Save the Pigs
How is the issue of whaling any different from that of raising livestock for human consumption? Whales are intelligent creatures. But so are pigs. Whales are beautiful, majestic animals. But that’s subjective – plenty of people think they are. The only logical arguments against whaling are 1) killing animals is wrong (shit, so much for tonights BBQ) or 2) they are endangered. If that’s the case, how can we argue against sustainable whaling?
July 17th, 2008 at 7:26 pm
I know that it’s necessarily more difficult to kill whales in a very quick, painless manner given their size, so I can’t say I’m too fond of that aspect of whaling. I’ve seen video of the way in which dolphins are killed in some coastal communities (forgive me this may have been in China) and it was appallingly and disgustingly inhumane.
Also, being large, slow-breeding animals, whales are far more susceptible to population disruptions than other harvested animals, and I think many people get the impression that Japan and other whaling nations just don’t really care and that they will hunt whales until there’s nothing left to hunt. Perhaps this is not a fair assessment, but it’s the prevailing view, anyway.
We also know that more than 300,000 whales/dolphins are killed each year as by-catch by fishermen alone. Then theres people catching their krill, the fact whales are eating plastics and dying, the spread of Brucella infections, damage from sunburn (ozone layer), discarded fishing gear, worm infestations, ship strikes, changing prey locations, sonar…. and much else.
The fact is Minke in the Southern Ocean have fallen from over 1 million animals to around 300,000 in 20 years!! Thats with minimal hunting!!
Times have changed. We need to focus on helping the whales meet the challenges of this future world humans have created. Whaling is obselete and cruel and the fact species on the ICUN endangered list (all great whales) are being killed in a special IWC sanctuary by commercial whalers using factory ship fleets is insanity. The fact the Japanese are killing 30 to 40 THOUSAND smaller whales and dolphins each year in drive fisheries is also worthy of note.
Its not a case of eating whale or pig.
The Japanese eat a heck of a lot more pork or chicken or beef or even kangaroo than whale. Whale is a status symbol used by the very rich, and flouted as being the ideal way to show how proud you are to be ‘Japanese’.
Kinda strange considering its an American/Norway tradition, but then no one ever said Japanese society was anything but norm defiance personafied!
July 17th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
“I know that it’s necessarily more difficult to kill whales in a very quick, painless manner given their size, so I can’t say I’m too fond of that aspect of whaling.”
80% of whales killed by Norway die INSTANTANEOUSLY. 40% of those killed by Japan die the same way — and if they were allowed to get on with it and hunt commercially, the figures would probably be similar to Norway’s (the needs of scientific research necessitate avoiding head shots).
The average time of death is 2-3 minutes.
Up until then, its entire life has been free. Farmed animals suffer all kinds of distress, depending on the farming method. And I don’t think they don’t feel fear when they’re ON THE WAY to the slaughterhouse.
Also, kill ONE whale — huge amount of meat. You have to kill HUNDREDS of smaller animals to achieve the same result. Therefore, whaling = SUBSTANTIALLY less animal cruelty and killing.
“I think many people get the impression that Japan and other whaling nations just don’t really care and that they will hunt whales until there’s nothing left to hunt. Perhaps this is not a fair assessment, but it’s the prevailing view, anyway.”
Right, so if it’s not a fair assessment (which it isn’t), why does the fact that it is the ‘prevailing view’ (in Anglo countries) have any relevance whatsoever?
“We also know that more than 300,000 whales/dolphins are killed each year as by-catch by fishermen alone. Then theres people catching their krill, the fact whales are eating plastics and dying, the spread of Brucella infections, damage from sunburn (ozone layer), discarded fishing gear, worm infestations, ship strikes, changing prey locations, sonar…. and much else.”
So it’s hard to see how another 1000 annually will make any significant impact.
“The fact is Minke in the Southern Ocean have fallen from over 1 million animals to around 300,000 in 20 years!! Thats with minimal hunting!!”
Those figures are absolute garbage. At best, they reflect an error in the original figures (and the IWC is not sure about this, either)… secondly the ENTIRE take for the 20 years was below 20,000! So how you attribute a decline of 700,000 to a hunt of less than 20,000 is absolutely beyond me. But then again, anti-whalers can apparently say anything, no matter how patently absurd, or obviously stupid.
“the fact species on the ICUN endangered list (all great whales) are being killed in a special IWC sanctuary by commercial whalers using factory ship fleets is insanity.”
The Japanese whalers AREN’T commercial whalers. Get that? NOT commercial whalers? (For anyone who isn’t aware, the IWC *requires* that by-product of scientific-research catch is utilised and sold. Also, how does the ‘commercial whaling in disguise’ mantra fit with the other popular mantra of ‘it’s totally uneconomic and is costing the Japanese government millions’?)
As for the sanctuary, it is probably illegal in its set-up (see Wikipedia article), scientific whaling is NOT prohibited in it, and further Japan has a species-exception regarding Minkes in the sanctuary anyway, meaning that even if they WERE commercially whaling Minkes in the sanctuary (notwithstanding the commercial moratorium) it would be perfectly legal!!
Finally, while many great whales are indeed endangered (mainly due to previous over-fishing of WESTERN countries, in fact), the idea that Minkes are a species in danger of extinction is absurd. In fact, the Western countries have put political pressure on the international bodies to ignore the findings of scientists and make whales look more endangered than they are (which has resulted in resignations in protest).
I can’t quite get a grip on this website. First, you have the utterly offensive name. But then you almost seem to be mildly critical of the anti-whaling thing.. Also, this specific article reads: “The only logical arguments against whaling are 1) killing animals is wrong (shit, so much for tonights BBQ) or 2) they are endangered. If that’s the case, how can we argue against sustainable whaling?”
Question: If that’s the case, WHY argue against sustainable whaling?
Regards
PS, I know Donovan from Facebook, and his inability to engage in rational discussion or critically assess anything himself means that, in his words, he ‘knows he’s scored a hit’ when someone doesn’t respond to some point or other that he’s made. Just pointing out that I may well not revisit this site, so please don’t take my silence as some sort of admission of defeat in argument. Actually, Donovan came on my FB group and was utterly humiliated in debate (unfortunately you can’t read his posts anymore, due to his chronic habit of getting banned from Facebook).
PPS, anyone who wants to check out the other side, please visit http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6642842319 (you can debate with me there, if you so desire).
October 30th, 2008 at 12:27 am
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October 30th, 2008 at 6:17 am
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October 30th, 2008 at 10:28 am
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November 27th, 2008 at 10:56 pm
Hi I like your post “Save the Pigs” so well that I like to ask you whether I should translate into German and linking back. Greetings Engel
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