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I would like to take the opportunity to reply to the comments of the Norwegian MP, Mr Bastesen, on what he considers to be the most appropriate course of action with the injured bottlenose dolphin, Flipper.
I am a veterinarian with nearly ten years' experience in responding to sick and injured wild dolphins. I have seen a variety of injuries to dolphins during this period, and I am aware of many animals that are presently living full and unrestricted lives in the wild having recovered from injuries as severe, and indeed more severe than the ones with which Flipper is inflicted. To state that this animal should be shot because it is obviously in pain is tantamount to saying that any animal should not be allowed the opportunity to recover from admittedly painful but in no way life threatening injury.
Mr Bastesen should ensure he is fully conversant with the subject in hand before making such rash statements. It only goes to show how little regard whalers have for whales and dolphins and how little they understand the biology of the species they exploit.
James Barnett BSc BVSc MIBiol CBiol MRCVS
Director and veterinarian, British Divers Marine Life Rescue, U.K.
More feedback on the plight of injured dolphin "Flipper"......
Pretty appalled by the attitude of this so-called MP, Steinar Bastesen. I think that this attitude pretty well sums up people opposed to whaling's perception of the Norwegian people. I know from living here (in Norway) that this attitude is not the norm, but it cannot be doing their standing in the world community much good.
Jim Keenan
I was saddened to read of the decline of support for the monarchy.
The politicians need to remember that when Norge became a sovereign state, the statesmen that had the wisdom to provide a constitution that has guided Norge through the storms that has ravaged the world gave Norge a monarch. They realized that the culture of Norge is tied to the King. He is an uniting force, a guide to the future, and a link with the past.
The monarchy is not an outdated tie to a bygone era, but a symbol of a vibrant Norge that is interested in retaining its unique culture while forging bravely into the years ahead, ready to face the challenges of tomorrow. In short, the results of abolishing the monarchy would be catastrophic to the culture and people of Norge.
Michael Borg
Hundreds of people in your country die every year die from passive smoking. Do the smokers get killed?
Hundreds of pedestrians in your country die every year in car accidents. Do the drivers get killed?
Are a few sheep worth killing your best friend's brother? Isn't your country (one of the richest in the world) rich enough to compensate the farmers for their loss?
Maybe I can take up a collection to enable your poor society to do so.
Helmuth Trümper
Cologne, Germany
It would seem reasonable that a plan could be instituted to safeguard the
wolf as well as livestock.
There many non-lethal management tools that could be employed as well as limited access to areas known to be frequented by wolves.
Cannot wildlife be put on an equal footing with livestock? Both have their place, and when the natural predator is gone, you will forever lose a piece of your natural environment.
Why? Cannot thinking humans come up with
a compromise?
Dian Lea
Oregon, USA
To those of us who lived in Norway during World War II, under German occupation, the Royal Family was a bright light in a very dark tunnel. Their images and symbols were icons that made people's lives bearable and were reminders of a wonderful past and the potential for a great future, which you're now enjoying.
Perhaps Norway doesn't need a Royal Family today, because there is neither a crisis nor chaos; young Norwegians must not know their history and must not know how the Royal Family is viewed outside of Norway to be so ignorant of the high esteem with which the Norwegian Royal Family is held. Today, they may seem to you average and pedestrian, no better than you, but their training and position assures you of loyal and steady leadership in troubled times as well as in the times of prosperity that you now enjoy.
You're very lucky to have such a fine, smart, and outstanding Royal Family at the head of your country.
Crown Prince Haakon and his sister are very compassionate people, reflecting the compassion of Norway itself for the peoples of the world.
Support the Royal Family and take pride in this very Norwegian institution. It's good for Norway - and for you!
Your Support May Be the Greatest Wedding Gift of all.
Finn Roed,
West Bloomfield, USA
I just have read that Norway has started again to hunt whales.(Whalers launch hunt off Norwegian coast, May 11, 2001.)
Why can`t anyone see that there can be much more money made by whalewatching instead of killing them. Norway hunts whales for food, but some whales that were taken were so toxic that it is a danger for human health to eat them. So be wise, stop whaling!
