Although there has been a global moratorium on whaling since 1986, the practice never truly stopped. Finally the real end of whaling may be in sight.

Despite disturbing recent headlines about Japan resuming commercial whaling and the annual hunt in the Faeroe Islands, the end of whaling has never been closer. It is easy to get caught up in sensationalist news or depressed by pictures of dead whales, but a little bit of digging reveals the story of an industry in its death throes.

The demand for whale meat and products is at an all time low while consciousness about the plight of whales and nature in general continues to increase. People no longer want to eat whales, they want to watch them. There is still heavy resistance from small groups of ‘traditionalists’ and those still desperately attempting to turn a profit from an outdated industry. Rest assured, their voices grow fewer and weaker by the day.

Whaling is no longer economically viable

There are only a handful of places where whaling is still legal or even practiced. Japan, Norway and Iceland are the only countries that still have commercial whaling industries. There are a number of other nations that permit whaling under the label of ‘Aboriginal subsistence’. These include countries like the United States, Denmark, Russia and St. Vincent & The Grenadines. This is where things become murkier. The IWC (International Whaling Commission) does allow subsistence hunting, which is mostly practiced on a small scale by remote communities. In some cases, like that of the Faeroe Islands, ‘traditional’ hunts can be brutal events that kill as many Cetaceans as an entire commercial whaling fleet does in a season.

A whale watcher views a Humpback whale breaching

A whale watcher views a Humpback whale breaching.

Lack of demand will end whaling

In Norway whalers have not met their quotas in years and the number of whaling vessels continues to drop. This is down to a lack of demand at home or abroad. In Iceland whale meat is predominantly sold to tourists as ‘local’ delicacy (it’s not, Iceland only begun whaling in the 19th century and locals barely eat it) or exported to Japan. Only one Icelandic whaling company is still operational and it is not even profitable. This year will be the third of the last four years that no boats have gone out to hunt whales.

Even in Japan, the world’s most infamous whaling nation, domestic consumption has dropped from over 200 000 tons annually to less than 5000 today. Whale meat is no longer a staple in the diet of the average Japanese consumer. There are only a handful of villages where whaling is still popular and considered to be traditional. The few companies that still sell whale meat try in vain to revive interest among a population whose pallets and perspectives have moved on. Surprisingly, the current administration led by Shinzo Abe is supportive of whaling. Surely it is only a matter of time until those in power realize that their nation has moved on. The end of whaling is inevitable.

Changing attitudes

Many people and nations have woken up to the dire state of our relationship with the natural world. The formation of the IWC and the global moratorium on whaling it instituted are one of the earliest and best examples of the change in attitudes that is taking place. When we acknowledge the damage we have done and decide together to change our ways we can achieve remarkable things.

Another excellent indicator of changing attitudes is the astronomical growth of the whale watching industry. Just as Cetaceans were one of the first great fronts for conservation, watching them in the wild was an early leader in the growth of ecotourism. Today, whales generate more value for humanity than they ever did in the days of whaling. Even more importantly, they live safer lives and populations are rebounding, in some cases spectacularly. Win-win situations like this are the holy grail for conservationists, governments, industry and most importantly the planet.

Protesters in Japan try to bring about the end of whaling

Japanese anti-whaling protesters.

The end of whaling

There is still a lot of work to be done to end the needless slaughter of our fellow sentient mammals. While the debate about our use (and abuse) of nature will continue to rage on, few now disagree that beings as complex and conscious as Cetaceans should be off limits. This is even true in whaling’s last strongholds. There are many organizations and individuals dedicating time and resources to the cause of ending whaling. From giants such as Sea Shepherd and Greenpeace to a litany of universities, whale watching companies, film makers and citizen activists.

It’s impossible to put an exact date on the end of whaling, if there ever will be such a thing. What is certain is that commercial whaling is already just a fraction of its former self and on its deathbed. It is likely that it will finally kick the bucket within a matter of years. This will be a great triumph for humanity, Cetaceans and nature in general, but it is only one piece of a much larger puzzle…

Children protest to try and end whaling.

Children protesting in front of the White House
to try and end whaling.

Other challenges

Ship strikes:

While whaling might be a waning threat there are still many challenges facing Cetaceans in the 21st century. Year by year ocean traffic grows. Large cargo ships are many times bigger than any whale and can literally slice the giants in half. Smaller ships are capable of inflicting life threatening wounds when they strike. Although researchers know ship strikes occur, it is impossible to tell how big the problem is as most whales sink once struck and very few vessels report the accidents.

Noise:

The noise created by all this traffic is also a major problem. Cetaceans use sound to communicate, navigate and locate food. The noise created by engines, especially in busy areas, can disrupt or even endanger them. There have even been examples of whales getting decompression sickness because human sonar has disrupted their ability to use their own sonar to gauge depth. The whales surface too quickly from deep dives, making them vulnerable to this sickness more commonly associated with scuba divers.

By-catch:

Becoming by-catch is another major threat. Some vessels use nets that cover an area of 40 km2 (25 mi2) when fishing for Tuna and other fish. This indiscriminate method of fishing is responsible for deaths of many cetaceans, sharks and countless other oceanic creatures. This senseless killing is driven by consumer demand. Educating people about the impacts of fishing and better regulation of the industry are key to maintaining the health of our oceans and preserving biodiversity.

Climate change:

The latest and arguably greatest threat of all is climate and habitat change. Like many creatures on earth, most Cetaceans are reliant on seasonal changes and a stable climate. These two things bring a predictability that has allowed many animals to evolve very specific food sources and migration patterns. We are already experiencing drastic changes in many environments and these are all but sure to increase in severity and frequency. One example of this is melting sea ice in the Arctic. Scientists believe that this years mass mortality event among North-Pacific Gray whales. A shortened feeding season caused by sharp changes in ice formation and melting has lead to hundreds of malnourished Grays washing up on shorelines from California to Alaska.

A Humpback whale with a damaged tail from a ship strike.

A Humpback whale with an injury caused by
a ship strike.