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Disclaimer: Some images in this post are graphic.
On June 22, 2010, the International Whaling Commission and its delegates from 88 member nations will convene in Morocco for a final vote on ending the moratorium on whaling. The whaling ban, which has been in effect since 1986, is on the verge of being completely reversed. The implications of such a proposal, should it be realized, are significant.
The Japanese vessel Yushin Maru during a kill. Photo credit: AFP and Greenpeace
The whaling ban itself has had its fair share of criticisms: the act has made concessions for whaling that is conducted for “scientific research,” a loophole that has been abused with little to no repercussions.
In a twisted sort of logic, it is this abuse of the ban that has inspired the proposal to end the moratorium on commercial whaling. The International Whaling Commission, unable or unwilling to tackle the problem of the loopholes that have allowed whaling to go largely unchecked by such offenders as Japan, Iceland, and Norway, instead is proposing to reverse the ban as a “compromise.”
If you fail to see where the “compromise” is, you are not alone.
Those who support lifting the ban claim that doing so will be beneficial to whale populations. The basis for this claim lies in the idea that by legalizing commercial whaling, offending nations will no longer seek to take advantage of loopholes and will be more willing to follow international regulations.
The concept is not fooling many people; it amounts to rewarding the illegal actions of offending nations, and of course encouraging commercial whaling will have zero benefit to whale populations who are already on the brink of extinction.
A whale carcass being processed. Photo credit: Greenpeace
Prior to the whaling ban, there was nothing preventing countries from under-reporting their catches to fall within accepted quota limitations, as the Soviet Union was guilty of in the 1970s. There is little reassurance that this time around will be any different.
Shockingly, the United States is in support of the reversal of the ban, a complete turnaround from President Obama’s campaign promises to maintain the moratorium on whaling. Not only does the United States support the reversal, it plans on subsidizing the industry.
What this means is that should the ban be lifted, United States taxpayers will be footing the bill. If estimates are correct, such a plan will cost U.S. taxpayers in the tens of millions of dollars.
Aside from select native Alaskan communities, the United States has no national interest in whaling, and does not profit from the industry. Culturally, whaling is not something the Americans tend to approve of, nor should they. Whale meat contains extremely high concentrations of mercury, as it bioaccumulates throughout the food chain. For humans, such levels are toxic if consumed with regularity.
Canned whale meat. Photo by Alex Brooke, biotechlearn.org.nz
And yet, the United States is poised to subsidize commercial whaling; to what end, and to whose benefit?
Certainly not the benefit of the nearly wiped out whale populations, or the people whose health is at risk from mercury poisoning, or the monetary interest of American citizens who are already reeling in a recessed economy, and from the ongoing damage of the Gulf Oil Spill that shows no sign of ending.
In less than two weeks, the whaling industry could be digging into the pockets of American taxpayers, and destroying a true natural wonder that now, more than ever, needs protecting.
The only solution to this global crisis is by demanding that regulatory bodies are able to enforce the existing ban. Public awareness must be such that reversing the ban would stir global communities to action and demand that those who represent them keep their promises.
I urge you to become involved. The following links are to organizations that are involved in stopping this proposal. Make your voice against whaling heard, and your anger and frustration felt. It is time that our politicians and delegates act on our behalf.
- Avaaz.org – The World in Action is running a campaign to buy ad space and create handouts for the meeting in Morocco. Donations are accepted here.
- SaveTheWhalesNow.org has a petition you can sign, as well as other media and information for you to browse.
