In the late 1930’s more than 500,000 whales were killed annually. Now, about
7400 whales are killed each year, (not counting the coastal dolphins of Japan). That’s
about 20 a day.










Whaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date
to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance
whaling and harvesting beached whales. As technology increased and demand for the
resources remained, catches far exceeded the sustainable limit for whale stocks. In the
late 1930s more than 500,000 whales were killed annually, and by the middle of the
century whale stocks were not being replenished. In 1986 the International Whaling
Commission (IWC) banned commercial whaling so that stocks might recover.

Japan, among other countries still participates in whaling, even though they are
hunting them illegally. The y would like to lift the ban on whaling, and start hunting
these magnificent beasts full time. They use the excuse that they have the right to kill as
many whales as they want since whales eat three to five times the amount of fish that
humans do - blaming them for the decline in fish stocks. It has been said that many of
the resources they are looking for in whaling could be found in other much better and
safer resources, such as oil refineries.

I feel as if the Japanese don’t really value animal life or see whaling as cruel, they
think it’s their right to practice it. There have been many studies to prove if whales
could possibly be smarter than humans, even though humans are considered the most
highly evolved species. They are capable of extraordinary mental abilities. They are
more than capable to adapt in any situation. Whales are able to feel emotions such as,
excitement, comfort, pain, suffering, fear, joy and love, much like humans.

In 2008 after years of hunting whales for “science”, the Japanese finally publish
their research, which was a bunch of bull and was probably a disguise to be able to hunt.
They killed 4,500 whales and their huge scientific break was that the whales are getting
“Skinnier,” and that there were less of them. After killing that many whales, they should
have come up with astonishing, ground breaking information. They claim that the
whales are getting skinnier because of global warming, when they in fact know that they
are the cause of these animals health. Krill (the tiny crustacean at the base of the food
chain), the main food sources for whales have declined in Antarctic areas by 80 percent
since the 1970s. Part of the problem is warming waters, but over-fishing for krill to use
at fish farms and the ozone layer hole have contributed to the drop as well.
Many of the whales that were slaughtered for “scientific” research weren’t able to
be used because the harpoons used for killing them caused too much damage. Many
environmentalists are saying that killing 4,500 whales for research is unnecessary and
pointless. The U.S. State Department and others agree by putting out this statement.
“slaughtering whales for science is unnecessary.”

In Faroe Island about 950 pilot whales are slain annually. The reasons of the
killings aren’t confirmed yet, but it has been said that the natives use the whale meat for
food. 950 whales annually is way too much, considering the size of these animals.
Greenland’s coast accounts for over 90 percent of the catch. Greenland also claims to
hunt for science, but a quarter of last year's catch was traded for profit through a private
food company. Over the last 12 months, WSPA visited markets and harbors around

Greenland. Investigators posed as a documentary film crew reporting on local traditions

and culture. They concluded that at least a quarter of the whale meat that landed around

the coast was traded through a single company, Arctic Green Food, with supermarkets

the principal destination. The company advertises packets of whale meat for sale within

Greenland on its website. Products include steak, mince, salted blubber, and cuts from

the fins and tails of mink whales, as well as unspecified meat from fin whales.


7400 whales are killed each year, that’s about 20 a day. Whales deserve a life
where they are not hunted and in constant fear for their lives. They are highly
intelligent mammals, who are capable of extraordinary mental abilities.
The International Whaling Commission (IWC) is working very hard to ban whaling
completely, whether it’s for science or for sport. As it has been said, it is unnecessary
and pointless to kill the whales. There are so many other ways to learn about these big
beautiful beasts. There’s also a better way to get oil without harming any mammals in
the process.