Dolphin slaughter

[archman]

Sovereign nations have the right to extract fishing and mineral resources within their territorial seas, and within their Economic Exclusion Zones (EEZ's). Most EEZ's extend out to 200 nautical miles, unless constrained by other nations' EEZ's or land masses. They can pretty much extract these resources any way they'd like to, with little/no international oversight.

Imposing international regulations on fishing is pretty much a lost cause. There's no enforcement authority, and everyone knows it. Best thing to do is have national governments impose their own regulations, and stand by those regulations.

The only "world" resources recognized by the fishing fleets of the world belong in international waters. And ironically, its those areas which suffer the most exploitation. No one regulates them, and no one enforces them. Its a political hot potato no one wants to pick up.

 

[Kim]

I am just one of many who have stopped, looked up from their desk, put two and two together, and realized that in we don't change something pretty soon, its gonna get real ugly.

Me too. I'm just not sure that 'intelligence' levels are really what should decide what we farm/hunt or not. We don't discrimate against disadvantaged or mentally slow people, so I don't really get the argument that because this or that animal is not so smart we have more right to treat it differently than a cleverer one.:06: FWIW, pigs have the ability to think laterally - they can apply a lesson learnt in one situation to a different one. That's pretty smart - not as smart as dolphins, but a lot smarter than dogs.

I also think that the numbers of dolphins hunted worldwide are probably miniscule compared to the havoc being wreaked on some types of fish. Cod and tuna spring to mind immediately.

As Archman said - countries view their own patches with jealous selfishness. The ONLY country that I know that does anything to enforce international regulations in international waters, is Australia. They chase illegal fishing boats all the way to S.America sometimes. If they catch them they automatically seize the boats as well.
Judging from the retinence of some countries to join in any form of World based environmental program (think Kyoto) - even if we did have some kind of International Regulatory Fishing organization - who would sign up? Probably very few. Just look at the problems and fights in the European Union over exactly this topic.
Unfortunately it seems to take complete disasters before Mankind accepts the truth. The recent typhoon in the Phillippines killed a great many people. Why? Because of the mudslides coming down from the hills and mountains denuded by illegal logging. NOW the Phillippines goverment is taking action.

 

[Squalus]

Do you think that we as a whole might have a say in such practices in the oceans in the world? (Just a thought) We can debate which animal in the world is smart and intellectual and which ones are not till the end of time. Do you not agree that the dolpin is very majestic and intelligent? I have yet to see any other species in the sea do what dolphins have done for us. For instance, the dolphin's that surrounded the swimmers (I vaguely remember where) a week ago preventing a shark attack, the numerous stories of dolphins saving humans from death and mutilation in the seas.

 

[Otter]

Sovereign nations have the right to extract fishing and mineral resources within their territorial seas, and within their Economic Exclusion Zones (EEZ's).

I understand that you are just stating the facts/truth. For Japan, a nation with few natural resources, their only resources come from the sea. That being said, we as a species are dependent on a number of ecosystems -- one big one being the seas. Either we figure this out or we go the way of the dodo. Hopefully we are smart enough, soon enough to deal with this fact/truth.

I'm just not sure that 'intelligence' levels are really what should decide what we farm/hunt or not. We don't discrimate against disadvantaged or mentally slow people, so I don't really get the argument that because this or that animal is not so smart we have more right to treat it differently than a cleverer one. FWIW, pigs have the ability to think laterally - they can apply a lesson learnt in one situation to a different one. That's pretty smart - not as smart as dolphins, but a lot smarter than dogs.

I think the issue is self-awareness. It seems to be the one thing that separate us from the rest of the animal kingdom. But putting that aside, one logical discriminator should be the population of the affected animals in the wild and the effect on their ecosystems should the population dramatically diminish. Green plants aren't self-aware, nor smart; however, if they continue to be harvested at the rate they have been, we will have lots more CO2 and too little O2....a bad thing for animals. That being said, if we are going to harvest animals for our food, then we should do it in the must humane way possible.

 

[scubashooter]

Gee I wonder why its harder?
Yes, pigs are smart, but scientists have postulated that dolphins appear to be self-aware....I don't think the same is true about pigs....except maybe Arnold Ziffel.
Farming dolphins? I guess I am not surprised.

Wow now we go to the self-awareness/higher synaptic function argument? I just think as long as it's sustainable, being "humane" about things is pretty much the only order. I've seen the "self-aware" orca play with their prey (while still alive) for hours. Sharks don't care about cuteness or higher function when they tear into a dolphin.
My point is remove the cruelty of the hunt (which turns my stomach) I have to say that humans are part of the eco-system and as evolved as we might like to think we are, we are not that much different.

 

[archman]

Wow now we go to the self-awareness/higher synaptic function argument? I just think as long as it's sustainable, being "humane" about things is pretty much the only order. I've seen the "self-aware" orca play with their prey (while still alive) for hours. Sharks don't care about cuteness or higher function when they tear into a dolphin.
My point is remove the cruelty of the hunt (which turns my stomach) I have to say that humans are part of the eco-system and as evolved as we might like to think we are, we are not that much different.

These arguments mirror quite well with how the international whaling treaties were convened and enabled in the first place. It was public outcry against inhumane treatment that brought whaling into the political spotlight. However it was the "more rational" economic incentive to not overharvest whales to extinction that brought about the actual legislation.

An absurd amount of our environmental legislation goes through a similar process. Its circuitous, but effective. Rally the public on an emotional level, and then follow up with some hard science.