Closed-door Meetings at the IWC

As discussed in the October 2008 issue of the Cetacean Society International's newsletter, the meetings of the Small Working Group (SWG) On the Future of the IWC do not allow NGO representatives to observe (much less participate) in their meetings. Tensions within the IWC have been running high, with pro-whaling countries threatening to withdraw if the commission does not become more amenable to their demands, and this commission purports to resolve some of the issues between pros and antis. The CSI newsletter quotes the chair of the SWG, Ambassador Alvaro de Soto as saying somewhat disdainfully in reference to the closed-door issue, "The dogs (NGOs) will bark, but the caravan (IWC) moves on." The IWC insists that the meetings aren't secret, but they're clearly worried that an NGO presence will have a negative impact on the process. Perhaps they decided that they'd rather make decisions and put off dealing with NGO protests. Would that really solve anything? The issue of whaling provokes such strong feelings on both sides that leaving NGOs (and the public) out of the decisionmaking process might only serve to heighten anger.

ASOC submitted a paper on the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary at the last open IWC meeting in June, and hopes the IWC will continue to consider taking the actions we proposed, including the development of a comprehensive management plan for the sanctuary and the funding of research on whale populations.

Encounters at the End of the World

ASOC was privileged to attend a screening of award-winner filmmaker Werner Herzog's documentary on Antarctica, Encounters at the End of the World. The National Science Foundation of the U.S. sponsored Mr. Herzog's visit to Antarctica as part of its Antarctic Artists and Writers Program, which has sponsored a variety of artistic projects based on Antarctica.

At the outset, Herzog, who narrates the film, explains that he did not want to make another movie about penguins, but rather was motivated by a desire to learn more about the lives of those who choose to live away from civilization on a continent set aside for science. Although humans have traipsed all over Antarctica, it has nevertheless maintained its otherworldliness, which Herzog spotlights extensively. Upon arriving at McMurdo station, he pronounces unappealing the mundane buildings and group exercise classes that characterize life there. Instead, Herzog mines the more fascinating territory of Antarctica's eccentric personalities and unusual scientific research.

The film has many stunning scenes: underwater as a diver swims alongside a thick wall of ice; at the edge of a volcanic crater; across the great frozen expanses of icebergs. The scientists and other personnel provide interesting information not just about their experiments, but also the unique challenges of living in a frozen desert. One scientist relates that her research outpost is so remote that she wakes up at night when the wind stops blowing because the profound silence is more disruptive. With prompting from Herzog, who likes to ask offbeat questions, the people of Antarctica share their thoughts on everything from the probable extinction of the human race to the mental illnesses of penguins.

Encounters presents a compelling vision of Antarctica as a place where a sort of insanity is the norm. People put buckets on their heads to practice survival techniques during zero-visibility weather conditions. In the ocean, Weddell seals make noises reminiscent of Pink Floyd that can be heard by scientists working on the ice above. Scientists risk death to swim under thick ice to obtain vials of sand containing microscopic organisms. Herzog thus takes the viewer on a quirky but ultimately rewarding journey across Antarctica.

Encounters will air on the Discovery Channel soon. Check it out!

POPs and Whales

Research demonstrates that persistent organochlorine pollutants (POPs) show up in the tissues of whales, in some cases after they have been banned. POPs, which are neurotoxins, include chemicals such as DDT, dioxins, and PCBs. Scientists believe that these pollutants evaporate into the air on land, and when that air subsequently condenses, the POPs enter the ocean and are absorbed by marine life such as krill. Since whales consume large amounts of krill, they then take up large amounts of pollutants.

The presence of POPs in whale blubber is worrisome because of the toxicity of these chemicals. As whales travel around the ocean, they often burn blubber for fuel, releasing POPs into the bloodstream and potentially affecting the whales' ability to reproduce.

This research adds to the difficulty of determining safe levels of chemicals for the environment. Even when scientists cannot prove that exposure causes immediate human health problems, policymakers must consider the broader impact of chemicals on whole ecosystems to get a true picture of the potential impact of a particular substance.

