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Research to document Aboriginal occupation across the Dampier Archipelago has also encountered the earliest archaeological evidence for the presence of American whalers in North West Australia. Inscriptions in the form [...]

How did ancient communities around the Mediterranean exploit the presence of whales in their seas? Given that the whales currently present in the region are seldom found near the coast, it seems probable that ancient whale exploitation would have been restricted to stranded animals. The authors explore, however, the possibility that additional species migrated seasonally through the Strait of Gibraltar to visit coastal calving grounds, which could have supported an organised whaling industry. Classical literature provides a number of descriptions suggestive of coastal encounters with whales. New methods of whale bone identification will shed light on which species were previously present in the Mediterranean and thus on the probability of ancient whaling. This article is one of two on ancient whaling in the current issue, and should be read in conjunction with that by Dario Bernal-Casasola and colleagues. Keywords: Mediterranean, classical literature, whales, whaling, Introduction Human effects on nature are easily forgotten as perceptions adjust to progressively impoverished ecosystems (Turvey et al. 2010). This 'shifting baseline syndrome' (Pauly 1995: 430) affects not only scientific [...]

ABSTRACT. Because of their reliance on the harvest of fish and game, Alaskan rural communities have experienced a variety of impacts from climate change, the effects of which are amplified [...]

ABSTRACT. Bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) in the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort seas experienced a severe reduction as a result of commercial whaling in the 19th century. Since the cessation of [...]

The final area of work that needs to be completed by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) before the moratorium on commercial whaling may be lifted is the Revised Management Scheme (RMS). The key issue stalling conclusion of the RMS is the failure to agree on the details of a suitable inspection, observation, and compliance regime. This contribution looks at the negotiations respecting the development of a suitable inspection, observation, and compliance regime. Keywords inspection, International Whaling Commission, observation and compliance, revised management scheme

'To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme. No great and enduring volume can ever be written on the flea, though many there be that have tried [...]