Oh the insanity. A follow-up query I just sent to DoC after receiving advice from our ‘iwi’ observer on the Aquila (sorry: this situation has gotten beyond ridiculous and I had to do something, because I have yet to build my earth home with a punching bag hanging in the corner to beat up on when I get angry): “From: Catherine Murupaenga-Ikenn [mailto:[email protected]] To: Dave Lundquist Subject: Further questions: Whale strandings and seismic surveying Kia ora Dave, I have some further questions regarding this matter: 1. You mention below: “In the last 25 years there have been 37 strandings of beaked whales between Cape Reinga and New Plymouth. Five of these strandings were of multiple animals, all of which were Gray’s beaked whales. Incidentally, I was curious about how ‘unusual’ this stranding was and had our team pull together the numbers in the last bullet point. Beaked whales strand regularly on the West Coast of the North Island, particularly in summer (January is the most common month). Gray’s beaked whales are the species of beaked whale which strand most frequently, and roughly a third of Gray’s beaked whale strandings involve multiple animals. So based on the historical data, this is not an unusual stranding.” The whales at Whatipu didn’t strand, they died at sea, and beached. Could you comment please on the relevancy of your comments above re strandings as opposed to whales that turn up on our beaches already dead? 2. Many have commented on the paucity or complete lack of media coverage of this latest Whatipu whale incident. Can you share please what is DoC’s normal public relations/communications policy regarding such incidents? We’d appreciate any other general comments you may have about the perceived lack of public notice about this incident. 3. Many in our networks are happy to hear that there is “an agreement with Massey University veterinary pathologists to undertake post mortem examinations of dead marine mammals”, but disturbed by your comment that “researchers were not available at short notice and no other scientists in NZ were available” when needed. Could you comment on the reasons for this lack of availability, particularly given that: a. It should be common knowledge that whales being washed up (whether already dead, or as part of stranding incident) normally happens at short notice; b. DoC is aware that “Beaked whales strand regularly on the West Coast of the North Island, particularly in summer (January is the most common month)”?; c. Budgetary constraints should not have been an issue, given that the TGS Marine mammal mitigation plan (attachment to TGS’s Marine Mammal Impact Assessment, page 22, section 5 – “further mitigation measures”) states: “2) Necropsy of any stranded marine mammals – If any marine mammals are stranded or washed ashore during the survey inshore of the operational area, TGS will engage Massey University to undertake a necropsy to try to determine the cause of death and whether it was the result of any pressure-related or auditory injuries. DoC will be responsible for all aspects of undertaking the necropsy and coordination with pathologists at Massey University; however, TGS will cover the associated costs. TGS will meet these costs for any necropsies required during the survey and for a period of two weeks after the acquisition of the last source point.” 4. And on that TGS MMIA MMMP, could you help us understand please how the whole necropsy mechanism is triggered, and what the realistic time frames are from notification about a whale incident to an actual necropsy being undertaken? From a layperson’s perspective, it seems that with all these different parties involved (the public – to notify the authorities; DoC; TGS; Massey; and the actual expert scientists), the chances of a timely necropsy being undertaken are slim. 5. Finally, and for scenario’s sake just comparative purposes, even if we had a best case scenario of a 100% necropsy ‘success’ rate, could you comment please on the proportion of dead whales that do not wash up but which remain out at sea that will never be studied in this way to know cause of death? Ngā mihi, Catherine Murupaenga-Ikenn Of Te Rarawa and Ngāti Kuri iwi, United Nations of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Indigenous Fellow, 2005”
Posted on: Sat, 24 Jan 2015 00:54:40 +0000
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