New population of blue whales discovered in western Indian ocean
- Posted By
10Pointer
- Categories
Environment
- Published
23rd Dec, 2020
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Context
- Scientists have found evidence of a previously undiscovered population of blue whales living in the western Indian Ocean based on an analysis of sound recordings from the region.
Blue Whale
- The blue whale(Balaenoptera musculus) is a marine mammal belonging to the baleen whale suborder Mysticeti.
- It is categorized under the endangered list of animals.
- Aggressive hunting in the 1900s by whalers seeking whale oil drove them to the brink of extinction.
- They finally came under protection with the 1966 International Whaling Commission.
International Whaling Commission
- The IWC is the global body charged with the conservation of whales and the management of whaling.
- The IWC currently has 88 member governments from countries all over the world.
- The Commission's role has expanded since its establishment in 1946.
- In addition to regulation of whaling, today's IWC works to address a wide range of conservation issues including bycatch and entanglement, ocean noise, pollution and debris, collision between whales and ships, and sustainable whale watching.
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