Wouter Dijkman
Purmerend, The Netherlands
I read with interest your article about Oslo being a dirty city... Oslo cleans up its act
... funny, I had company this past week from New York and they remarked how dirty Oslo
was.... and they're right!
The week before last I watched as my street was washed, brushed, and made to shine, what a pleasure. Didn't take long for the litter to be back, as well as dog errrrrr poop.
But in defence of even the litterbugs I must say I have not seen one
trash barrel close by. I even made a special mental note to look for them
on my rounds during the day.... I did find one, about three blocks away...
Now come on folks... I come from a city of 9 million, and I have to say that
NYC is 1,000-times cleaner than Oslo. There is a trash barrel on every corner.
People don't have to carry their coffee cups three blocks to throw them away.
So try putting some trash barrels on each corner... and please don't let me
hear "oh, that would be expensive." I am sick of the whining here about money.
I also read with interest about the solution some jerk came up with... a tax on throw-away items. That seems to be the answer to everything in
Norway... tax 'em... yeah, that helps.. IT DOES NOT! I don't see people driving less, or eating out less. I don't understand what a tax would do. Would it put
more trash barrels on the street.. or garbage collection more often ? I doubt it..
Susan Nilsen
Oslo
In my home town (of Scranton, Pennsylvania) people who are not in need of gifts to help pay for a wedding, funeral, etc. suggest to the guests that if they would like to give a gift, please give it to the (couple's, deceased's) favorite charity, or
association of social welfare such as the Boys Club, the YMCA, AIDS
foundation, Homeless Foundation.
It sounds like the Royal Couple could use a little altruistic generosity to improve their sted with their people.
Anne G. Periou
Covington, Louisiana
Real Americans gave up on Clinton about two years into his presidency when he
ran off to the Pope for photo opps and stood out in front of the Vatican and
lied about what they talked about. This was after he surrounded himself with
the appearance of criminal misconduct.
It would seem that Oslo has a great deal to learn about the "real world." If
you need a story teller, which is what Clinton attempts, please try Mark
Twain. Twain is a classic.
Larry Espenshade
Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
Congratulations to the most reverent ministers for their community service act and saving Norway's reputation as we know it. (Garbage threatened to trash Clinton visit , Monday May 14, 2001)
I would just like to add my particular disgust at the attitude taken by the most revered citizens in the capital. If they had noticed, all the bins and trash deposits
were absolutely jammed full with rubbish. This therefore left nowhere for
the trash to go but onto the ground
Maybe the men in power should look at their public infrastructure rather than looking at the "Public" itself.
Andrew Bennett
Oslo
Thank you for the update on the visit of Bill Clinton to Norway and Sweden. I
am thankful that the good people of Norway and Sweden were watching their
money and did not spend their hard-earned money to see a man that brought
many problems to his family and his country. Bill Clinton is not a man that
you would trust to lead a country into high moral standards.
Marvin Hammer
Woodbury, Minnesota, USA
To all Norwegians:
I will never forget the day I had to fly to Kristiansand to go and bury my little cousin. The adorable little girl who was so full of life and goodness. I will never walk in those woods again.
I do not claim to be an expert in Norwegian law, however, if these two young men (now on trial for the murders) are found guilty in the murders of Lena Paulsen and Stine Sofie I find it completely insane that these two will walk free after 21 years. I have also heard, there is a possibility they could get out earlier. A prison year is not equal to a calendar year? What bright person came up with that one?
This is a travesty to the families and the memories of Lena and Stine. What kind of country would allow people to walk free after committing such violent and brutal acts against innocent children?
Lena and Stine had their whole lives ahead of them. The endless possibilities for their future were ripped away from them in minutes. I hope that the Norwegians will wake up and realize this is a grave injustice to all children in Norway.
Karen Astrid Gerlach
Cousin to Lena Paulsen
Utica, New York
USA
After reading the (article about wolf activists being attacked in the forest) I must make a comment.
Hunters, who are usually armed, getting drunk in the forest and assaulting other campers is criminal.
The excuse is not relevant. Being drunk with a weapon is dangerous, period.
