All reasonable people agree that hunting whales should not be allowed. While many countries have stopped commercial whaling over 40 years ago, Iceland and Japan continue to hunt whales. still allow the trade to continue, killing more than a thousand of these magnificent animals every year.
It’s an appallingly cruel, pointless, and disgusting practice that has to stop. These intelligent and complex animals are suffering far beyond whaling. Every one of us can help save whales every single day – simply by not eating fish and other aquatic animals.
People all over the globe are outraged at the cruelty of the commercial whaling industry. Whales are struck by grenade-tipped, cannon-fired harpoons that are half a metre deep when they come to the surface to get air. Multiple harpoons can be used to stab a whale. The grenades explode just moments after the first pain waves hit, blasting shrapnel through the whale’s flesh. As they slowly succumb to death, their agony and fear can last up to an hour. They are then tied up, dead or dying, and towed to the nearest “butcher station” to be carved up, sometimes while still conscious.
Animals feel pain just like humans, are in complex social groups, communicate using different languages, and grieve for their loved one. They deserve better.
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Commercial whaling was banned in 1986 by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) over concerns that hunting threatened many species with extinction – but this hasn’t stopped the slaughter, as 40,000 large whales and millions of smaller whales and dolphins have been killed since then.
Why?
Iceland did not recognize the ban so Norway chose to ignore it and resume whaling in 1993. Japan pulled out of the IWC in 2018, after its proposal to reintroduce whaling commercially was rejected.
Other communities, such the Faroe Islands Inuit population in Greenland, have been granted permission by the IWC to hunt whales. They claim it is part their heritage. The times have changed, and the cruelty-based traditions must also change. Last year, graphic, bloody footage of the annual “grind” or slaughter of whales in the Faroe Islands led to worldwide outrage. In the grind, hunters force metal hooks into whales’ blow-holes and use ropes to drag them to shore, where they are stabbed to death with knives and spears.
Yet research shows that the younger generations on the islands reject the grind, while half of all adults there rarely or never eat whale – in fact, the Faroes’ own medical officers warn against it, due to the high levels of toxins that can cause permanent health issues and may harm children’s development.
Why is whale hunting still allowed? The driving force behind whale hunting is money. Their blubber, as well as their body parts, are sold for food and pharmaceuticals. Some countries, including Iceland, offer whale meat to tourists as a local “delicacy”, although very few of their own residents actually eat it. Evidence shows that there is a declining demand for whale meat, which has led to carcasses being thrown away in landfills.
It’s long past time for communities to stop propping up this dying industry. Ending whale hunting could even be a financial boon since many tourists shun destinations related to whaling.
While countries that engage in commercial whaling must read the writing on the wall and ban these cruel hunts – and sanctions must be brought to bear if they do not – we don’t have to wait for governments to act. We can all do our part to help whales, and other aquatic animals, right away. It’s as simple as banishing sea animals from our plates.
Although it may not be as well-known as whaling, the commercial fishing industry is the greatest threat to cetaceans. In addition to killing billions of fish – smart animals who form emotional attachments, are savvy social learners, develop cultural traditions, and use tools – every year, fishing nets trap hundreds of thousands of whales, dolphins, and porpoises, who are then tossed away, either dead or dying, as “bycatch”.
Like humans, whales and dolphins breathe air and suffocate if they can’t return to the surface. If they become entangled in heavy fishing gear or nets, whales can drown or die from exhaustion. They may also starve to death if they are unable to eat because the gear is in their mouths. The situation is urgent: six out of the 13 great whale species are now classified as endangered or vulnerable, even after decades of protection, and there are just 336 North Atlantic right whales left in the world.
Simple as that. Less fish demand means less deadly fishing gear. That is why anyone who wants to help whales – and other aquatic animals – should go vegan and leave All Fish are not allowed on their plates.
