Save the Whales -- Again?
23/6/10 08:55![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
malasadas.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
talkpoliticsWhen I was growing up, the "Save the Whales" campaign was the iconic animal conservation campaign and fueled a growing movement for conservation in general. Humans have, of course, hunted whales ever since we discovered that the ocean held 30 ton cows -- but in open boats and using hand held harpoons, we couldn't do that much damage. But as whaling's purpose went beyond subsistence and into valuable commodities such as oil, fleets of ships hunted the world's oceans. By the 20th century, factory hunting ships armed with explosive harpoons managed to hunt many whale species to the brink of extinction even as modern technologies had supplanted most of the commercial uses for whale products.
With science learning more about whales (the heavily hunted Bowhead Whale may actually live as long as 300 years) and Roger Paynes' release of "Songs of the Humpback Whale" helping to "humanize" the animals for a new generation of conservationists and the general public, sentiment moved against whaling even in former major whaling nations like the United States.
Finally, in 1986, the International Whaling Commission enacted the Whaling Moratorium that has been in effect since. Although the IWC is purely voluntary, the moratorium has been seen largely as a success with world wide catches of whales dropping to roughly 2000 a year from pre-ban highs in the 10s of 1000s. But the success has some limitations --
First, the ban has exemptions. The most notable being indigenous subsistence hunting under quotas and scientific research. Second, a limited number of nations do not adhere to the ban. Iceland and Norway flatly refuse to end whaling, and Japan uses the scientific research exemption to hunt large numbers of whales in the Southern Ocean -- despite accusations that most of their catch is actually destined for the dinner table.
The IWC met this week in Morocco with a controversial proposal on the table -- lift the moratorium and allow whaling under strict quotas. Many conservation groups and scientists opposed lifting the ban and giving even tacit approval to whaling, but some of the strongest opposition came from Japan -- as the move would disallow them from using the "scientific exemption" to hunt virtually unrestricted in the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary.
As of today, the talks appear to have failed and the IWC goes back to the drawing board with the current status quo in place. So whales will continue to be hunted without oversight from the remaining whaling nations and "Save the Whales -- Again" may become a new slogan for ocean conservation activists.
But the ongoing controversy highlights some interesting questions, especially about conservation in general and national/cultural sovereignty issues:
1) Whales are Popular: Conservationists are sometimes accused of exploiting popular animals at the expense of unpopular ones. Worldwide estimates of Minke Whales put their total population above 750,000 -- likely able to support limited hunting, but activists want all whaling banned. Much of that is based upon our impression of whales as majestic and intelligent. Whales adorn t-shirts. "Songs of the Humpback Whale" was a best seller. A recording of whale song is on the Voyager space craft. Saving the whales was a the topic of a mediocre installment of the Star Trek franchise.
Let's be honest -- we want to save the whales because we LIKE them.
2) Are Some Animals Off Limits to Hunting?: Despite the above questions, it is undeniable that whales are intelligent creatures. Then again, so are octapi and there is no international campaign to end takoyaki. Whales, however, are long lived and do not procreate abundantly -- making wide scale hunting unsustainable in the long term.
3) Are Some Hunts Too Cruel?: Even with modern technology, whales generally suffer greatly when hunted. The animals can take hours to die and others survive with deep, hard to heal wounds.
4) What About Culture?: The indigenous exemptions allow native people who have relied of whales for food to hunt in small quotas. Norway, Iceland and Japan all claim that whaling and whale meat are intrinsic parts of their cultures, and there is something to that. There's also a strange sliding scale of criticism -- the indigenous hunts in open boats, using harpoons are likely to result in more painful deaths for the animals, but after several centuries of colonialism few in the West are willing to criticize native cultural practices.
Norway and Iceland hunt mainly for domestic consumption and in local waters -- nobody in the activist community likes it, but few make a great deal of noise. Japan, on the other hand, is extensively criticized. While the Japanese have whaled for centuries, their current hunt under the scientific research exemption infuriates many. They take many more animals than researchers believe are needed for research purposes. Most of the catch is destined for consumption, but currently, the domestic demand for whale meat falls far short of the amount caught, leading people to speculate that Japan really wants to export whale meat. And finally, they hunt far from Japanese waters in the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary.
These criticisms are deemed unfair by Japan who are sticking by their research angle -- and who often publically wonder why they are coming under extra scrutiny when Iceland catches the endangered fin whale and when the rest of the world is currently sweeping the ocean clean of numerous species of fish. Suspicions of racism by western activists probably contributes to Japan's insistence of its right to hunt whales.
So -- what's the probable future of whales and whaling? To what degree does a cultural and economic perogative override popular international sentiment and at what point can international organizations attempt to impose restrictions on the practices of other nations?
With science learning more about whales (the heavily hunted Bowhead Whale may actually live as long as 300 years) and Roger Paynes' release of "Songs of the Humpback Whale" helping to "humanize" the animals for a new generation of conservationists and the general public, sentiment moved against whaling even in former major whaling nations like the United States.