Rising Carbon Dioxide Could Spell Doom for Antarctic Food Chain

Researchers from Australia discovered that krill exposed to atmospheric carbon dioxide at the levels predicted for the year 2100 suffered fertility-harming deformities. As this article mentions, the general public doesn't have the same affinity for krill, a shrimp-like crustacean, that it does for whales and penguins, but without krill, those species will not survive. The absorption of carbon dioxide into the ocean is called ocean acidification, and is clearly a serious threat to ocean life. Krill is a small organism, yet is an integral part of the Antarctic food web.

Did Australia Torpedo a Promising Development on Whaling?

Whaling is a highly controversial issue these days, and conservation groups have made obtaining global consensus on whale protection a high priority. Strong resistance from a few pro-whaling countries like Norway and Japan has complicated this effort. Unfortunately, the BBC recently reported on the failure of a measure to declare that whale harvesting was not a scientifically valid method of increasing the size of fish populations. The measure, introduced at the World Conservation Congress, was supported by Japan and Norway after long, consensus-building sessions. Although a participant in such sessions, Australia withdrew support at the last minute because it wanted the measure to include stronger language.

Environmentalists must often walk a fine line between achieving consensus with governments and policymakers and sticking to their principles. Often, imperfect regulations or laws are preferred over no action. Given the often hostile feelings on both sides of the whaling issue, it is unfortunate that a rare consensus was broken at the last minute. There is no benefit to alienating pro-whaling nations, who have often threatened to leave the International Whaling Commission and make their own decisions about whaling. For whale conservation measures to work, consensus must be reached among many nations, as whales are very mobile and do not typically stay put. Let's hope that the Australians, Japanese and Norwegians all keep cool heads over this latest disagreement, and continue to participate in international decisionmaking over whaling issues.

Climate Change and Penguins

A new WWF report examining the potential impact of climate change on penguins determined that a 2 degree Celsius rise in temperature would significantly reduce populations of Emperor and Adelie penguins. The increase in temperature would reduce the extent of much of the ice on which penguins live. While some penguin species would be better able to adapt than others, climate change would clearly have serious consequences for Antarctic animals. The report primarily concentrates on the impact of reduced sea ice, and does not incorporate the impact of temperature increases on the Antarctic food chain. Thus, the effects of climate change on Antarctic animals could be even more severe than the report predicts. Read the press release here.

Antarctic Tours for the Highest Bidder

Antarctic tourism has been growing exponentially, bringing with it a host of concerns about the environmental and safety problems associated with large numbers of visitors. Researchers from Maastricht University in the Netherlands recently proposed an interesting solution: cap the number of tourist days and auction off the rights to those days to tourism operators. This system is similar to the cap-and-trade measures proposed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, but unlike that system, a tourism auction system raises serious questions about fairness. Travel to the Antarctic continent is already expensive, and this system could drive prices higher. Since Antarctica is a global commons, it seems unfair to institute controls which could make tourism even more inaccessible to the average person. However, the proceeds from the auction of tourism rights could provide much-needed revenue for the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat (ATS) and its environmental protection programs.

The Antarctic environment would benefit from increased regulation and control of the burgeoning tourist industry, but it would be preferable for the ATS to ensure that any system it implements protects the environment without turning Antarctica into the sole province of the superrich.

Does Antarctica Hold the Cure for TB?

An India-based pharmaceutical research company, Piramal Life Sciences, is investigating several promising medical treatments derived from Antarctic bacteria. Because of Antarctica's extremely cold weather, the bacteria found there are often not found anywhere else in the world. While it is too early to know how effective these drugs will be or exactly how they work, Piramal's announcement underscores the need for strict oversight of human activities in Antarctica. It would be a shame if other beneficial bacteria were inadvertently destroyed or altered by pollution before we have a chance to study them.

For this reason, ASOC has encouraged those conducting research in Antarctica to do so with extreme caution. For example, researchers are eager to learn more about subglacial lakes that have been cut off from the outside world for centuries. The likelihood that these untouched lakes possess some or many organisms and microbes found nowhere else in the world is high, and drilling through the ice that covers them must be done carefully to prevent contamination. Until we know more about the lakes' ecosystems, we cannot know if the organisms that live there would survive contact with external chemicals and microbes. This is particularly true in the case of Lake Vostok.

While widespread bioprospecting of Antarctica would no doubt bring its own environmental challenges, responsible use of scientific discoveries could prove tremendously beneficial to mankind. Minimizing human impacts on the continent will ensure that we preserve Antarctica's unique organisms long enough to understand and study them.