Islands Minister of Environment, Hon Kiriau Turepu stressed that the ban is to reduce the interaction between commercial fishing and whales in their waters.

Raising awareness to protect Pacific whales in the face of emerging threats is part of a regional campaign ‘Protect Pacific Whales’ recently launched by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).

Oceania's Humpback whale population is slowly recovering, but it will take three decades before the population will fully recover from its near extinction levels in the 1960s, according to an assessment by the South Pacific Whale Research Consortium (SPWRC).

I want to thank you for your efforts in producing an online news service. I read with great interest the many articles you have published in particular dealing with the environment. Your coverage of the Ashika tragedy has been extensive, thought provoking and informative. It has given us insight into your government and its people. -Don Mark

HRH Princess Salote Mafile'o Pilolevu Tuita will be officially declared as Tonga's 'Royal Patron of Whales', in Neiafu, Vava'u on Friday, October 3.

Solomon Islands was one of the countries that voted with Japan on the pro-whaling debate which won a majority vote over the last couple of days. Sadly, again, the Minister of Fisheries for Solomon Islands, Mr. Nollen Leni went against his government and cabinet's decision to abstain from voting, disobeying a cabinet directive and he is yet to face the consequences when he comes back here in a few days time. - M. Havea

Call me a whale-watcher if you like but ‘Ofa-ki-Tonga's enthusiasm for whalemeat for the kingdom is unlikely to find favour in this part of the world where killing whales and dolphins for food is seen as barbaric. The recent Japanese success at the IWC was made possible by support from some Pacific nations who took money and changed their stance. And here in New Zealand there is a call for retribution through the withdrawl of aid or something similar. - Sefita Hao‘uli