Whaling in US compared to Japan Essay

The research shows that killer whales are not healthy in captivity. But we can stop this and seaworld has taken some steps to help solve the problem that orcas aren’t healthy in captivity. This problem affects the orcas big time, and the trainers that take care of them. Killer whales in the wild are having a great time, but remember in some countries there are no laws stopping them from catching or killing orcas. Maybe we should call them killer humans, instead of calling orcas killer whales because they’re really the problem. Research highly suggest that they expand their tanks or just plain out stop pulling killer whales out of the ocean. Some laws have been passed in the US to stop people from killing orcas or pulling them out of the ocean.

This topic has generated research and observation in order to understand both sides of the whaling industry in Japan. First must take a look to the history and background of the topic. The oldest Japanese book in existence, called the Kojiki, chronicled that the Emperor Jimmu, the first emperor of Japan, ate whale meat (History of Japanese Whaling, 2013). Due to over 1,000 years of whaling in Japan, It has not been an easy task for the Japanese people to ease up on this addiction to whale products. For centuries this industry has remained strong until recently attacks by conservation groups. The international community has created the

The increase in the fishing industry could be due to any number of things such as the weather, the time of year, or even the lack of a whale’s presence. It does not suggest that the whales are consuming the fish or that they are depleting important fish populations. Also, it has been proven that commercial whaling does impact the whaling industries in pro whaling countries. If money is the end goal for some of these countries they could just adopt the whale watching industry rather than commercial whaling because in the end, due to conservation movements, it will probably be making more money. If Japan wants to continue whaling under scientific research pretenses, then I’m sure they can find more humane and less invasive ways to collect data such as studying beached or already dead whales rather than killing them, as well as taking samples from live whales using minimally invasive techniques. Furthermore, in countries such as Norway who commercially whale specifically for the meat for human consumption, well they should be required to put warning labels on whale meat detailing how the animal was killed as well as how much mercury the meat

There are many traditions that our fore-parents might have engaged in that are not necessarily ideal in this day and age. With that said, concerning whaling in Norway and Japan, the first question that should be asked is; what is the primary reason these animals are being killed? To warrant these killings, the reason has to be greater than ‘tradition’ and greater than anything superficial.

When the commercial whaling was prohibited in 1986, Australia has formed a major anti-whaling campaign, which is well known as the sea shepherd. Sea shepherd’s job was going out to the sea and use action to defend the whales from getting hunted by the Japanese. Australia’s anti-whaling action tells people around the world of the serious situation about whaling. Our action leads people to start paying attention to the consequences of not stop the whaling. In 2010 Australia has been initiated legal action to proceeding against the Japanese, intention to end the scientific whaling in the southern ocean.

When whaling was first started in America it was because the Basques had started hunting and trading products made from whales. First it was the Dutch that had followed them in their whaling and then the British followed them. Finally, America followed the British and soon the huge expedition had started to hunt whales for the oil inside them.

I do not agree with the Norwegian and Japanese position on permitting the hunting of non-endangered species of whales as a cultural exemption because I just don't approve of whaling in general. I can however see their point. For the majority of a population in a village to depend upon whaling as their main income and/or food source would be really difficult if it was banned. It would be a nice thing if their governments could help with job rehabilitation. Maybe even offer incentives to change their business venture. I feel like whaling is an archaic practice these days with so many other options to take place of the stuff harvested.

According to the whaling library, during the World War II the industry of fishing and whaling decrease (OU, 2016). After, it finished the depletion of the fish and whales continue. Later in 1946, the International Whaling Commission was created with similar

Whale hunting is a very controversial issue. Some argue that it is morally wrong to hunt an animal with such a high level of intelligence, some argue that whales shouldn’t be hunting due to their dwindling numbers and their risk for extinction, and others argue that it is the only means of food for some indigenous people who have been hunting whales for centuries. I personally, am against commercial whaling, but do understand the IWC’s (International Whaling Commission) catch limits for aboriginal subsistence whaling.

Whaling is an old and inhumane practice that should be stopped. In fact the act of commercial whaling is illegal under international law. Japan still continues this practice today, despite orders to stop given to the Japanese government by the UN’s International Court of Justice in March of 2014 (WDC). Even before that ruling Japan has been asked by the international community to stop whaling, but they continued to do so through a loop hole in the International Whaling Commission or IWC. That hole about the size of a loop, says that whaling for scientific research is legal. The Japanese government should stop illegal practice of whaling because it is inhumane, these whales will go extinct if this continues, and we the international community have already asked for this to stop.

“Japan joined the International Whaling Commission in 1951; however, Japan would later be criticized by environmental organizations and anti-whaling nations for making heavy use of Article VIII of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling which states that “Notwithstanding anything contained in this Convention any Contracting Government may grant to any of its nationals a special permit authorizing that national to kill, take and treat whales for purposes of scientific research subject to such restrictions as to number and subject to such other conditions as the Contracting Government thinks fit, and the killing, taking, and treating of whales in accordance with the provisions of this Article shall be exempt from the operation of this Convention.”

When I think about these developments, it’s easy to see that the Japanese authorities have something to hide about whaling. It’s not simply hunting of non-endangered species. It’s ethically incorrect, and Japan knows it. This explains why they are covering the facts in an attempt to make these practices appear to be scientific in nature. These convoluted explanations lead to mistrust in the global community, which is not helping Japan’s case for protecting its cultural

First it is unacceptably cruel. In the sea, the assurance of immediate and painless killing is impossible, and if we knew that the cattle were slaughtered by hunting them by a vehicle that trails them in their pastures and then dragged to the armpit until they die, I think they would remain in few to continue eating steaks. Secondly, in a world in which the marine environment is subject to increasing insults by human activities - fishing, chemical and acoustic pollution, habitat destruction, climate change, etc., particularly harmful to big animals at the top of the net Foods that live in a sea a little more inhospitable each day - killing whales, even those considered less threatened, is pure madness. Last but not least, whaling is no use for anyone, because the cetacean market has been in tight localized niches for years, and continues to fall vertically. While cetaceans flesh and fat accumulate unused in the refrigerators of Tokyo, Oslo and Reykjavík, even finishing in dog boxes, it is wondering why so much capability to continue with a hunt that, in addition to all the above listed problems, constitutes a considerable cost for the taxpayer.

Japan being an island nation has a long history of maritime industry, so that also includes small time whaling. Japan started to do this industrial scale whaling operation right after World War 2 ended in 1945. I can see why Japan has been fighting against the international community on this issue. After World War 2, Japan was devastated and meat or any source of protein was in short supply. The Japanese people turned to whaling to make up for the shortages of meat. Whales are the biggest animals on the planet thus they have a lot of meat on them. Whale meat has been entrenched into a staple of their diet and culture. Buying whale meat to the Japanese is like an American buying a steak.

Whale killing began all the way back to 3000 b.c. So it has been going on for quite a long time. The people used whales for oil,meat and sometimes skin for. Now a days people use the whales for meat only. Why do you have to kill so many whales? Most people say that is just for the excitement and the pay off.