“Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society has just received the dreadful news that 24 orcas have been killed by local fishermen in Disko bay, West Greenland. Since the beginning of the year, almost 100 orcas have been trapped by ice and we fear the slaughter will continue as long as the orcas are remain trapped.
The orcas’ blubber or “”mattak”” has been sold to local people despite fears about high level of contaminants in the whales. Reports indicate significant quantities have also been fed to some of the sledgedogs.
There is ongoing discussion as to whether the killing of orcas constitutes a violation of the IWC’s rules. Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society believes that orcas are covered by the global moratorium on commercial whaling imposed by the IWC in 1986.
“”As the IWC imposes zero quotas on all commercial hunts of whales and no aboriginal quotas are awarded for orcas, we believe that the hunts of orcas in Greenland is in fact illegal””, states Nicolas Entrup, Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society Germany. Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society strongly urges the authorities in Greenland and Denmark to put an immediate stop to the kills.
Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society is calling on the public to help save these trapped animals. Please write to the Prime Minister of Denmark and Home Rule Premier of Greenland and ask them to stop the hunt immediately.
Please keep us informed of any replies you may receive. Thank you for your help.
Mr. Anders Fogh Rasmussen
Prime Minister of Denmark
Christiansborg
Prins J??rgens G?rd 11
DK-1218 Copenhagen K
Denmark
email: stm@stm.dk
Mr Jonathan Motzfeldt
Greenland Home Rule Premier
Greenland Home Rule
P.O. Box 1015
DK-3900 Nuuk
Greenland
email: govsec@gh.gl
Taken from Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society Newsletter
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