Whaling is Killing Thousands, Bringing Whales to Near Extinction

Since the dawn of civilization, humans ruled earth, taking what they pleased without worrying about the consequences. Modern society has evolved to understand the fundamental flaw in consuming the world’s resources with abandon. As with the hunting of many other species, whaling was an unregulated activity. However, in 1986, the world community shifted its stance on whaling and passed international legislation banning commercial whaling. Dangerously close to being snuffed out, the whales have begun to claw their way back from extinction. Despite the positive strides taken on the behalf of whales, the murder of thousands of whales each year is sanctioned by a number of countries under the guise of scientific research. Moreover, in many countries, including Japan and Iceland, whale meat can be readily found in the marketplace and purchased for human consumption. With far more whales harvested each year than scientific research would necessitate and whale meat available for purchase at countless locations, the vicious cycle of whaling for blubber perpetuates. To ensure the survival of whales as a species, more regulations limiting the killing of whales for any purpose and closer surveillance of whaling activity must be enacted.

Though the general public is appalled by the practice of whaling, pro-whalers provide numerous excuses for the savage practice of whaling. Many countries claim that whaling is a part of their heritage. Struggling nations propose that the act will help their economies flourish. Whalers justify their actions by stating that whaling is not inhumane. Diplomats explain that in their countries whaling is needed to do scientific research. They refute marine biologists’ claims that whaling harms the ecolo...

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...eastfeeding refrain from eating whale meat. One concerned Faroese mother commented that “We don’t depend on whaling for survival any longer. The opposite is true: To ensure our own health, and the health of generations to come, we need to stop viewing pilot whales as a food source” (O'Barry, 2013, p. 18) .

In conclusion, whaling is an unjustifiable and baseless practice. Scientific whaling is an unnecessary practice that provides no valuable information. Some traditions such as whaling should be broken, as not all traditions are appropriate in modern society. Whaling does not bolster struggling economies. Unwarranted cruelty is prominent in the whaling industry. The ecology of the ocean becomes severely damaged when whale killing persists. Consuming whales endangers the health and quality of life of humans. The ban of whaling needs to be fortified to save the whales.