Save the Whales!

Save the Whales!
Frankie Stiles

For a long time we’ve heard the phrase "save the whales" from conservationists and environmentalists. But pro-whalers see the industrial and scientific values of whaling and don’t want to give it up. Both groups strongly advocate their causes. Neither of them will ever forfeit the battle, so there will never be an end to the dispute. However, there is a way to lessen the animosity between the two.

Anti-whaling groups have been in controversy over the subject for a very long time. They will go to great lengths and put themselves in great danger to fight for their arguments. Nature, a science journal that targets an audience broader than just über-smart scientists has an interesting editorial entitled “Whales for Sale” that proposes a compromise between the two groups. The article asks if there is a better way to deal with the controversy going on now. Today, whalers and anti-whalers continue to battle over the issue, literally. Anti-whaling ships pursue the large whaling vessels and the vessels fight back with water cannons. There is a never-ending dispute between the two.

The Nature article talks about a proposal in which organizations against the whale hunting and slaughtering would buy the whales from the whalers so that both parties would benefit. In buying the whales from the whale hunters, the conservationists save the whales and the whalers still make money. However, several problems arise with this plan. The article does note that those devoted to saving the whales would “have to put aside moral objections and accept such a scheme’s tacit legitimization of whaling as an enterprise to be rewarded.” Something the article does not note is that, though the Japanese claim to be killing whales for “scientific purposes,” it is commonly presumed that they also are in the business of whaling to sell meat for consumption.

Who is to condemn a nation for it’s cultural consumption choices, or an industry for providing that food? That would be like saying Americans shouldn’t kill cows. Yes, there are issues with the way we do it, but that is an entirely different argument. An article titled “Why do the Japanese Hunt Whales” from Animal Planet’s website discusses the history of Japanese whaling and the importance of whale meat in Japanese culture. Whaling can be traced back hundreds of years in Japan and has whale meat has been a major food source in the past during Japan’s hardships. In around 1987, “whales continued to make up nearly one-quarter of the Japanese diet.” The article leaves the reader with the question of whether or not whale hunting is an acceptable practice in today’s society.

If used for food and science, you might say that whaling is okay so long as the species is not endangered. According to the Animal Planet article, “Minke whales, though not at historic levels, remain plentiful.” Sustainability, if whaling is monitored and managed, is not an issue. Research done by the Japanese does not support evidence for any endangerment.

Whales are majestic and beautiful does not merit a reason to not use them for research and consumption. I think cows are majestic and beautiful, but I eat them (sorry, vegans and vegetarians.) I do think that the disputes in the middle of the ocean should stop – to me it seems barbaric and childish. I’m with the writer in the Nature article when s/he asks, “Surely there is a better way?” Looking from both sides, there are valid concerns. I am left asking if there is any reason to altogether stop the whale killing. I don’t see why that is necessary. If the anti-whaling side wants to buy the whales, I don’t see why not either. I think the proposal is worth a shot. If the ones who want to save the whales can save some whales and the whalers and the Japanese can stay happy, why don’t they give it a shot?


Works Cited

Editorial. “Whales For Sale.” Nature.com. 11 January 2012. 2012 Nature Publishing Group. 24 January 2012.


Article. “Why do the Japanese Hunt Whales?” Animalplanet.com. No date of publication. Animal Planet. 24 January 2012. Here's a link.