Among the species under scientific review, the whales are significant. As the global whale population stands threatened, all whale species on the IUCN Red List Of Threatened Species are now being reviewed.

According to World Conservation Union (IUCN) representatives in Colombo, whales are placed on the endangered list and require serious scientific review to help the species’ survival.

The IUCN Red List places species whose existence is under threat.

A year ago, there was much speculation that the IUCN has decided to remove several whale species from its Red List of Threatened Species including the minke whale and other species.

Some of the species including the minke whale are targeted in whale hunting.

The World Conservation Union (IUCN) is currently reviewing the status of all whales with no final decisions being made yet.

The IUCN also has a Species Programme to make specific recommendations with regard to species. The species are then reviewed by a wider group of experts before the Red List of Threatened Species is amended.

Importantly, the IUCN is currently reviewing every mammal species as part of its Global Mammal Assessment (GMA).

The whale species includes beluga whale, blue whale, grey whale, humpback whale, minke whale, narwhal whale, orca or killer whale, right whale, sperm whale, baleen whale and the common whale.

As whale species are being reviewed, there are reports coming from all over the world that whales, despite their threatened status continue to remain under severe threat, particularly from whale hunters.

Experts on marine mammals claim that whales are also victims of marine collusions.

Recently an incident of whale killing was reported from Japan when a carcass of a critically endangered whale was found in fishing nets off the Japanese coast. Likewise, a Western Pacific Gray Whale also known as Western Gray Whale has died after it became trapped in fishing gear.

Killed in fishing nets

This is the fourth Western Gray Whale, all female, to be killed in fishing nets on the Pacific coast of Japan in the last two years.

According to IUCN reports, the Western Gray Whale population comprises about 120 individuals, of which only 20-25 are reproductive females.

And the threat of extinction increases as the rate of loss of females increases.

According to a population projection on the Western Grey Whale Advisory Panel prepared by the IUCN, the critically endangered species is likely to become completely extinct if the trend continues.

The death of a juvenile female whale was reported to the authorities and scientists from the Institute of Cetacean Research (Tokyo) has already undertaken a detailed analysis of the carcass before it was burned.

"We are extremely worried about this problem of incidental mortality in fishing gear as it could become a major factor inhibiting the recovery of Western Gray Whales," noted Randall Reeves, Chair of the Western Gray Whale Advisory Panel.

The IUCN established this independent scientific advisory panel to monitor the whale population and provide advice on protection measures, particularly in regard to oil development activities off Sakhalin Island, Russia, where the whales spend the summer and fall months, feeding.

"We are extremely concerned at the loss of this female, which belonged to one of the most endangered whale populations in the world," notes Head, IUCN’s Global Marine Programme, Carl Gustaf Lundin.

According to IUCN statistics, the recent death follows similar events off the east coast of Japan in 2005, when three Western Gray Whales, including a female and her female calf, and a yearling female were trapped and died in fixed fishing nets.

The Western Gray Whale population is listed as critically endangered (the highest category of threat) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Killing Western Gray Whales is prohibited by the International Whaling Commission.

The Commission is worried about the suddenly increasing number of Western Gray Whale deaths, particularly in Japan. In the 10 years prior to 2005, only two gray whale deaths had been recorded on the Pacific Coast of Japan but feel they are due to natural causes. But the truth is, as a species they are on the wane.