Comments on: Bowhead Whale Could Slow US Plan for OffShore Oil Drilling

By: Ann Novek

Ann Novek — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 08:13:15 +0000

Thanks S.D for the poem.

Bowheads are called also the Arctic Right Whale or the Greenland Right Whale.

In Icelandic : Graenlandshvalur

By: spangled drongo

spangled drongo — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 07:47:55 +0000

Ann,
“The Greenland Whale”, a good sea shanty.

On the 23rd of March, me boys, we hoisted our topsail,
Cryin’ heaven above protect us with a sweet and pleasant gale.
We never wuz downhearted nor let our courage fail,
As we strode on the deck, me boys, lookin’ out for the Greenland whale,
Lookin’ out for the Greenland whale.

Plus many more verses with the last ending….

We’ll make them lofty alehouses in London town to roar,
And when our money is all gone, to Greenland go for more, brave boys,
To Greenland go for more.

By: Ann Novek

Ann Novek — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 22:43:56 +0000

I have a piece on Bowheads on my blog:

http://annimal.bloggsida.se/diverse/bowhead-whale

By: spangled drongo

spangled drongo — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 10:46:42 +0000

In indigenous communities where food is not a problem, the request for “traditional hunting culture” is supposed to be the justification for certain [otherwise protected] wildlife to be killed. Foodsource is usually secondary.
Surely “traditional hunting culture” should be what it says; the culture of hunting traditionally.
Traditional hunting is not “murdering god’s creatures” by any means possible.

By: spangled drongo

spangled drongo — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 09:05:32 +0000

Ian,
If there is a well controlled quota then,naturally, the quicker and cleaner the kill the better, however in situations where there is no supervision, which I suspect occurs a lot, modern technology leads to wholesale slaughter.

By: Ian Mott

Ian Mott — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 22:56:53 +0000

I am not comfortable with any notion that excludes indigenous folk from adopting any technology that serves their purposes. If it is OK for us then it is OK for them. So, Spangled one, the hunting activity is already regulated by quota so the issue of what technology is used becomes redundant.

By: spangled drongo

spangled drongo — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 22:04:00 +0000

IceClass,
If you want to allow fulltime open season on wildlife by indigenies, let them use their indigenous methods only.
If that’s preconceived, I’m guilty.

By: IceClass

IceClass — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 13:06:52 +0000

Mott, I think it’s a straight toggle-head but I wasn’t there and I didn’t take the pic so can’t be totally sure.

Spangled Drongo would you prefer “our” aboriginals to use a bigger motor or only to fit your preconceived material notions of what aboriginal food production practices should use in the way of tools?
You want the to use a bigger motor, smaller.
At a bowhead hunt a few years ago in the community of Pangnirtung, the hunters were mandated by the Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans to use an old brass harpoon gun with an explosive charge that had a good possibility of blowing up in their faces rather than allowing them to hunt as they saw fit. (They are, after all, the experts here on hunting bowheads).

By: spangled drongo

spangled drongo — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 04:37:50 +0000

I was wondering the same, Ian, but judging by the colour of the water and the whale’s activity it’s probably not a power head.
Only a guess though.
A bit like our aboriginals hunting dugong. [With 200 hp outboards etc.]

By: Ian Mott

Ian Mott — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 23:31:54 +0000

Good photo, Iceclass. Is that a standard sharp point on the harpoon or a power head?