There are many issues in the environment today which are affected by humans – one of these is whaling. Whaling is a very dangerous and gruesome practice in which whales are killed and harvested for parts of their bodies including their oil, meat and baleen plates. Whaling is also a large part of some cultures, including the aboriginal and Japanese cultures. Whaling in the past has severely depleted the numbers of whales in our oceans, causing near extinction in some whale species. A whaling ban has been put in place to limit whaling and protect whales, there are some problematic issues to do with this ban. Whaling is a very controversial topic throughout the world. The issues I will be discussing today include; how many types of whales are endangered due to whaling, that there is no humane way to kill the whales and the fact that it is easy to get around the whaling ban due to a large loophole in the clause – and furthermore that there are countries that use this loophole to their advantage. Many species of whale have been hunted to near extinction. Some of these species include: Blue whales, Right whales and Humpback whales. Commercial shore – also known as bay – whaling began in 1805 (Baker, 1999 p. 15). This limited whalers to a certain extent as whales rarely came close to shore without provocation. In 1849, deep-sea whaling began, this meant that it was a lot easier to catch and kill whales (Baker, 1999 p. 14). Two of the biggest advances in whaling history were a cannon fired harpoon in 1864 (Carwardine, 1998, p. 20) which would explode inside the whale, and floating factory ships in the 1920's which meant that voyages could be longer and further out at sea without a loss of whale oil. Because of these developments, whalin... ... middle of paper ... ...n, P 2004, ‘David Attenborough joins campaign against cruelty of whaling’,The guardian, 9 March, accessed 18 February 2014. Carwardine, M, Hoyt, E & Fordyce, R, Gill, P, 1998, Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises, Reader's Digest Pty Limited, Surry Hills NSW. Greenpeace International, n.d. Whales, Greenpeace, accessed 19 February 2014, . Kerrod, R 1998, Whales and Dolphins, Anness Publishing Limited, London. Whale 1993, Dorling Kindersley, London. Whales and Antarctica Food Webs, n.d., Chart, N.a., accessed 20 February 2014, . Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises 1995, Dorling Kindersley Limited, London. Whale Importance, 2014, n.a., accessed 19 February 2014, .
I agree with the Norwegian and Japanese positions on permitting the hunting of non-endangered species of whales as a cultural exemption. Both of these cultures have been whaling for thousands of years. One stipulation that I would add in order to qualify for a cultural exemption is that the hunting should take place in a historically accurate manner. For the Japanese, this would mean using nets to catch the whales.
The quest to gain international agreement on ethical and legal norms for regulation of whaling has had a long and troubled history. The modern phase of global concern over whaling ethics and conservationist management originated in 1946, when the International Convention on Regulation of Whaling was signed. Thus the International Whaling Commission was created. The International Whaling Commission was designed to control and mandate the whaling industry. From it’s beginning as simply a whalers club with scientific guidance, to the current day conservationist body; the IWC has undergone many revisions and transformations since the start. In 1982 the IWC voted to implement a “pause” on commercial whaling (which is still in effect today). Which major whaling nations, Japan, Norway, Peru, and the Soviet Union (later replaced by Russia) lodged formal objections, due to the fact that the moratorium was not based on advice from the Scientific Committee. One major disappointment of this regulation was due the fact that the moratorium only applies to commercial whaling. Thus, whaling under scientific-research and aboriginal-subsistence is still allowed. Japan and other countries have continued their hunt in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary under the “scientific research” loophole. However, environmental activist groups openly dispute the claims and continue their rally to end the whaling industry for good.
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society "The Makah Whale Hunt" 02 Online. Internet 3 Febuary 2003. Available www:seashepherd.org/media_info/asp.
