This fall Iceland decided to go against the international ban on whaling and to restart commercial whaling. While I would generally disagree with killing these majestic animals, hunting and killing whales has been a central part of many cultures. In the NPR podcast below, some say Iceland is doing this just because they can. But, Iceland says it is part of their culture. This led me to think about when is it appropriate for humans to kill animals, and with our increasing population can we do it sustainably? So..
FRQ #2: Do you believe whaling should be allowed, and if so, can it be practiced in a sustainable fashion?
a. List 2 cultures that have traditionally practiced whaling and describe the role it plays in their lives.
b. What products do we gain from whaling? Do we really need them or are their substitutes?
c. Why would whales have a difficult time recovering from commerical whaling?
d. Describe 2 laws that protect whales?
e. Briefly discuss your opinions on the practice of sustainable whaling.
Resources:
1. Greenpeace Ocean Defenders Promo Southern Ocean Whaling at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4616822890631958376&q=whaling">
2. Iceland Moves Forward with Whale Hunting at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6288959"
3. American Cetacean Society Website at http://www.acsonline.org/factpack
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
I believe whale hunting is acceptable, but only under certain circumstances. Some cultures are accustomed to relying on whale meat and hunting is a tradition. The most well know whale hunters are the Makah whale hunters of Washington State and Alaskan Intuits. Both of these tribes have hunted whales for thousands of years for whale oil and meat. Humpback whales were most valuable as a source of food, while other whales such as Gray whales were less “tasty,” so their blubber was used mainly for the oil. The carcass of the whale would be divided among villagers based on a strict tribal hierarchy. Any excess meat and oil would then be traded among neighboring tribes for other products. Some of the products we receive from whales today include: lamp oil, cooking oil, candles, soaps, cosmetics, perfumes, umbrellas, string for tennis racquets, and of course whale meat. Most of these products can now be made without the use of whale hunting. For example, petroleum and vegetable oil could be used to supplement the whale oil. One huge problem with whale hunting is the fact that they do not reproduce fast. Whales, like humans, only produce one, maybe two offspring each year. As humans continually kill whales, they do not have enough time to reproduce. They do not lay thousands of eggs like some creatures, which makes repopulation slow. Two laws that protect whales in the U.S. are the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Pelly Amendment. The MMPA makes it illegal to kill, hunt, injure or harass all species of marine mammals regardless of population status. The Pelly Amendment imposes import sanctions on fish products from nations that have violated any international fishery conservation program. As I said before, whale hunting is acceptable to a certain extent. Native hunters should be allowed to hunt whales but in certain amounts and at certain times. As for using the whales for cosmetics and other products from whale oil, we have other options and should take advantage of them. Whale hunting should be done in small amounts and only by those who depend on it.
Whaling has been practiced by different cultures for hundreds of years, and should only be allowed by tribes that believe it is a sacred part of their culture. One of these tribes is the Makah Tribe who base their social structure on the traditions of whaling. Men prepare all their lives for the days when they can go whaling. They fast and pray and have tribal dances centered on the whales. The actual art of whaling is also sacred. There is strategy involved that men learn from their fathers and it is passed down through generations. Tribes also use whale meat to trade with other tribes for different types of food. Another tribe that has been whaling for many years is the Alaskan Intuits. They are a group that has relied on whaling as a source of food for their tribe. Whale meat is sacred, and eaten by many tribes around the world. Tribes use oil from the whales to make lamp oil and cooking oil. Whales are also good for the production of perfumes, make-up, and soap, and more. Although it is easy to use whales for these products, it is also inhumane according to many environmentalists. We can now find alternative ways to make these products such as using vegetable oil instead of whale oil. We can also use petroleum to make many of the cosmetic products. It is not fair to kill whales because slowly but surely the great whales are dying off. Whales are a k-species which means they do not reproduce a lot. Whales at most produce around two babies per year or less. They also have high parental control which means that if a mother is killed off by whalers then a baby may die because they can’t survive without their mother. One law that is protecting the great whales is the Endangered Species Act. According to the ERA, all great whales are endangered species. This law states that no one can hunt, kill or harass any animal that is a member of either a threatened or endangered species. Also the Marine Mammal Protection Act stops the killing or hunting of any marine animal. These two laws work to protect great whales, but tribes are working hard to amend these laws for their benefit. The Makah tribe has amended these laws so that they are able to hunt whales on a small scale in order to keep the traditions of their culture. In my opinion, commercial whaling is wrong and should be stopped. We shouldn’t be hunting an endangered species, because if this continues then they will go extinct. I think on a small scale it would be okay for ancient tribes to continue their whaling traditions because it is an important part of their culture and lifestyle.
Whaling has been a tradition in many countries for generations. Japan and Norway are two of these countries. Norway uses the Minke whale’s meat and blubber for food. Traditionally, whaling is a way of life for tribes in Norway. It is not only a job, but a lifestyle. Japan on the other hand uses whaling for other reasons. Studies show that there is a surplus of whale meat and blubber left over each year in Japan. This could mean that either the Japanese people are not eating as much whale as before, or the whalers are over killing. Japan has claimed that they are using the whales they kill for “scientific experiments” when in reality they are whaling to increase the amount of fish in the ocean. Fishing is a major industry in Japan and whales eat a lot of fish. Therefore, if the whales are killed, there will be more fish for the Japanese to catch and sell. We gain many products from whales including whale oil used to make soap, margarine, and cosmetics, whale teeth to make jewelry, and we use whale meat and blubber for food. We do not need the whales for these objects there are many substitutes for making cosmetics (petroleum), soap (coconut oil and palm oil), and margarine (soyabean oil). We can also use vegetable oil instead of whale oil. Jewelry is unimportant and it can be made out of leftovers of other materials.