These men should receive the maximum sentence so that others know it is not acceptable behavior.
Thank you for your time,
Linda Porasso
Fresno, Calif USA
Let me share something from a USA citizen who (read the) article on the (wolf) activists being attacked by four hunters.
The people in the woods were innocent people who had a God-given RIGHT to be in those woods. Men tend to throw their weight around especially to the "tree huggers" "wildlife advocates" "environment concerned people" "bunny lovers" ---- all of whom I am one.
If I were a judge these men would be castrated to calm their inability to control their anger. Anger is not good, it leads to incidents such as what occurred here. They can thank their lucky stars I'm not in office because they would be on their knees - not the activists.
Also, to make a lame claim to being drunk and commiting such a crime is Communism at its best. How do you think those people on their knees felt - out in the woods where no one could hear - with hunters licensed to kill this pack of wolves (which was VERY wrong) knowing they could lose their lives?
If they are given anything less than the most severe jail sentence my vision of Norway is going to drop further than it already has.
Karen J. Chapman
Nottingham, MD. USA
It is interesting that there are still companies around the world willing to pay money for a visit from Clinton. This is an extension of Clinton's policy of selling the office to the highest bidder. The CEO of the first company that paid him for a speech was forced to apologize to outraged shareholders. Many other companies have canceled scheduled speeches after Clinton's graceless exit from the White House.
I am disappointed with Norway for this, but perhaps a monarchy can be expected to be clueless in matter like this. In America, no one is above the law, including the disbarred and impeached Clinton, who treated the office as if he were a King but swiftly found out that he was not.
In the article the company references Clinton's "unique abilities" to communicate. The word should have been "mis-communicate." He certainly is skilled at
communicating to young interns. I hope that Märtha Louise keeps her door
locked at night when Clinton is around in May.
Randall J Lewis
Seattle
I read with disbelief that in this day and age some of your citizens still believe the big bad wolf is going to eat them up. How did Norway get so rich with so many dummies living there? I go out in the woods all the time and have one hard time finding a pack. Even if I did they wouldn't hurt me. What's with the wolf scare?
Diane Dufek
Well done Martin. Live long and prosper.
Is this the end of the (wolf) killing? I hope so. Or is Lenin's belief
alive and well in Norway, that is, "the end justifies the means?" I
would be surprised if the wolf hunters, Norway's minister of
conservation & environment or even Labour MP Grethe Fossum would
openly agree to that philosophy.
How does Martin feel now? His family and friends gone, hunted
down and killed. One thing I am sure of, and probably the only
good thing about this serial killing, is; Martin the lonely wolf
will be very wary of humans, a much wiser and cunning wolf with
considerable knowledge and experience he can pass on to future
generations, provided he can recover sufficiently from his
ordeal.
How could my old country, my birthplace, the origin of my genes,
stoop to such depth, killing such a spectacular creature as
a wolf? Why did you do it? Survival? No. Threatened livelihood?
Doubtful. Threatened lifestyle? Right on the button. That is to
say, the lifestyle of the farmers and the lifestyle of the
politicians through securing votes. No one has the right to take
a life, any life, to protect one's lifestyle. It is the epitome of
arrogance, selflessness, narcissism.
I admit it is hard to accept, as it is for anyone anywhere across
our small and fragile plant that are affected by pressures
exerted on their lifestyle. But it is no excuse for killing.
The "threatened" sheep farmers seems to me to be more of a lifestyle or
weekend farmers, not full-time farmers dependant on the farm
income for their livelihood. Unlike farmers in say, Romania, who
contend with a considerable population of canis lupus.
Farmers have the same obligation as the rest of us, to ensure the
well-being of our animals. That does not exclude sheep. Tending
their flocks, managing the pasture and maintaining their fences
(if they have got any or if they don't, they should have),
buildings and equipment is what farming is all about. Not working
a second job, leaving the sheep to fend for themselves for
extended periods. According to Ulvetider, Ole Mathismoen, some
133 000 head are lost annually, of that, an estimated 700 killed
by wolves but nearly 14 000 taken by other carnivores.
