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Tell the Norwegian Government to Halt Cruel Research on Minke Whales!

Dear John,

Despite an unsuccessful testing season last year, the Norwegian government has once again approved an experiment that involves the dangerous capture and cruel handling of minke whales for auditory evoked potential (AEP) hearing tests.

The study, funded mostly by the US government, involves stretching a net nearly three-quarters of a mile between two islands in northern Norway. Researchers plan to herd migrating juvenile minke whales into this enclosure, force them into small, modified aquaculture cages, and place electrodes on their heads in an attempt to gain a better understanding of how baleen whales might react to active naval sonar and seismic exploration by energy industries. The researchers estimate it will take up to six hours to complete the hearing testing, and each whale could be held for as long as four days before release.

Holding wild animals captive for any period of time causes both physical and psychological stress and may even impact the whales' health. Under similar conditions, minke whales have been known to thrash about and respond with great force. The researchers have indicated that they may need to sedate and even stun the whales in an emergency. Given the significant risk posed by this research, it should not be conducted.

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What You Can Do

Please email Mattilsynet (the Norwegian Food Safety Authority) and the Fisheries Directorate to urge the immediate cancellation of this project ([link removed]). Be sure to share our alert with family, friends, and co-workers and encourage them to send a message as well.

As always, thank you very much for your help!

Sincerely,

Cathy Liss
President

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Photo from Flickr by Len2040

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Animal Welfare Institute
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The Animal Welfare Institute is a not-for-profit organization, founded in 1951 and dedicated to reducing animal suffering caused by people. We seek better treatment of animals everywhere: in the laboratory, on the farm, in commerce, at home, and in the wild.

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