Genetically whales are a K species meaning that they have very few offspring (only about 2) and high parental control. The babies have a long maturation time. Therefore, killing these majestic animals decreases the population in a short period of time. They cannot recover quickly enough. They do not build populations quickly because of their limited capacity for offspring and their slow breeding. 1.5 million whales were killed from the 1920s to the 1970s. Therefore if whaling continues, many whale populations will cease to exist and become extinct because the population growth rate will not be able to keep up with the rate of decline. To stop whaling there have been laws and groups created to protect the whales. One law is the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which makes it illegal for any US citizen to kill, hunt, or harass any marine mammal. This protects whales in the US. In Australia, the Whale Protection Act was created to provide protection, conservation, and preservation for whales and other cetacea. My opinion on this situation is that the practice of whaling, even if it is sustainable, should not be conducted. There is plenty of other food we can eat, and materials for cosmetics, jewelry, soap and margarine. Why kill such a beautiful animal for items that there are other substitutes for? I think whaling should be banned before the earth loses one of its most amazing assets.
I believe whaling should be allowed only under he circumstances that it’s necessary for their culture and practiced sustainably. It shouldn’t be practiced simply for fun and profit. Two cultures that have traditionally practiced whaling are the Makah and the Nuu chah nulth people. The Makah use the whale meat for food and the carcass was sometimes rendered for oil if the meat wasn’t as tasty. The bones were used for tools and the sinew for making tools and clothing. Their economy depended on the trade of whale meat and oil. The Nuu chah nulth people used whales for subsistence, economic, social, and religious purposes. Products we gain from whaling include lamp oil, margarine and cooking oil, soaps, cosmetics, perfumes, candles, umbrellas, whale meat for human conception, animal food, fertilizer, and string for tennis rackets. We may need some of these products, but there are substitutes for these products. For example, you can use vegetable oil in place of cooking oil that comes from whales. Whales would have a difficult time recovering from commercial whaling because they are k-strategists, meaning they don’t have as many offspring. So they are being hunted faster then they have time to reproduce and replenish their numbers. One law protecting whales is the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). This act makes it illegal for anyone in the U.S. to kill, hunt, injure, or harass all species of marine animals. Another law is the Endangered Species Act (ESA) which makes it illegal to kill, hunt, collect, injure, harass, or destruct the habitat of endangered and threatened species. I think whale hunting should be minimally allowed for only those whose life depends on it.
I believe that whaling is acceptable if the whale is needed to sustain the culture. Native peoples such as the Alskan Inuits and the early Japanese used whaling as a source of food, clothing, and tools. They used every part of the whale, leaving nothing to waste. Whaling can be practiced sustainably in a small population because one or two whales would sufice leaving the rest to reproduce. Many products come from whales, including whale meat which is considered a delicacy. We also gain cosmetics, margarine, perfume, some leather, cat food, shoe polish, transmission fluid, soap and car wax. We don't really need all of these items. There are cosmetics and perfume that don't use whales as a resource and butter tastes just like margerine. Soap, shoe polish, cat food, and everything else can be made without whaling, yet we insist on doing such. Whales have a difficult time recovering from whaling because they're mammals. Once they are pregnant the calf is not born for 9-18 months. Two laws the protect whales are the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which makes it illegal to kill, hunt, injure, or harass marine mammals, and the Packwood-Magnuson Amenment, which reguires congress to sanction nations who have violated international fishery laws. For populations like the Inuits I believe that whaling can be sustainable, but for commercail use and trade it's not.
Whaling is placing an immaculate damper on the population of these precious mammals. Commercial whaling and cultural whaling are not one in the same. Several cultures, including Japan, whale for selfish benefit; they are attempting to maximize the amount of fish in the ocean by eliminating their predators. Other cultures, however, such as the Makah Tribe whale more as a ritual to express manhood. Young boys in the tribe dream of the day they will be able to go whaling. We use whale oils in the making of perfumes, soap, and cosmetics. We eat whale meat and blubber; whale teeth and bones can be used to make jewelry or tools. However, for all of these items we can find substitutes for the calibrations of the whale. For example, we can use various metals to make the tools and jewelry; we can implement vegetable oil into cosmetics instead of whale oil, and we have immaculate amounts of other meat to choose from for food. Whales have a pretty difficult time recovering from commercial whaling, because they are a k-species; they do not reproduce often. An adult female may give birth to one or two baby whales each year. The Marine Mammal Protection Act makes it illegal for anyone to hunt or injure any marine mammal, despite its population density. Another law that protects whales is the Pelly Amendment, which enforces import regulations on countries for marine life if they have been previously guilty of abusing the marine society. I believe that whaling should be entirely banished; although it is an essential basis to few societies, exceptions will begin being made, making difficult decisions arise about where the boundaries truly stand. Whales are precious and rare mammals; we must protect them.
Post a Comment