There is no excuse in contemplating the resumption of the
killing. Other countries have found or are working on solutions
that protect both the wildlife and rural income. For example, in
Australia, the Dingo population increase a hundred-fold after
sheep were introduced. The Australian solution was to build a dog-proof fence to separate the Dingo and the sheep. The fence is 180
cm high and extends for 5290 km, crossing the continent. It is
maintained to this day by the farmers along its boundary and the
cost reimbursed by the government. Why? Because the country
depends on the income from sheep production. They had to find a
solution.
It was reported that the cost of the wolf hunt would be NOK 2.5
to 3 billion. What else could one get for that amount of money?
1. 133,000 hectares of prime sheep farms in New Zealand that
would produce something like 4 million sheep annually. In
Southland, NZ, a well managed sheep farm will graze 20 head per
hectare and have production of about 150 % per annum.
2. Approximately 2000 km of 2m high dog proof fencing (by NZ
fencing contractors). Perhaps, the fence should be erected along
the Swedish border since Sweden seem more tolerant towards
wolves.
We (humans and canis lupus) have co-existed right from the very
start of time. Many have chosen to live together sharing their
lives, their food and their hunting skills, depending on each
others, complementing each others skills and abilities. We are
both adaptable species. The difference is, the wolf adapts to the
environment but humans tend to adapt the environment to suit
themselves.
For sustainability we need to learn from the wolf and
contain our greed. We need to be prepared to take less and give
more to achieve sustainability and to leave something for our
future generations.
Even though there has been a long-lasting bond between humans and
canis lupus, wolves seem to instil such fear and anger in humans
that logic and rational thought seems to be lost. But at the same
time, their very close relatives guard our homes, our families
and have been refereed to as "man's best friend". They tend our
herds, they have provided us with fast efficient transport, they
have save many lives both in war and in peacetime.
Let us see the wolf for what they are, a member of our planet's
wildlife diversity and let's keep it that way.
Ragnar Berg
Invercargill, New Zealand
I am so mortified and upset that the government could pursue this hunt of
the wolves in Norway. There were so few wolves in Norway to begin with.
Why kill them?
I understand that the farmers' livelihoods were threatened, but did they ever try using dogs such as the Puli, Komodors, or New Foundlands to stand guard with their sheep? In America we are trying to bring the wolves back into the wild.
I am Norwegian-American but at this point I am truly disappointed in this
KILLING of these truly magnificent animals.
A deeply saddened Norwegian-American,
Nancy Hansen-Ryan
I wish to protest in strong terms the killing of the wolves in Norway... I direct my disgust (at) this stupid killing of nature's finest natural predator.
Keith E.O. Homstad
St. Paul, Minnesota
I agree with the wolf hunt... as an attempt to control an overpopulation problem. I also understand that the problem of overpopulation is a threat to livestock, pets and maybe more. I grew up on a ranch where occasionally livestock, but mostly pets, were lost to natural predators such as bobcats and coyotes. I remember a particular incident when I was young where my father cornered a bobcat in our chicken coop. It had systematically killed most of our chickens, seeming to enjoy the killing over taking what it needed to get by. My father shot it and threw its murderous carcass in the trash.
If I was a farmer and had lost a number of livestock and/or pets to the wolves, I would want their number thinned out, thereby making things safer. No one can argue effectively that this approach, this wolf hunt, will not accomplish this. It will. So all of those people who do not have farms and have not suffered losses because of the wolves do not have the right to tell those who have suffered that this wolf hunt is wrong. The farmers and therefore the authorities do have the right and duty to make this decision.
But perhaps it is not a matter of whether they can, but whether they should. Once when I was young, I went over to a friend's house who lived on a ranch nearby my own. Like me he owned several dogs. It just so happened that on this particular day I came upon him loading a rifle. I asked him what he was planning to do with it. He cocked the rifle, looked at me pointedly, and then turned and shot one particular dog to death.
I was quite taken aback. "Why did you do that?" I asked him in horror. "There's too many dogs around here and not enough food." He said. "Something had to be done. Some of them have to go. The one just shot had begun killing chickens and eating them." He shrugged his shoulders innocently. "I didn't have a choice."
