Room 220 (VCC West Building)

Organizer: Stephanie J. Bird, Science and Engineering Ethics



Co-Organizer: Thomas I. White, Loyola Marymount University



Moderator: Stephanie J. Bird, Science and Engineering Ethics



Discussants: Michael Cooper, Cooper & Company Ltd.

and Kari Koski, The Whale Museum



Speakers:



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A variety of scientific studies have found that whales and dolphins are capable of advanced cognitive abilities (such as problem-solving, artificial “language” comprehension, and complex social behavior), indicating that these cetaceans are far more intellectually and emotionally sophisticated than previously thought. Moreover, evidence is growing that for at least some cetacean species, culture is both sophisticated and important. For these species, key processes that are rare or absent in the standard genetically evolved species, begin to operate: cultural group selection, conformism, cultural ethnicity with symbolic markers, and so on. Yet while marine scientists have been uncovering greater intellectual and emotional sophistication in cetaceans, some countries have continued to support the killing of dolphins and to press for the resumption of commercial whaling. The contradiction between scientific findings and political policies underscored the pressing need for a conference to consider the significance of the research for commercial policy and practice. The outcome of the conference was a Declaration of Rights for Cetaceans: Whales and Dolphins. This symposium will present the scientific rationale for the declaration and explore its ethical and policy implications, including the practical challenges of conveying broader implications to a general, international public.