Air Date: Week of February 18, 1994

Transcript

CURWOOD: Our listener line lit up this week with responses to our recent profile of a Norwegian whaling community, and the accompanying interview with the head of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. That's the group which has taken credit for sinking what it calls outlaw whaling ships in Norway and Iceland.

CALLER: This is Mary in Brookline, Mass. The leader of the Sea Shepherd strikes me as nothing but a pest and a bully, and any good intentions his organization may have toward the saving of whales I feel is lost in his systematically dismantling and destroying the livelihoods of the Norwegians. Saving the lives of those who can't save themselves is a noble vocation, but I have to question this man's humanity. Thank you.

CALLER: My name is Gary Phillips. I'm all in favor of Sea Shepherd conservationists. I give them a lot of credit for what they are doing. I wish I had the skills to be able to join them. I hope they keep it up. I hope they succeed.

CURWOOD: We got this call about Norway's decision to ignore the international whaling ban.

CALLER: Hello, this is Dwight Worker. If a wealthy First World country is going to violate international treaties, then how can we possibly expect Third World countries, where there are hungry people who have short-term gains but long-term losses in degrading the environment, to adhere to treaties, too? It is a much bigger issue than just killing some minkes. And I want to stress, this is the beginning. Other countries now are calling for a resumption of commercial whaling.

CURWOOD: And we received this call in response to our story on the depletion of the haddock and cod fishery off New England. In that story, a Federal scientist suggested that fishing boats turn their attention to skate and dogfish.

CALLER: I was disconcerted by the fact that the man mentioned dogfish and shark as an underutilized species. They tend to have a very, very slow rate of reproduction, and therefore can be overfished in a much faster period of time than any of the other species that's been talked about. Therefore it's very questionable whether dogfish or skates would make a good alternative species for fishing.

CURWOOD: You can sound off about what you hear on Living on Earth by calling 800-218-9988. That's 800-218-9988. Or you can write to us at Living on Earth, Box 639, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02238. That's Living on Earth, Box 639, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02238. Transcripts and tapes are $10.