4 - Wednesday, May 16, 1990 - North Shore News THE NUMBER of endangered, nearly extinct and threat- ened species of flora and fauna in Canada has risen to 183. That such a disaster could have occurred in one of the richest, least-populated regions of the world is a sad commentary on the indifference, apathy and ignorance of Canadians. The list of endangered species doesn’t include the polar bear, by the way, even though the polar bear could be just two generations away from total extinction, thanks to the PCBs which have ac- cumulated in the animal’s fatty tissue. On the West Coast, as everyone must know, waters which were once alive with the sounds of various kinds of whales are now almost completely silent, except for the cries of some 289 orcas, the surviving remnants from the days of whaling. y; i W hales weren’t meant to be stuck in swimming pools...’’ The numbers of great Blue Whales, largest creatures on the planet, have recently been revised downward by studies which show- ed that there are only a few hun- dred left alive, in place of the quarter of a million that once roamed the seas. Against this background of dev- astation of wildlife, with species after species pushed to the very edge, you would think we humans would start to learn to quit ex- ploiting animals while there is still time. But no. The latest example of ignorance carrying on blindly was one of the final acts of former fisheries minister Tom Siddon, who granted a licence to an aquarium in Chicago for the live-capture of two beluga whales at Churchill, Manitoba. Reports at the time indicated that Siddon had at first refused the licence, then changed his mind when the Governor of Illinois: phoned him up to chat about how Canada needs cooperation on the acid rain front, whereas, for Il- linois, a couple of captive belugas would be great for tourism. The new fisheries minister, Ber- nard Valcourt, has just released a report on the status of the various beluga whales which have already been captured. It is depressing reading, to say the least, despite the best efforts of Fisheries and Oceans personnel to paint a bright picture. They point out proudly that 90 per cent of 28 belugas live-cap- tured since 1984 are still alive. Isn’t that wonderful? They have surviv- ed full six years! Amazing! Of the ones in the Churchill area since the live-capture program began in 1967, however, only 60 per cent are alive today. This means that 40 per cent of them have died. The Fisheries and Oceans boys VINYL DECKING 10-50% OFF Four Seasons Vinyl Deck (8 outlets to serve you) try to gloss over this sobering statistic by arguing that belugas in the wild don’t actually live that long. The bureaucrats admit that 30 to 35 years is probably the average natural lifespan for a beluga, but then suggest that it is much shorter because of ‘‘harvest mortality,”’ which comes on top of diseases, parasites, ice and natural preda- tion, “*Harvest mortality,’’ of course, means killing by man, specifically the Inuit who hunt belugas as part of their subsistence food fishery. Here are the hard, cruel facts about beluga mortality in captivi- ty: Of two belugas sent to New York aquaria in 1967, one died in 1974 and the other in 1975. Of two sent to West Germany in 1969, one died in 1984. Of five sent to Sea World in San Diego in 1973, one died in 1973, another in 1979 and a third in 1985. Of two shipped to Mystic, Conn., in 1975, one expired in 1975, the other in 1983. Of two others sent the same year to New York, one died in 1986. A beluga sent to Mystic in 1976 to replace one of the ones that died earlier expired in 1982. That same year, a beluga was taken to the Vancouver Public Aquarium. It died in 1985. Another beluga shipped to Japan in 1976 died in 1983. A se- cond one, captured the same year, lasted until 1988. A 1977 capture that resulted in a beluga going to Minneapolis ended with its death in 1989. A second went to the U.S. Navy in San Diego for God only knows what kind of training. It passed away in 1985. The year 1979 saw six belugas captured, all sent to San Diego. Four of them have since died — two in 1981, one in 1986 and the other in 1987, The U.S. Navy got two more for “*research’’ in 1980. One died in 1982, the other in 1984. The New York Aquarium ac- quired three more in 1984, one of which died that year. In 1985, Baltimore got two. One died in 1989. The same year Vancouver aquarium picked up two more, one of which died a couple of months ago (although the Fisheries and Oceans document lists it as still be- ing in *‘good"’ condition). On averag?, this means that belugas, captured when they are three years old, tend to die in cap- tivity by the time they are eight, as opposed to living out what would be a natural lifespan of roughly 35 years — oops, except for “tharvest mortality.”’ Whales weren’t meant to be stuck in swimming pools — that’s all there is to it. In confinement, nearly half of them sickened and died within a few years. And still we allow such im- prisonment to take place. All live- captures of whales should be ban- hed. Period. : = ZA railing also =: available! 3a All work guaranteed! © weatherproof ¢ same day use ®no peeling, cracking or bubbling © textured skid-resistant surface Free Estimates 737-8548 N.Van. ; a ANDERSON. 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