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The beauty of an American Cetacean Society (ACS) conference lies in diversity.
Here in one weekend conference participants were able to marvel at the
ability of science to track the position of whales by satellites in one
minute, and to be led to a lyrical understanding of the inner conflict
of Makah elders at the prospect of renewing a whale hunt the next.
At so many other meetings I attend, the focus is narrow. The largest of
the marine mammal meetings is hosted every other year by the Society for
Marine Mammalogy. Here almost 2,000 people gather to spend a week talking
about the biology of whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, and other marine
mammals. Yet the format of the meeting involves the precise presentation
of the latest scientific data. Discussion generally is only a brief question
or a conversation at a coffee break, usually with only one or two people.
While we learn a tremendous amount during the week, there is little time
for philosophy, or for presentations that fall outside of the bounds of
hard science.
At an ACS meeting, the opposite is true. Invited speakers are given a
bit more time for a broader overview of a topic, and ample time is scheduled
for discussion. Actually, in the end, the discussion time is never long
enough, as we delve deeper into a controversial topic. In 15 minutes,
there is only so much we can get into how to handle the threatened resumption
of commercial whaling, or how to help killer whales swimming around with
huge PCB loads. Invariably the discussion would still spill into the breaks,
which only made the next session start late, which led to cutting discussion
short again... despite all the best planning, there never seems to be enough
time to cover these topics fully.
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Despite this, we all left with a renewed sense of purpose, wondering only
where the concern is most appropriate. Do we invest our energy into saving
the few remaining northern right whales? Or the declining resident killer
whales of the North Pacific? Or do we try to keep the ocean quiet enough
to allow whales and dolphins to live to the best of their ability, and
what is that level? Do we continue to fight the whaling battle in the
International Whaling Commission, where it has traditionally been fought,
or do we focus our attention on the Convention on International Trade
in Endangered Species (CITES), where the stakes may be much higher and
the strategies different? Certainly we have learned all of these matters,
and more, deserve our attention.
Finally, in the midst of all this, there was great beauty, both natural
and man-made. The conference started with a magical whale watch, where
many conference participants saw over 1,000 common dolphins, 30 humpback
whales, and magnificent orcas feeding. During each break, they were surrounded
by the magic sculptures of Randy Puckett, perhaps the finest whale sculptor
alive today, and spectacular images which won awards in the photography
contest. One needs no more than step outside the venue to hear the barking
of sea lions and see otters rolling in the kelp. No more inspirational
setting for such a meeting could be imagined.
Keeping in its long tradition, started in 1986, ACS has used its conference
to inspire and challenge us as we move forward in whale, and marine, conservation.
Now it is up to us, the members of ACS, to take that challenge and run
with it.
~ Mason Weinrich
ACS Vice President
December 2000
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American Cetacean Society
