Blog

Together with Dr Jane Goodall and other members of the Jane Goodall Institute's Ethics and Cetacean committees, I'm deeply saddened by the death of the beluga Hvaldimir. The body of Hvaldimir was found by fishermen, floating in the waters off Norway late August. A necropsy has been undertaken to determine the cause of his death but to this point, the full results have not yet been released. Preliminary information shared by the police indicates that he has not been killed intentionally, even though some claimed he had been shot.

Hvaldimir's life was a combination of tragedy and positivity. Tragedy, because he should never have been kept in captivity. Positivity, as there were so many special moments between him and the many people caring for him. Recently, we signed a letter so that he would not be moved to a remote location, far away from familiar humans. There was no perfect solution, but based upon scientific and ethical considerations, we genuinely believed this was the best option for him. We had to respect his autonomy, his freedom of choice as a smart, sensitive individual.

His death is a double tragedy, as some have been using intimidating tactics, blaming others for his unfortunate death. I've seen copies of messages by some animal advocates which are morally and legally deeply troublesome. I firmly believe that, even if we disagree on particular viewpoints, we should always aim towards building bridges of dialogue. There's no other road forward.

Let us be inspired by kindness, as Hvaldimir showed towards us. His sad passing is a poignant reminder to us all that to create a more respectful world for all animals, we, as humans must also respect one another.

Finally, I'd like to express my deep appreciation for the efforts by animal advocates such as Sebastian Strand of Marine Mind, Audun Rikardsen and Ingrid Visser.

In a letter to Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Dr. Jane Goodall, myself, and other members of the Jane Goodall Institute's Global Ethics and Cetacean Committees are urging the immediate release of Captain Paul Watson. For many years, he has been a prominent advocate against the inhumane practice of killing whales. These sentient beings should never be slaughtered for commercial purposes or under the guise of scientific research. Captain Watson should not be imprisoned in Japan for his efforts against a deeply cruel practice that should have been banned long ago.

My recent involvement in a debate on dolphin captivity reminded me of the value of these three words – science, ethics and truth. The animal debate is not only about what’s in the animals’ best interests, but it’s also about truth and truthfulness. I’m sharing here some reflections on a few of my experiences over the years - both positive and negative.

“This is brilliant.”
Dr. Jane Goodall (DBE, Founder – the Jane Goodall Institute & UN Messenger of Peace)

"A terrific essay."
Prof. Dr. Dale Jamieson (ethicist, New York University, USA)

In this essay, Dr. Jane Goodall and Dr. Koen Margodt argue that factory farms are one of the worst ethical developments in human history. Animal factories are inherently cruel and create massive suffering for billions of animals, destroy the environment and even undermine our health. At the same time, this is in principle one of the easiest ethical issues to resolve, as we can and should shift towards a plant-based diet. One of the simplest ways of helping animals, the environment and humanity is shifting from factory-farmed animal products to a plant-based diet. Their considered belief is that it is imperative that there be an end to factory farms, as all will benefit – animals, people and the environment. We should work to relegate these places to where they belong – the past.

“One of the most powerful essays I've ever read on why factory farming must end, to bereplaced by more plant-based eating.”
(Prof. Dr. Peter Singer, Emeritus Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University)

The Jane Goodall Institute calls for a compassionate attitude towards whales and to halt the practice of whaling. Our Cetacean Committee has published a statement of support for the draft law to ban this practice in Iceland. We thank the Icelandic MPs who are proposing this and appreciate the transparency of the process.

The Jane Goodall Institute is deeply saddened by the death of 57- year- old Orca, Tokitae. We are calling for an immediate worldwide ban on the capturing, keeping, and breeding of cetaceans in captivity.

We’ve learned that Basel Zoo has recently killed a four-day-old baby orangutan after her mother Revital unexpectedly passed away. We urge the international zoo community to reject a policy of killing healthy animals. It should be an honour for each and every zoo and sanctuary to care for individual animals. Every zoo and sanctuary should pledge to care for the animals they exhibit as individuals. These animals are not property and decisions should be made that are in the best interests of these individuals themselves.

This is a statement which I co-authored with Dr. Jane Goodall, calling for an immediate ban on capturing, keeping and breeding dolphins and other cetaceans in captivity. We make the appeal to bring these mammals to marine sanctuaries where they can live a more natural, enriching life, free of the confines of artificial tanks and forced performances.

During Jane Goodall’s visits to New Zealand she is frequently asked about her position regarding the poison called ‘1080’. This controversial poison is widely used in New Zealand to kill possums, rats and stoats in order to save endangered species. However, 1080 and other poisons are known to cause tremendous suffering to both ‘target’ and ‘non-target’ animals, including dogs. On Dr Goodall’s request, I’ve taken a deep dive into this complex ethical topic. This case study has been provided to the government of New Zealand.