Commercial Whaling - The DebateThe Blood Bath of Whales Continues
Commercial whaling to many individuals is nothing but a blood bath of beautiful creatures for commercial advantage and profit. To others whaling is a way of life dating back centuries. Thousands of individuals and their families are dependent on killing whales to feed their families. What is the truth? Are the whales in danger of being vanished from the face of the earth. Is the out cry against whaling just a voice from specific groups who would have us eat only green veggies and soy? What do you think? How can we sort through all the propaganda and get to the truth. I am not sure exactly where the answers lie. I believe both sides of the whaling issue present truths but what is the answer. What is Whaling? According to Define Whaling "Whaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms dates to at least 3,000 BC.[1] Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales. Industrial whaling emerged with organized fleets in the 17th century; competitive national whaling industries in the 18th and 19th centuries; and the introduction of factory ships along with the concept of whale harvesting in the first half of the 20th century. As technology increased and demand for the seemingly vast resources remained high, catches far exceeded the carrying capacity of whale stocks. In the late 1930s more than 50,000 whales were killed annually [2] and by the middle of the century signs were up that whale stocks were not being replenished. Eventually in 1986 the International Whaling Commission (IWC) introduced a moratorium on commercial whaling so that stocks might recover. While the moratorium has been successful in averting the extinction of whale species due to over hunting, contemporary whaling is subject to intense debate. Pro-whaling countries wish to lift the moratorium on stocks that they believe have recovered sufficiently to sustain limited hunting. Anti-whaling countries and environmental groups contend that the species in question are still vulnerable as well as that whaling is immoral and should be banned regardless of whether hunting is sustainable."_______________________________________________________________________________________________ The last statement is interesting, "whaling is immoral." Every day around the world people eat millions of tons of meat. Is killing an animal for food immoral? I don't think eating meat is immoral and something has to die in order to produce "meat" food. OK, let's all eat green veggies and soy. Yeah, that ain't gonna ever happen. Eating meat is not immoral in my opinion even though many would have us think so. Research has proven we need a specific amount of meat in our diet. But, what about the whales. Could the real problem be greed. The more is never enough policy. What do you think? I do not have all the answers nor am I the guru of going green. Green to me takes on many different meanings and eating meat in moderation is going green. However, to the Vegan eating meat of any sort is prohibited. Wow, well tell me what you think? Contact us and give us your opinion. I will publish your thoughts, maybe. The point is if someone tells a person who has whaled all their life to stop providing for their families what is that person going to do for a living. I guess those who are dependent on whaling for a living could start up the trade of knitting. Let's get real. There are two sides to every story and on one side of whaling stands those who need commercial whaling to feed their families and on the other side stands those who want balance to the practice. In addition some want a complete ban on whaling because they don't believe in killing anything for food. What is the solution? I received the following email from GreenPeace this morning. Remember both sides have legitimate complaints. But who is right? From Greenpeace: I can't even believe that I have to write to you about this, but the situation couldn't be more urgent or serious. Right NOW, the U.S. delegation is poised to support a deal that would be the biggest threat to whales since the moratorium to commercial whaling was established in 1986. According to the deal on the table now, even commercial whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary would be permitted. Take action with me - < >stop commerce whaling now! We WILL NOT stand by and watch commercial whaling paint our oceans red with the blood of whales. We WILL NOT accept any deal that legitimizes commercial whaling. But we can't save the whales without YOU. Please, take action now, and tell the Obama Administration that allowing commercial whaling is just NOT an option. I'll be sure to keep you posted in the coming days about this breaking situation. For the whales,
John HocevarOceans Campaign DirectorGreenpeace USA _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Balance is the key in this issue. The truth is some people depend on whaling. The truth is if we allow over killing for profit we might end up with no whales. The truth is I can't make up your mind. You have to stand up and be counted and voice your opinion. I am not for commercial whaling. I believe Japan and other whaling nations can figure out other ways to make a profit and provide work for those involved in whaling. However, it will take a million voices to stop the unneeded killing of these creatures. |