Here are the worst parts of a decidedly bad read:
But to blame the oil spill disaster for the stranding and subsequent deaths of four whales on a local beach, without any proof, may be taking it too far.
[...]
And while samples have been collected from the whale carcasses to assess if they had ingested oils or toxins, there has been no evidence to suggest the stranding was related to Rena.
That doesn't stop the conspiracy theorists though.
Since 23 October, there has been eleven-documented whale stranding in seven different locations within the Bay of Plenty, which is above the normal amount of stranding seen in the area for the same time period.
It's true that it would be speculative at this stage to associate the increased stranding with the sonor being used to salvage containers or the oil and chemical spilt from the MV Renabefore the test results are known... but it's equally speculative at this stage to say there is no association.
Inglis is admonishing people for their opinion while being factually incorrect himself. He even criticizes Project Jonah, an organization dedicated to helping marine mammals, for even suggesting the Rena could be the cause:
It was reported yesterday that Project Jonah conservationists - a charitable organisation responsible for the first aid of stranded whales - suggested there could be a link as sonar being used to salvage containers can injure nearby whales.
Inglis appears to want people not to communicate about happenings that are likely associated with New Zealand's largest ever environmental disaster... and for that he really has no place in journalism.
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| Stranded Gray's beaked whale - Papamoa Beach - 21 January 2012 |
