Whales: Are There Any Left To Save?
What can grow 30 meters long, breathe air, travel millions of miles during its lifetime and that live as long as 100 years? Whales of course! These huge, yet gentle mammals with brains bigger then ours have lived in the oceans for more than 50 million years. They survived continental shifts, meteor strikes and maybe even the ice age! But it took humans only a few centuries to almost wipe these animals off the planet. Considering how we take offence when fictional Jurassic creatures try to wipe us off on celluloid, its really hypocritical of us not to consider their feelings, isn’t it? But then, whaling is commercially viable, so we can live with it!
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To many people, the phrase “Save the Whales” was same as “Give Up Junk Food” – ignorable! Over the years, because of over enthusiastic, but untrained green lovers, the phrase was considered more of a fad then of any real consequence (and something nice to put on t-shirts). People were not bothered to be bothered about some big fish (mammal!) that lives in the sea. After all there were lives to lead and bills to pay.
Whaling probably started on a lower scale. The might and vastness of the ocean and this mammal over-shadowed the wooden ships and iron harpoons. But today, the battle is definitely one-sided, as whales are hunted and tracked down using sophisticated technology and killed with modern weapons. And many whales are killed because they can be killed, like a sport. Considering whales, unlike sharks, are never known to be directly confrontational, humans can’t really plead self-defense for the killings. Only, we do not have laws for voluntary whale-slaughter! In the meantime, whales have been charged, judged and sentenced to death without knowing anything about it.
So who is the defense attorney for the whales? No one really, because the sole regulatory body in charge of such things, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) was set up in 1946, not to stop whaling, but to regulate it in a way so that whaling can be sustained long term. Founded with whaling nations, it’s now a curious mix of whaling and non-whaling nations, which either are defending their territory or are enticed into support by foreign aid from whaling nations. As with all organizations, the goal of it is often lost in the whole politics of it all.
In the meantime, of the handful of whale species, many are almost gone and the rest are on their way. Considering you and I do not have whale ribs for snacks, or whale skin rugs in our bedrooms, it really is staggering to note that in a span of 50 years between the 1920s and 70s, around 350,000 blue whales were killed. Japan has the distinction of justifying whaling as “preservation of tradition and culture”.
This one nation alone takes more then a 1000 minkes, 50 finbacks and 10 sperm whales every year for “scientific research”. A bid to add 50 humpbacks to this list seemed finally to get to the Aussie’s and the Yanks for some reason and the ensuing “strong reaction” delayed the bid for now.
Among the other whalers, Norway and Iceland, justify whaling under the IWCs “aboriginal subsistence whaling” provision. Basically they argue that aboriginal communities in their region depend on whaling for their livelihood. But it is hard to imagine why the aboriginal communities in a small country like Norway need to kill more then a 1000 minke whales per year, each at least 6 to 7 meters long, to survive? Interestingly, these aboriginal hunters, who allegedly have hunted whales traditionally to survive the harsh terrains, seem to have no problem using the modern technology and grenade-tipped harpoons for whaling.
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The same clause is exercised by the aboriginal populations of Siberia, Alaska and northern Canada. The shock of it all is that it seems the supply now far outstrips the demand in countries like Japan and Iceland! So where do the whale leftovers go? In Japan, they use dry carcasses in pet food, since they have nothing else left to do with it. No wastage at least. If it was about food, killing one less when you are sated wouldn’t have mattered. But like alcoholics, whalers cannot admit that for most of them, it’s become a sport or about keeping their supplies in stock.
So, if the IWC is not doing much to save the whale, who is? For generation next, saving the whales means volunteers from Greenpeace, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and other like organizations running their little boats in front of whaling ships. But what is a handful of boats against the scale of whaling. Movies like Free Willy moved the movie goers to tears but not into any form of active protest against whaling. In the meantime the whale population is getting smaller every day.
A handful of countries are putting in some effort towards whale conservation. For instance, the “rightsa ” of whales off the coast of Brunswick, who often die from collision with commercial vessels, are now being tracked through floating buoys. The idea is, if forewarned, vessels can avoid them. May be too little too late?
By Maria Belgado
Additional resources:
Whaling
Whatever Happened to “Save the Whales”?
New Steps to Save Right Whales
Save the Whales
Whale Populations Unit
Sea Sheppard Conservation Society
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Tags: save the whales, whale conservation, whale population, whaling, Wildlife & Flora
Never give up! As long as there are any magnificent whales gracing this world. “Save the Whales is not just a catchy saying. Watch an episode of Whale Wars and see 4 whales killed..You will never be the same. Stand up for the preservation of whales. Never give up.