To Whale or Not to Whale

Bill Briscoe

The question: whether it is nobler to curse the whale with the slings and arrows already suffered by the largest land mammal, in favor of a few struggling economies, or to save for generations ahead the largest and most majestic aquatic animal.

Several countries are trying to legalize whale hunting, but as we consider the question, we should look at the ivory market for guidance. Many species of elephants are on the brink of extinction or have become extinct due to the kinds of problems now facing whales.

Both have long gestation periods and need expansive ranges to live in. This makes these species highly vulnerable to man’s exploits. For elephants, a major factor is diminishing land, while for whales diminishing food supplies are a major issue. Both are subject to extensive poaching, as well.

 

The difference between the two is that we live in the terrestrial world with the elephant, but are unfamiliar with the whale's aquatic domain. We know little about their environment, habits and needs. It is difficult to get a firm grip even on the present population of half the whale species in the ocean. This makes it impossible to identify if and when the whale population starts to diminish.

If whaling is legalized in more countries, it will be difficult to discern illegal from legal whale meat. Unlike the case of marijuana, where supply would be plentiful if legalized, whale meat will always be scarce. For that reason, it demands a premium price. Today whale meat sells for $100 per pound in Asia. Unless it is easy to identify the difference between legal and illegal whale meat, a black market would thrive even more with the ban lifted.

Up to five percent of the African elephant population is being poached each year. Other herds are extinct or in extreme danger of extinction. The difficulties of policing the oceans, with no national boundaries is exponentially more difficult than attempting this on land.

The only way to stop poaching is to limit demand of the product, as was shown with the ivory ban in the late ‘80s, which decreased poaching dramatically. The black market on ivory has grown recently due to wars, poverty and lack of focus by governments.

There is even a question regarding what a reasonable whale population level should be. A scientist recently discovered, through DNA, that traditional whale populations were huge compared to present populations. Unfortunately, it seems that our harvesting and polluting of the oceans has made a return to those numbers impossible, leaving the long term survival of whales in doubt.