Towards an aquatic mammal research code of conduct in Latin America:

Félix, Fernando; Waerebeek, Koen Van

doi:10.5597/lajam00274

Cited by 1 publication

(7 citation statements)

References 20 publications

(26 reference statements)

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Section: Other Case Studiesmentioning

confidence: 81%

“…In summary, cetacean satellite telemetry usually involves the use of a firearm to remotely implant a barbed metal anchor into the blubber-muscle interface without anaesthesia and without plans to remove it for the remainder of the animal’s life. Tagging guidelines recently developed by the International Whaling Commission (Andrews et al, 2019) have been criticised for putting technical considerations before ethical ones (Félix and Van Waerebeek, 2021). We agree with Félix and Van Waerebeek (2021) that the absolute necessity of invasive methods such as tagging should be clearly justified for each study, as part of a prior ethical assessment.…”

Section: Other Case Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Tagging guidelines recently developed by the International Whaling Commission (Andrews et al, 2019) have been criticised for putting technical considerations before ethical ones (Félix and Van Waerebeek, 2021). We agree with Félix and Van Waerebeek (2021) that the absolute necessity of invasive methods such as tagging should be clearly justified for each study, as part of a prior ethical assessment. Reporting that these techniques are routine or vital without critically evaluating their impacts on the welfare of individuals and the impacts on the conservation status of populations being studied should be viewed as insufficient.…”

Section: Other Case Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In a response (Ryan et al, 2023), we argued that this paper did not meet existing ethical guidelines and should not have been published. Similarly, the largest professional society for marine mammals in Latin America, Sociedad Latinoamericana de Especialistas en Mamiferos Acuáticos, has been called on to establish an ethics code by members of the society's ethics committee (Félix and Van Waerebeek, 2021).…”

Section: The Case Study Of Icelandic Whaling Sciencementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The ethical and animal welfare issues concerning research conducted on marine mammals represents an interesting case study because most species of marine mammals have sophisticated social structures, strong social bonds and are highly sentient. Some populations are highly endangered which means that researchers need to take additional special care to minimise any disturbance or other negative impacts, particularly when attempting to save a species from extinction (Félix and Van Waerebeek, 2021). The movements and migrations of some species mean that they undergo transnational changes through different jurisdictions and legal regimes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Ethical standards for research on marine mammals

Papastavrou¹,

Ryan²

2023

Research Ethics

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Conducting marine mammal research can raise several important ethical issues. For example, the continuation of whaling for commercial purposes despite the international moratorium provides opportunities for scientists to obtain data and tissue samples. In 2021 we analysed 35 peer-reviewed papers reporting research based on collaborations with Icelandic whalers. Results highlighted little consideration or understanding of the legal and ethical issues associated with the deliberate killing of whales amongst those researchers, funding bodies, universities and journals involved. Ethical statements were rarely provided. Those that were written were incomplete. Whilst research using whaling data may seem acceptable to some, it often becomes hard to justify when subject to scrutiny by the media and the public. Thus, there is a particular danger of reputational harm for early career researchers who may become unwittingly involved in such activities. Here we also consider the broader variety of ethical issues raised by non-lethal research (both historical and recent) on marine mammals including tagging and biopsy. We discuss instances where study animals were harmed or even killed and where the public mistook tags for harpoons. Without clear guidelines, reviewers and journal editors are put in an impossible position when considering whether to reject papers on ethical grounds. We propose that for such studies, universities, funders, journals, and permit issuers must require ethical assessments and that journals more effectively implement their existing policies on publishing ethical statements. The professional marine mammal societies need to work together to produce modern ethical guidance. Such guidance should require transparency in the provenance of data and samples while including advice on law, welfare issues, involvement of local scientists, and offshoring. Furthermore, it should require appraisal of and justification for the absolute necessity of invasive procedures. As is already the case in biomedical disciplines, ethical statements should be required in marine mammal science.

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Section: Other Case Studiesmentioning

confidence: 81%