Ambergris

GS PAPER II: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

Context: Mumbai Police arrested five people and seized nearly 9 kg of Ambergris or 'whale vomit'.

What is Ambergris?

• Ambergris, is generally referred to as whale vomit.
• A sperm whale eats several thousand squid beaks a day, a beak makes it way to the whale’s stomach and into its looping convoluted intestines where it becomes ambergris through a complex process, and may ultimately be excreted by the whale.
• It is a solid waxy substance that floats around the surface of the water body and at times settles on the coast.
• German physician Franz Schwediawer in 1783 called it “preternaturally hardened whale dung”.

Is it Ambergris valuable?

• This excretion is so valuable it is referred to as floating gold.
• The reason for its high cost is its use in the perfume market, especially to create fragrances like musk.
• It is believed to be in high demand in countries like Dubai that have a large perfume market. Ancient Egyptians used it as incense.
• It is also believed to be used in some traditional medicines.

Why are the laws on Ambergris?

• Due to its high value, Ambergris has been a target for smugglers especially in coastal areas.
• There have been several cases where the coastline of Gujarat has been used for such smuggling.
• Since the sperm whale is a protected species, hunting of the whale is not allowed.
• However, smugglers are known to have illegally targeted the fish in order to obtain the valuable Ambergris from its stomach.
• However, Ambergris is produced only by an estimated one per cent of sperm whales.

Sperm whales

• These are found in deep open waters, or around islands and coastal areas with deep canyons or very narrow continental shelves.
• Sperm whales face a number of threats today, including entanglement in fishing gears, ingestion of fishing gear and marine debris and ship strikes.
• Conservation status: Sperm whales were historically heavily hunted, and today are globally designated as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
• Sperm whales are listed on Appendix 1 of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS).

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/what-is-ambergris-whale-vomit-value-smuggling-7375391/