“… building a tank the size of Rhode Island wouldn’t be large enough for a six-ton male killer whale such as Tilikum, an animal capable of swimming 100 miles a day,” states an anonymous whale expert. Whales have been in captivity since 1861 when P.T. Barnum displayed the first live whale that was captured in Canada. However, Barnum had no idea how to care for the mammal and it died after only a week in captivity. (Animal Legal and Historical Center, 2014) Being up close with killer whales could give us some clues about how they interact with each other, including physical behavior, their dialect, and how their pods work together as a family unit. However, what we are finding is that whales who belong in the wild are suffering in captivity. Killer whales have no record of ever harming a human being in the wild. In captivity, there have been many incidents of killer whales harming or even killing their trainers. What would cause them to do this in captivity, but not in the wild? They have been known to resort to aggression toward themselves and each other, in what scientist believe to be a stress induced behavior. (Animal Legal and Historical Center, 2014) Evidence against having these wild animals in captivity is increasing and we need reevaluate the value of capturing and holding killer whales for our educational purposes, enjoyment, and profit.
McLendon, Russell. "10 of the Most Endangered Whales on Earth." MNN. N.p., 23 June 2010. Web. 13 Jan. 2014.
Francis, David R. “Communities of Killer Whales.” The Christian Science Monitor. National Newspapers Core, 15
"NZ Dolphin Rescues Beached Whales." BBC News. BBC, 03 Dec. 2008. Web. 26 Feb. 2
In this research report I will discuss the Killer Whales unique characteristics; complex migratory patterns, how and why it is endangered, and most importantly how we can help them.
In conclusion, education, research and conservation is a very important role that we can make to improve the lives of Orca whales, but at what cost? When you have to take an animal out of its natural habitat and deprive it of all its natural instincts, cause unnecessary emotional and physical problems, and put the lives of the whales and their trainers at risk, what are we learning? That it’s okay to possess them merely for our entertainment and profit? A wild animal’s life remains destroyed and many lives have ended, all for dangerous entertainment.
Imagine being at home enjoying quality time with your family when all of a sudden someone comes into your home and takes you to prison for the rest of your life. No explanation, no warning, and no communication with your family, ever again. In a single moment you have lost your family, your home, and your freedom. That is a very scary thought, yet that is exactly what is happening to killer whales. We, as a society, are going to the ocean, and taking killer whales away from their home, and their families for the sole purpose entertaining us. These beautiful, majestic animals are suffering physically, mentally, emotionally, and they are dying prematurely because of our selfish actions. Mahatma Gandhi said “The greatness of a society
Looking at Figure C, we can say more than 200,000 blue whales has been killed as results of overhunting. In 1966, the International Whaling Commission banned commercial whaling for blue whales, but illegal hunting still occurs (NOAA). While blue whales are no longer being threatened by overhunting, their population is drastically depleted. Like many other marine species, blue whales are being harm by many others factors today. This include collisions of ships, chemical pollution such as oil spills, and noise pollution from vessels (Eco). The population of blue whales is known to be around “10,000 to 25,000 ” (World Wild Life).
The latest animal rights issue to hit the public is a whale of a controversy. For decades, the public has enjoyed visiting SeaWorld and taking in mesmerizing displays of aquatic performance by orcas, the largest species of dolphins, and their trainers. Recent events have stirred up a media uproar over the safety of these creatures and their trainers. Much of what the public knows about the maltreatment of these creatures comes from a documentary released in 2013 called “Blackfish”. The breeding and captivity of killer whales for entertainment purposes poses a threat not only to the whales, but also the trainers who interact with them.
“Whales provide us with the food for our bodies, bones for our tools and implements and spirits for our souls.” “We haven’t hunted the whale for 70 years but have hunted them in our hearts and in our minds.” “Whales are a central focus of our culture today as they have been from the beginning of time.”
Shirihai, H. and B. Jarrett (2006). Whales, Dolphins and Other Marine Mammals of the World. Princeton, Princeton University Press. p.185-188.
If Australia leads the way to making stricter rules to save the lives of these majestic creatures, the variety of species can recover. Overall the humpback whale has moved from 'vulnerable' to 'least concern' on the IUCN Red List, a list of the worlds species facing the highest risk of extinction. This means that overall humpback whales are less likely to become extinct which is a level needed for all whales. This is a great recovery however it is not enough to restore the marine balance in the oceans. We need at act NOW, in order to safeguard the futures of our worlds whales.