GG and GS - Antarctica Flashcards
When did whaling begin and what are main targets?
Began in the 19th century. The main targets for whaling are blue and right whales.
What are the products gained from whaling?
Oil and whalebone (baleen)
Where does whaling often occur?
Whalers overexploited the North Atlantic and were forced to move on to the Southern Ocean.
Who were the main whalers?
Norway, Britain and USA
What is the IWC?
International Whaling Commission established in 1946. to monitor and conserve global whale stocks and oversee whaling industry. Led to an end of most whaling by 1985.
Why is the IWC ineffective?
Voluntary organisation w/ no authority to enforce decisions and agreements.
Japan found loophole in the Whaling Moratorium allowing it to hunt whales for research purposes.
How many whales does Japan kill a yr?
kill over 300 a yr in Antarctica. Killed 333 Antarctic Minke Whales in 2017.
What is the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary?
50 million squared kilometres around Antarctica where all commercial whaling is banned.
What did Russia begin fishing in the 1960s?
Began fishing krill in the Southern Ocean.
What are krill?
Shrimp-like crustaceans which swim in massive numbers and underpin the entire food web of the Southern Ocean. Fishing them has major impacts on entire ecosystem and food chains.
What is the issue of whaling in Antarctica?
Whales are overexploited because of how profitable whaling is and how many ppl it employs. As a result the whale population is endangered which disrupts the ecosystem and damages valuable species.
How else are fish and whales endangered by ppl in Antarctica?
Ships dump waste into the water which contaminates it and kills organisms.
