Arguments against Whaling
The most obvious ones are the decreased numbers and the cruel methods. Whales do not threaten fish populations, and now that we have alternatives to whale products, killing them doesn't create the money it used to. It is now more important to save them and let whale tourism to create the money. "Research whaling" is only a bad excuse to continue killing them.
The Decreased Numbers
This is the argument against whaling that is hardest to ignore - whale numbers dropped about 90% in some species, but all the hunted species were badly affected. Some species, e.g. the Atlantic Gray Whales went extinct. Whale populations take a long time to recover. They only have one young in every two or three years, and it is way too early to say that the populations have recovered - they have not. Whales have returned to some oceans where they disappeared, but not nearly have their populations recovered.
The Cruel Methods
Whales are smart enough to understand what's happening in their surroundings. It is hard to find humane methods to kill them. Explosive harpoons which explode inside them, are cruel and painful. Being such large animals, one shot doesn't always kill them. It may take many minutes or even hours before they die and it should turn anyone with a heart against whaling.
Fishing vs Whaling
Some countries argue that whaling is necessary to maintain successful commercial fishing! They say that whales eat so much fish that if we kill whales lots of fish is saved in the oceans! Isn't it better that we stop overfishing instead? Or look into other factors behind decreasing fish, such as pollution and habitat loss? If whales ate enough fish to affect global fish stocks, the amount of fish would have significantly increased when the whale populations crashed - but they did not!
Tourism vs Whaling
Now as we hardly use whale oil anymore, and have found alternatives for other whale products, the profits from whaling are not that huge anymore as they were in the old days. Whale watching tours now bring in money instead. There are places in the world where whale watching is so big that it supports the whole local tourism industry. Counting what hotels, restaurants and other tourism amenities bring in in those places, they easily replace the profits that would have been made from whaling. Developing countries, which are often dependent on tourism, are far better off running whale watching tours than making the one-time profits from whaling and turning off tourists who are against whaling.
Research Whaling
We do need to do research, for the best of the whales themselves. But it is obvious that the countries keenest to do whale research are the countries where whale meat is part of their traditional diet. Japan makes full use of IWC's requirement that nothing goes to waste after the research is done and sends all whale meat to shops and markets. This leaves others wonder whether the real purpose is meat or research, and question whether the research is overdone? Can some of the data they are finding be obtained by non-lethal means? And is all of the precise data they are finding so necessary that it is worth so many lives?
What's Your Opinion?
Are you for or against whaling and why?
Do you think it's ok that people in some countries still eat whale meat and why?
Or do you think it is more important that whales get to live and bring in tourist dollars..
P.S. This form just went up so don't be shy to be the first one.
What Other Visitors Have Said
Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...
Whaling
Excellent arguments against whaling.
Some people just don't seem to have the ability to understand that whaling just isn't the way to save our fish ...
Little C
I don't really think whaling is good.
One day whales will be extinct and we will have man kind to thank for that!!
stop whaling
Not rated yet
Whaling is just wrong!!
There is only so many whales left and if we continue to hunt them they will become a distant dinosaur, that is simply read ...
