In a retrospective look back to 1999, we revisit our campaign efforts aimed at shedding light on the dire situation facing Dall’s porpoises.
During the spring months of that year, our focus turned to the Dall’s porpoise hunt off the shores of Japan, marking it as the largest of its kind globally at the time.
In the aftermath of the 1986 prohibition on commercial whaling of large cetaceans, a troubling trend emerged: whaling enterprises began illicitly marketing substantial quantities of porpoise meat under the guise of whale meat. The repercussions were grave, with over 250,000 Dall’s porpoises falling victim to this deceptive trade in subsequent years.
Despite appeals from the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to curtail the hunt to 10,000 porpoises annually, the actual figures were alarmingly higher, doubling the recommended quota.
Recognizing the urgent need to address the plight of the Dall’s porpoises, our Ocean campaigners embarked on a challenging mission. They chartered a vessel and braved a week at sea off the coast of Japan, documenting the hunting and slaughter of these animals amidst harsh weather conditions. This marked the inaugural instance of an environmental group capturing the Japanese harpoon hunt of porpoises on film.
The footage unveiled a distressing reality: hunters were deliberately targeting mature breeding-age females and nursing mothers with calves, hinting at the impending collapse of the porpoise population.
Shortly after our team concluded their expedition, the hunt under scrutiny was promptly ordered to cease, sparing the lives of countless porpoises.
Reflecting on the significance of that pivotal year, Climate Campaign Leader Clare Perry remarked, “In 1999, we obtained the sole surviving footage of the Dall’s porpoise hunt in the turbulent waters of the North Pacific Ocean. At the time, this hunt stood as the largest cetacean hunt worldwide.”
Perry continued, “Our investigative report and the scientific evidence presented to the IWC’s Scientific Committee catalyzed the adoption of a Resolution on the Dall’s porpoise hunt during the IWC meeting in Grenada that year. This resolution called for a comprehensive status review of the population and urged Japan to reconsider its catch levels.”
She added, “This initiative sparked controversy, leading to the entire Japanese delegation, along with their supporters from the Caribbean, staging a walkout during the IWC meeting in protest. They contended that the IWC lacked jurisdiction over small cetaceans and subsequently refused to engage in the Scientific Committee’s deliberations on the matter.”
“Nevertheless,” Perry concluded, “our sustained political advocacy within the IWC, our revelations regarding elevated mercury levels in Dall’s porpoises and other dolphins, and our efforts to diminish the market demand for small cetaceans in Japan have collectively contributed to a significant reduction in the hunt over time, dwindling to a fraction of its former magnitude.”