Finally, in 1986, the International Whaling Commission enacted the Whaling Moratorium that has been in effect since. Although the IWC is purely voluntary, the moratorium has been seen largely as a success with world wide catches of whales dropping to roughly 2000 a year from pre-ban highs in the 10s of 1000s. But the success has some limitations --
First, the ban has exemptions. The most notable being indigenous subsistence hunting under quotas and scientific research. Second, a limited number of nations do not adhere to the ban. Iceland and Norway flatly refuse to end whaling, and Japan uses the scientific research exemption to hunt large numbers of whales in the Southern Ocean -- despite accusations that most of their catch is actually destined for the dinner table.
The IWC met this week in Morocco with a controversial proposal on the table -- lift the moratorium and allow whaling under strict quotas. Many conservation groups and scientists opposed lifting the ban and giving even tacit approval to whaling, but some of the strongest opposition came from Japan -- as the move would disallow them from using the "scientific exemption" to hunt virtually unrestricted in the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary.
As of today, the talks appear to have failed and the IWC goes back to the drawing board with the current status quo in place. So whales will continue to be hunted without oversight from the remaining whaling nations and "Save the Whales -- Again" may become a new slogan for ocean conservation activists.
But the ongoing controversy highlights some interesting questions, especially about conservation in general and national/cultural sovereignty issues:
1) Whales are Popular: Conservationists are sometimes accused of exploiting popular animals at the expense of unpopular ones. Worldwide estimates of Minke Whales put their total population above 750,000 -- likely able to support limited hunting, but activists want all whaling banned. Much of that is based upon our impression of whales as majestic and intelligent. Whales adorn t-shirts. "Songs of the Humpback Whale" was a best seller. A recording of whale song is on the Voyager space craft. Saving the whales was a the topic of a mediocre installment of the Star Trek franchise.
Let's be honest -- we want to save the whales because we LIKE them.
2) Are Some Animals Off Limits to Hunting?: Despite the above questions, it is undeniable that whales are intelligent creatures. Then again, so are octapi and there is no international campaign to end takoyaki. Whales, however, are long lived and do not procreate abundantly -- making wide scale hunting unsustainable in the long term.
3) Are Some Hunts Too Cruel?: Even with modern technology, whales generally suffer greatly when hunted. The animals can take hours to die and others survive with deep, hard to heal wounds.
4) What About Culture?: The indigenous exemptions allow native people who have relied of whales for food to hunt in small quotas. Norway, Iceland and Japan all claim that whaling and whale meat are intrinsic parts of their cultures, and there is something to that. There's also a strange sliding scale of criticism -- the indigenous hunts in open boats, using harpoons are likely to result in more painful deaths for the animals, but after several centuries of colonialism few in the West are willing to criticize native cultural practices.
Norway and Iceland hunt mainly for domestic consumption and in local waters -- nobody in the activist community likes it, but few make a great deal of noise. Japan, on the other hand, is extensively criticized. While the Japanese have whaled for centuries, their current hunt under the scientific research exemption infuriates many. They take many more animals than researchers believe are needed for research purposes. Most of the catch is destined for consumption, but currently, the domestic demand for whale meat falls far short of the amount caught, leading people to speculate that Japan really wants to export whale meat. And finally, they hunt far from Japanese waters in the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary.
These criticisms are deemed unfair by Japan who are sticking by their research angle -- and who often publically wonder why they are coming under extra scrutiny when Iceland catches the endangered fin whale and when the rest of the world is currently sweeping the ocean clean of numerous species of fish. Suspicions of racism by western activists probably contributes to Japan's insistence of its right to hunt whales.
So -- what's the probable future of whales and whaling? To what degree does a cultural and economic perogative override popular international sentiment and at what point can international organizations attempt to impose restrictions on the practices of other nations?
(no subject)
Date: 23/6/10 13:59 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/6/10 14:14 (UTC)Whaling will eventually end except for the very small indigenous tribes because international will is too significant. It will have nothing to do with logic and everything about what you said - popularity, cruelty, etc.
To what degree does a cultural and economic perogative override popular international sentiment and at what point can international organizations attempt to impose restrictions on the practices of other nations?
It should always override it. Sadly, though...
(no subject)
Date: 23/6/10 14:44 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/6/10 16:57 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/6/10 17:00 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/6/10 18:46 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/6/10 19:26 (UTC)Your reputation is intact.
(no subject)
Date: 23/6/10 20:30 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/6/10 20:33 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/6/10 20:58 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/6/10 23:43 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/6/10 15:11 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/6/10 16:57 (UTC)Star Trek IV, The Voyage Home.
Date: 23/6/10 21:48 (UTC)Dr. Gillian Taylor: Whoever said the human race was logical?
(no subject)
Date: 23/6/10 14:50 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/6/10 15:13 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/6/10 17:13 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/6/10 19:01 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/6/10 15:11 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/6/10 15:15 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/6/10 15:17 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/6/10 15:18 (UTC)They hunt locally, but their major whaling company was looking to export fin whale to Japan.
