An analysis by an Oregon State University researcher and others concludes that commercial hunting of Antarctic minke whales won't help the recovery of depleted blue, fin and humpback whales.

The study counters the arguments of commercial whalers who propose "culling" the large numbers of the smaller minke whales, which compete with the others for krill.

Antarctic minke whales are among the few species of baleen whales not decimated by commercial whaling during the 20th century, and some scientists have hypothesized that their large numbers are hampering the recovery of other species, according to an OSU news release.

The "Krill Surplus Hypothesis" postulates that the killing of some two million whales in the Southern Ocean during the early- and mid-20th century resulted in an enormous surplus of krill, benefiting the remaining predators, including Antarctic minke whales.

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