Stranded whales

Forest and Bird, Issue 279, 1 February 1996, Page 3

Stranded whales

Takaka

Tui De Roy

We read with great interest Iris Goodfellow’s article, and Kevin Smith’s attached column, on the pilot whale strandings in Golden Bay (November). I was interested in Mr Smith’s thought-provoking comments on the question of whether human intervention is warranted in these natural emergencies. Firstly, from an ethical point of view, why should we wait until a species is on the brink of extinction before we are compelled to lend a helping hand? Are the inroads that humankind makes daily into all whale populations, not least

of which is the pilot whale carnage in the North Atlantic, not reason enough to be countered with some help to save the victim of a natural accident? Secondly, and far more important, is the enormous public relations component of the volunteer side of whale rescue operations. I was extremely impressed to note the deep emotional impact that first-hand involvement produced in people who may never have cared for nature before. In a world where so many have lost touch with nature this situation produces a priceless opportunity for fostering public awareness and turning it into action. We very much appreciate the no-nonsense (even though sometimes depressing) treatment of critical topics in Forest e Bird. Keep up the good work.