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- Calving Rates and Intervals of East Australian Female Humpback Whales
- Connectivity and Interchange Between Humpback Whale Aggregation Areas along East Australia
- Dynamics of extralimital feedingby humpback whales off Eden, NSW
- East Australia Humpback Whales
- Pacific Whale Foundation’s Southern Hemisphere Humpback Whale Catalogue
- Rate of Interchange Between East Australia and West Australia Humpback Whales
- Ecuador Research
- Interaction of Small Cetaceans with Artisanal Fisheries in Machalilla National Park
- Population, Distribution and Abundance of Humpback Whales and other Cetaceans in Machalilla National Park
- Photo-identification of dolphins in the Cojimies River Estuary
- Migratory Interchange of Humpback Whales between Peru and Ecuador
- Hawaii Research
- Distribution of Odontocetes in Maui County Waters
- Hawaiian Humpback Whale Catalogue
- Odontocetes of Maui County
- Researcher on Board Humpback Whale Program
- Sea Turtle Foraging and Resting Areas off Maui
- Social Structure of False Killer Whales in Maui County Waters
- Spinner dolphins in Maui County waters
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Success Stories
SUCCESS STORIES
• Establishment of a ban on the display of captive whales and dolphins in Maui County
When a dolphinarium was planned for a shopping center on Maui, Pacific Whale Foundation and other dolphin-protection groups mobilized and worked with the Maui County Council to implement a ban on the display of captive whales and dolphins in Maui County. Pacific Whale Foundation provided hundreds of letters and petition signatures in support of the ban, and provided expert testimony before the Maui County Council. The ban was passed in 2007 and became law. As a result, all of Maui's dolphins and whales live wild -- and free!
• Halted the operation of a high-speed, ultra-large “superferry” in Hawaii’s whale calving areas
Pacific Whale Foundation played an active role in stopping the high-speed, interisland Hawaii Superferry from operating iin a critical humpback whale mating and calving area. The Hawai Superferry is no longer operating as of March, 2009.
The Hawaii Superferry was a new privately owned inter-island ferry system, that operated a 350 foot-long, four-story high-speed catamaran to carry passengers, vehicles and freight between Oahu and Maui. These gigantic ships could carry upwards of 850 passengers and 280 vehicles each. The Hawaii Superferry could cruise at speeds of up to 45 mph, greatly endangering humpback whales and all marine life in their path. Whales and other animals are not able to get out of the way of a large vessel moving that fast. When struck, they could either be killed or suffer severe injuries and wounds. Scientific studies of ship strikes have shown that vessels over 240 feet in length and traveling at speeds over 14 knots (~ 16 mph) are most likely to kill or mortally injure large whales. This size of vessel simply cannot see the whales or notices them too late to be avoided.
Pacific Whale Foundation President and Founder Greg Kaufman had attended national and international forums on the issue of vessel-whale collisions and is recognized by the Hawaii courts as a scientific expert on vessel-whale collisions. Pacific Whale Foundation recommended speeds of 15 knots or less for all vessels, as part of our 'Be Whale Aware' educational campaign to prevent vessel-whale collisions.
Pacific Whale Foundation joined with other Maui environmental groups in calling for the State of Hawaii to require an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) before the Superferry service is allowed to begin. An EIS would identify issues related to marine life and whales, along with additional issues such as transport of invasive species, and traffic congestion. These issues should have been adequately addressed before the Superferry was allowed to begin operation.
Our staff testified at many public hearings on this issue. Our staff held a demonstration in August 2007 during a public open house of the new Superferry vessel to remind those attending that the problem of potential whale collisions has not been resolved.
The Hawaii Supreme Court ruled on August 24, 2007 that the state is required to prepare an environmental assessment for harbor improvements to Kahului Harbor to accommodate the Hawaii Superferry. In October 2007, the state legislature (in a special session convened by Governer Linda Lingle) passed Act 2, a law allowing the Superferry to offer Honolulu to Kahului service while the environmental impact study was being conducted.
Pacific Whale Foundation President Greg Kaufman presented testimony regarding the continued threat posed by the Hawaii Superferry to humpback whales in Hawaii's waters at a meeting of the Hawaii Superferry Oversight Task Force on September 19th, 2008. The meeting focused on the wide range of environmental risks attributed to the Superferry. These risks were becoming especially pressing due to the approach of whale season and the end of the year, which would also signal the end of state funded DLNR inspections of cargo transported on the Superferry. While the Hawaii Superferry company made some concessions to recommendations regarding whale protection (including use of night vision goggles by spotters and reduced speeds at night during the period they have defined as whale season), they had not implemented a number of other recommendations deemed necessary by many, including Greg Kaufman.
In March 2009, the State Supreme Court ruled that Act 2 was unconstitutional. According to the court, Act 2 was viewed as unconstitutional because it was crafted specifically to benefit just one business, Hawaii Superferry. The court wrote that Act 2 was passed "to accomplish the specific purpose of allowing the Superferry, and the Superferry alone, to operate without satisfying the requirements of Chapter 343 of the Hawaii statutes." Since then, the Hawaii Superferry operation has ceased; the vessel Alakai has left Hawaii, leaving Hawaii's taxpayers to pay the bills.
• Testifying in favor of a Maui County law which bans plastic grocery bags at supermarkets and large retail stores
Plastic bags pose a significant threat to the marine environment. On Maui, gusty trade winds blow plastic bags out of the Maui County Landfill. The bags create litter and can end up in the ocean. During 2009 and 2010, the Maui County Council heard testimony on proposals to ban the distribution of plastic bags at grocery stores and other retail estabilishments on Maui. Pacific Whale Foundation testified in support of this ban. As of 1/11/11, Maui's laws ban retailers from providing free plastic bags at check-out to customers. Shoppers are bringing their own bags or going bag-free. A true victory for the environment!
• Derailing a proposal to legitimize commercial whaling at the International Whaling Commission
Commercial whaling nearly drove many species of whales to extinction. Fortunately, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) instituted and has maintained a moratorium on commercial whaling since 1986, which has helped many whale populations to gradually increase in numbers. However, three nations continue to hunt whales. Iceland and Norway openly engage in commercial whaling, citing legal objections to the IWC's moratorium. Japan exploits a loophole in the IWC ban that allows whales to be killed for “scientific purposes.” DNA testing has proven that whale meat from these so-called scientific studies is sold commercially.
In 2010, the International Whaling Commission considered a proposal that would legitimize commercial whaling, allowing whaling under a "quota system." Pacific Whale Foundation strongly believed that this would be a step backwards for whale protection. With support from our members and donors, Pacific Whale Foundation President and Chief Scientist Greg Kaufman was able to attend the IWC's Scientific Committee Meeting in Morocco in 2010, where he presented data from Pacific Whale Foundation's research studies in Australia and Ecuador. Pacific Whale Foundation's Ecuador Project Director Cristina Castro was also able to attend this meeting, and was also part of Ecuador's official delegation at the IWC's plenary session. Cristina Castro's efforts to unite South and Central American nations against whaling helped to derail the proposal to legitimize commercial whaling.