(no subject)
Date: 23/6/10 15:22 (UTC)They take megabuck loans from the rest of the EU and then behave like Greece and refuse to pay it back. But just like with Greece the EU refuses to do jack shit about it.
(no subject)
Date: 23/6/10 15:28 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/6/10 15:33 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/6/10 16:23 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/6/10 16:32 (UTC)And me? Cynical? Never. I need much more body hair before I live in a tub. If I'm going to go Diogenes I need to amplify the necessity for brain-bleach first. XP.
(no subject)
Date: 23/6/10 16:38 (UTC)I've been assuming that Japanese whaling is one small part domestic demand and one giant part, "Fuck you, gaijin -- we're going to kill Willy just to make you mad."
(no subject)
Date: 23/6/10 19:00 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/6/10 15:31 (UTC)With regards to whaling, I don't have much to add apart from feeling that it ought to end, apart from small-scale culturally based hunting (like ni the case of indiginous peoples.) Whether that best comes about through legislation or by the ongoing popular anthropomorphication of the creatures and education is anyone's guess, but I don't think we can just ignore national soverignty here. That doesn't however, mean we can't put pressure (friendly or not) on nations that continue to do what we find objectionable.
The one thing I will add is that point 1 is spot on. It's popularity. The film "Happy Feet", while not perhaps intending to make this point, drove home one dark truth: people didn't care one whit for the penguins until they were able to do a cute dance. Then they got popular; THEN the world community decided overfishing their waters was a bad idea. Without a marketable face, the generaly public cares little for the plight of most threatened creatures. Without Star Trek 4, most folks probably wouldn't know a humpback from Quasimodo.
(no subject)
Date: 23/6/10 15:34 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/6/10 16:26 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/6/10 16:31 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/6/10 16:36 (UTC)Not that that's a good viewpoint to hold: ugly as it is, the natural world is important because of, or inspite of, what it is. It shouldn't HAVE to be cute and cuddly for us to want to protect it.
And when it comes to something like dolphin infanticide, which may or may not have some evolutionary purpose far beyond our understanding, it's more likely to turn people off to conservation than help.
But, also, I just think McNinja is funny.
(no subject)
Date: 23/6/10 18:59 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/6/10 16:28 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 24/6/10 07:12 (UTC)Whale wars
Date: 23/6/10 16:48 (UTC)That's untrue.
Whale's encephalization quotient* is pretty high order intelligence, coupled with the discovery of spindle cells in some whale species-- long only thought to be in high order primates and humans, certainly puts them light years ahead of octopuses.
These criticisms are deemed unfair by Japan who are sticking by their research angle
I didn't see Jane Goodall killing gorillas because she was researching them. Judging from footage shown on Whale Wars, very little "research" happens on a slaughtered whale once it's brought up to a processing ship. It's sliced and diced and put into the holds pretty quickly. The real motivation seems to be selling whale meat, especially when you consider the extent to which the Japanese go to protect the meat from being contaminated by butyric acid.
-----------------
* Yeah, there's a lot of debate about that, but I think it warrants mentioning.
Re: Whale wars
Date: 23/6/10 19:00 (UTC)Jane Goodall researched chimpanzees and had to keep her kid in a wire cage for fear the chimpanzees would eat him. Evidently chimpanzees have followed the Fat Bastard diet plan for the last 150,000 years.
(no subject)
Date: 23/6/10 19:34 (UTC)It is the same thing with Harp seals.
Despite the above questions, it is undeniable that whales are intelligent creatures.
I don't think they are intelligent. At least not intelligent in anyway that matters. They just have some interesting behaviors.
Even with modern technology, whales generally suffer greatly when hunted.
This is the strongest argument against it, in my mind. In most kinds of hunting the suffering is an unwanted side effect. For whales it seems like that is the method. Still, suffering is subjective. Most animals go through pain that any human would find unbearable without much distress at all, physiology is very species specific. Perhaps being slowly drowned isn't so bad compared to being torn apart by orcas.
The indigenous exemptions allow native people who have relied of whales for food to hunt in small quotas.
I have no problem with indigenous hunts. I can't see how the Inuit are any less valuable to the world than a whale. As long as it is a legitimate cultural activity.
I think we should congratulate ourselves on saving the most endangered whales of the last century. They were truly on the brink, and international consensus (along with the development of the Oil industry) has allowed them to bounce back. Now we won't have to worry about hijacking a Klingon Bird of Prey and sling shotting around the Sun to go back in time to communicate with some all powerful interstellar whale probe. Banning all whaling, though, isn't rational. Some whales species have very robust populations that could be harvested without any harm to the species or the environment. As long as there is a market for whale meat, I think we should allow the practice.
(no subject)
Date: 23/6/10 21:52 (UTC)They are an example of mammals who live without destroying their own and others species environments. This should serve as an example to our species who are clearly too stupid to accomplish as much.
(no subject)
Date: 23/6/10 22:41 (UTC)And, for what its worth, what little we know about whales seems to indicate they are just as aggressive about mating and territory as other herd animals. Male humpbacks frequently draw blood competing over mating rights.