My last post two weeks ago focused on the world’s largest land animal. Shortly after those musings on elephants, my attention turned to the world's largest animal on land or sea when I read that Japan is once again threatening to leave the International Whaling Commission (IWC). Japan does this from time to time, whenever the IWC votes for regulations it does not like. Each time, their threats turn out to be empty.
Hunting whales, like hunting seals, is seen by many people as a relic practice of an earlier age that is neither necessary today nor consistent with ‘modern’ values. For the most part, I am inclined to agree. Values are not static. They change and evolve, and what was acceptable in the past might not be acceptable now. Whaling was vital to the growth of Nantucket and New Bedford, and provided useful resources for a growing nation. But those resources were replaced by alternatives that were more abundant and accessible, and with that shift (not to mention the depletion of whale populations), the whaling industry faded away. It is noteworthy that our relatively newfound appreciation for whales and associated moral opposition to killing them came after they had declined in value. Despite the cause of this revelation, I personally feel that whales have a level of intelligence, social complexity, and overall uniqueness that warrants special status in the animal kingdom (my close encounter with a fin whale off Nantucket pictured above still gives me goose bumps).
However, I am hesitant to impose this ‘enlightened’ view on all cultures. The whaling industry had a relatively brief duration in the history of European settlers in America. But whaling has been an integral part of other cultures for much longer. The Makah tribe of Washington state have a long history as a whaling people. After a nearly 150 year lay-off from whaling (a fairly short period of time in the context of the history of the Makah), the tribe resumed the hunt in 1999 amidst substantial opposition and controversy (for more on Makah whaling historically and today, check here). I support their right to hunt to help maintain their independence, identity and tradition.
Hunting whales, like hunting seals, is seen by many people as a relic practice of an earlier age that is neither necessary today nor consistent with ‘modern’ values. For the most part, I am inclined to agree. Values are not static. They change and evolve, and what was acceptable in the past might not be acceptable now. Whaling was vital to the growth of Nantucket and New Bedford, and provided useful resources for a growing nation. But those resources were replaced by alternatives that were more abundant and accessible, and with that shift (not to mention the depletion of whale populations), the whaling industry faded away. It is noteworthy that our relatively newfound appreciation for whales and associated moral opposition to killing them came after they had declined in value. Despite the cause of this revelation, I personally feel that whales have a level of intelligence, social complexity, and overall uniqueness that warrants special status in the animal kingdom (my close encounter with a fin whale off Nantucket pictured above still gives me goose bumps).
However, I am hesitant to impose this ‘enlightened’ view on all cultures. The whaling industry had a relatively brief duration in the history of European settlers in America. But whaling has been an integral part of other cultures for much longer. The Makah tribe of Washington state have a long history as a whaling people. After a nearly 150 year lay-off from whaling (a fairly short period of time in the context of the history of the Makah), the tribe resumed the hunt in 1999 amidst substantial opposition and controversy (for more on Makah whaling historically and today, check here). I support their right to hunt to help maintain their independence, identity and tradition.
I have similar sympathies for nations like Iceland and Norway that argue for the right to hunt whales on the basis of longstanding traditions. There are indigenous whaling cultures in Japan, but the nation hurts its arguments to continue whaling for cultural reasons by its continued claim of the need to continue large-scale whaling operations for scientific reasons. This is a very, very, very thinly veiled commercial hunt of 1,000 or more whales annually. A bowhead whale caught off Alaska recently had the remnants of old whaling gear lodged in its neck that placed its age at between 115 and 130 years. This mind-boggling longevity is exactly why anything more than a limited hunt for cultural reasons is unsustainable. A species living a century or more cannot support industrial harvest at the level Japan would like to hunt.
1 comment:
great post. what, exactly, is the difference between the whaling done by iceland and norway, and that of japan? you note the traditions are somewhat different - is it that japan's history of whaling is much narrower, or played a less significant role in the development of their culture? or is it the speciousness/disingenuousness of their rationales which, as you suggest, hurts their credibility on the issue? would japanese whaling have a better reception if it was more upfront about the reasons why it continues to do so?
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