I, like so many others, am generally horrified at the way in which we are abusing the natural world: The uncontrolled deforestation of the Amazon, pollution and over=fishing of the world’s seas, desertification of previously fertile lands, the greenhouse gas issue, the hole in the ozone, the continual decline of numerous species of flora & fauna in bio-spheres around the planet, etc. Which makes it all the more odd that I support Japan’s (and other whaling nations’) right to resume commercial whaling operations.

Currently, Japan is signatory to the global moratorium of whaling (put forward by the International Whaling Commission, IWC) which limits their fleet to whaling for scientific research. There is a long held suspicion that Japan annually exceeds its quota and furthermore that much of the haul is sold in local markets for consumption but thus far decisive action hasn’t been taken against the country by the anti-whaling lobby. Rightfully so. Per the terms of the moratorium, IWC member countries can unilaterally issue scientific permits (BBC reference) to vessels for hunting. There’s been a general uproar over this practice from the non-whaling countries which consist of the US, the UK, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Finland, France, Spain, Germany and Israel. Anti-whaling nations first need to accept the fact that whale meat is a part of the Japanese (and other northern countries such as Iceland) diet. Restricting a particular country’s access to a food source is tantamount to an act of war, indeed, many wars have been fought over the right to access resources (water, oil, arable land, etc.). Further it seems odd that countries such as Germany and Israel are active voters considering they don’t have strong links to whaling (or the open sea for that matter).

Some history. At the turn of the century, an out-of-control whaling industry had pushed several species of whale to near-death. Of these, Blue, Right, Fin and Humpback whales were all on the brink of extinction due to a stark disregard for sustainable whaling and species conservation in general. The situation was so dire, the industry starting expanding its hunting ground and including all manner of species as fair game. Which is why I supported the moratorium on whaling when it was first implemented on the back of campaigns from Greenpeace, the WWF, anti-whaling lobbies and public opinion. Now, however, with whale populations on the rise and numbers returning to the pre-whaling levels, the moratorium needs to be abolished. In its place should be a strictly enforced quota system with emphasis on sustainable hunting. It make no sense to restrict a practice that has been in place for centuries if it can be made sustainable (unless you have other motivation; maybe you don’t like the Jappos -slant-eyed bastards that they are- or perhaps you are one of those extreme Vegan freaks). Currently, there are about 2000 whales being killed each year. Whale populations are estimated in the following BBC graphic HERE.

Aside from the issue of pushing species to extinction, apparently, is the manner in which the whales are killed. Activists would have us believe all whales die slow, agonizing deaths when harpooned. Now I’m somewhat familiar with hunting and I recognize that mercy isn’t really a factor. While I firmly disagree with practices such as skinning an animal while its still alive, death by blood loss from lacerations or severe shock is acceptable. Natural predators use the same methods to kill; Are we going to ask them for a moratorium as well? Sometimes, Greenpeace should really be called Brownpeace because they have their heads up their asses. In fact, Norway developed a grenade-tipped explosive harpoon just so that killing could be made a quicker & less painlful affair. An explosive grenade harpoon certainly sounds like the way to go. In fact, if it were up to me, I’d like to bow out of existence courtesy an explosive harpoon … that or, you know, a monkey in tuxedo with a 12-gauge.

Australia and New Zealand have thus far been the most vocal opponents to Japan’s whaling industry. This is a remarkably two-faced approach to conservation and prevention of animal cruelty. Australia and New Zealand cannot historically count whale meat as part of their diet. Ergo, they are in no position to dictate the terms to a country that has been whaling for decades or centuries. It is akin to preventing the Aussies from hunting Kangaroos (which, incidentally, are culled annually to keep numbers down) or Filipinos eating dogs. Secretary of Norway’s High North Alliance, Rune Frovik (wow, cool name), put it best when he said, “Whales belong to the animal kingdom. In some cultures they eat frogs, others don’t; Hindus don’t eat beef, that’s their choice, but they don’t try to prohibit the rest of the world from eating it.”

Further, over-whaling the oceans can be considered a lesser threat than over-fishing of which there is certainly a clear and present danger. That less is being done about over-fishing is astounding. Not only do fish feed a considerably larger population across the world, it is a primary source of nourishment for several communities and has a bigger impact on the global ecosystem. Why it isn’t held to the same stringent quotas as whaling seems less about oversight and more about political motivation. Fishing is a significantly larger industry that can no doubt exert considerably more political pressure than their pro-whaling counterparts.

I suspect many individuals anti-whaling stand is based in an association of “whales” to dolphins and other “cute” looking cetaceans. What folly. Just because a dolphin appears to have a permanent smile etched on its snout doesn’t imply it is above natural law or “too cute to kill.” National Geographic has aired several documentaries on bullying, sexual harassment and other violent behavior within dolphin and porpoise pods. Hardly the cute, huggable image that Flipper was. It’s an issue of how one views whales; as the huggable, benign creatures of numerous soft toys or food.

Besides, most large whales are ugly as sin. They should be caught, killed and eaten. It’s always the ugly animals that taste best. We should probably try to rear them in giant whale farms. And while we’re at it, attach some hoses to their teats to get whale milk. On second thought, do whales have udders?

Anyway, the idea is not to repeat the mistakes that led to the downfall of the whaling industry in the first place, that is, overdoing it. Assuming the industry has learnt its lessons, I’m all for a return of commercial whaling. For the moment, whaling nations have won (by the smallest of margins) a declaration at the IWC that says the global moratorium should eventually be lifted. Whale burgers anyone?

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