The evidence for his argument was sound. There were too many dogs around. But his method for handling the problem I found quite questionable. Frankly, his flagrant disrespect for life I found appalling. He could not see that what he was telling me was that he was comfortable with having dogs about, but unwilling to accept the responsibility of taking care of them properly. It was quite literally less effort to simply kill the animal rather than take the time and effort to see that the dog was removed from the premises and relocated in a more suitable venue. In my eyes, he had killed the dog out of laziness and immaturity. I shudder to think of what it would be like if more people took this approach.
Of these things I am certain that the most august body of Norwegian authority is aware. Perhaps those who would seek to sabotage this wolf hunt need to trust that the authorities have tried to do the right thing and remove these animals in some humane way. It would seem to me that environmentalists have assumed that the wolf hunt is a knee jerk reaction of violence to the wolf overpopulation problem. But instead of condemning the authorities, perhaps it is time to realize that the wolf population in Norway is a problem or else this hunt would not be happening. Perhaps it is time to help the authorities handle this problem responsibly rather than immediately condemning their actions.
Ronald Pierce
Dinuba, California
Shame on you!!!
An entire nation is falling back to the dark ages and barbarism. The people who are responsible for allowing such despicable hunts just don't know yet, how and when they will have to pay the price for it.
In my opinion, those very same subjects have no other purpose on this planet that taking away other people's oxygen.
You are a disgrace!! And may the people responsible, be haunted by nightmares for the rest of their miserable existence.
Chris D. Hanks, Ph.D.
San Francisco
I believe the hunt must be stopped now. Norway, already criticized for hunting whales and seals, is seen abroad as a nation of ``barbarians." If Norwegian management of predators is politically motivated and not scientifically based, it leaves the endangered wolf insufficiently protected. The Secretariat of the Bern Convention should scrutinize the case and evaluate whether the wolf hunt suggests that Norwegian predator management is in conflict with the Bern Convention.
G Flynn
How will the rest of the world react to the killing? In short, with surprise and horror.
Norway's credibility as a world leader in animal rights, environmental protection and conservation would take a significant backwards slide.
On the one hand, Norway's whaling, abhorrent to most, can be seen by some as a balance between moral and ethics, and culture and tradition rather than mere economics and greed. On the other hand, the execution of a wolf family for the sake of a handful of votes... is incomprehensible and undefendable.
My advice to the Minister of Environment is, with respect "Don't be so stupid!" There are satisfactory solutions to all the issues, provided there is a
will to find the answers. I know what I would do. Simplistically:
1.Don't kill the wolves. The Norwegian farmers need to learn
to coexist with large carnivores as other farmers (do) in many
parts of the world. Even in New Zealand there are
sheep farmers that lose stock to wildlife, namely the Kea,
a large native and protected parrot. It may seem incredible
but it's true.
2.Implement programs that ensure that wolves remain wary of
humans, sees people as danger. Otherwise it is possible that
the wolf will see small humans as potential prey. After all,
the wolf is a large carnivore, an opportunist and a very
successful survivor, not unlike ourselves, but that is no
reason to kill them.
3.Think globally, after all we live on a small and fragile
planet.
Provide assistance and encouragement to the Norwegian sheep
farmers to diversify, by investing, as an investment group or
cooperative, in sheep farming elsewhere in the world, in
countries such as New Zealand and Australia. And then, allow
them to import a quota of sheep meat from these investments
to compensate for their losses to carnivores. After all, if
Norsk Skog can buy forests in New Zealand, why not Norwegian
sheep farmers?
Ragnar Berg
Invercargill, New Zealand
I was one who did not write a letter protesting the
wolf hunt. However I would have liked to protest the
murder. Sheep can be protected from wolves by dogs
instead of by murder. The government would be better
off paying for dogs and education instead of for
killing. Norway is removing itself from the
community of nations by its actions in killing a
significant percentage of its predator population. I
have friends in Norway, but I will not be visiting
them as planned in protest over wolf kills.
Kastle Brill,
Attorney
Buffalo, New York
You have my support in saving your wolves.
Karen DiPietro
deerriverwolves@tds.net
