Over the centuries, whales have been killed for several different reasons. Although whaling has largely been halted today, some countries still participate in hunting whales for their meat. In fact, although hunting whales is considered illegal in most countries, there are still companies that look for legal loopholes to continue hunting these marine mammals as they look for ways to continue making a profit off of whale meat.
One loophole that is believed to be used to continue whaling is to state that the whales are being hunted for research purposes, which is legal and is supposed to be used to monitor the health of the whale species so their habitat can be improved and their population can grow and prosper.
For instance, if a particular species is suffering from noise pollution or chemical poisoning, research can look for solutions to improve the ecosystem; however, once the whales are captured, their meat is sold for a profit. The excuse that is often used for why their meat is sold is that after conducting research selling the whale’s meat is the easiest way to dispose of the corpse.
While this loophole still exists today, various organizations and governments are cracking down on this, and declining profits are continuing to decrease the number of people involved in using this loophole to continue hunting whales.
Before whaling became illegal and, whalers were able to hunt these marine mammals without any restrictions, whales were hunted for many other reasons. In the past, whales were killed largely for their oil, blubber (and sometimes for meat), which was used to produce various materials.
Whales Were Hunted to Make
- Oil – Lamp oil, soap, perfume, candles, and cosmetics
- Food – Cooking oil, margarine, and whale meat
- Clothing – corsets and umbrellas
- and various other products, including tools such as fishing hooks
It is estimated that by the 1930s, over 50,000 whales were being killed annually. By the middle of the century, many of these species could not recover quickly enough to repopulate their losses.
The reason for the large economic boom in the whaling industry during the 17th century was caused by significant technological advances in ships, harpoons, and other whaling equipment. In fact, although whales were hunted since the B.C. era, it wasn’t until the 17th century that mass whale killings began having a large impact on whale populations.
Due to this hunting period, many of the whale species have become endangered, causing some countries to become concerned about the condition of whales (regarding whether or not some species face the possibility of extinction) and the continued efforts of the whaling industry in certain countries that are having an impact on whale populations.
With the creation of alternative resources and the need to protect the whale species, new laws were put into place to monitor and minimize the unnecessary killing of whales, and in 1931 international agreements were made to begin trying to regulate the whaling industry in the hopes of preserving the endangered whale species.
In 1946 the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling was signed by a collection of countries to enforce further their new laws and agreements and further aid in protecting the whale species. Sadly it wasn’t until 1986 that the international whaling convention fully banned commercial whaling, hoping that some species could replenish themselves.
Some countries that did not sign into the agreement or have since decided to decline participation have created their own policies to regulate the whaling industry in their respective countries. Since the creation of alternative resources has largely replaced the need to hunt whales, the most common reason these countries are still hunting them today is for their meat.
While many individuals, organizations, and countries have been protesting the killing of whales, it remains a constant battle to get those countries and whaling industries that do not believe they are doing anything wrong to stop. This battle will likely continue for years to come.
Aside from the profit and industry-based whaling efforts, there are several other reasons whales are being killed, including chemical pollution, noise pollution, getting trapped in fishing nets, collisions with ships, and global warming.
Lastly, a small percentage of whales continue to be hunted to maintain cultural heritage and is considered legal. Small indigenous groups with strong cultural ties with their ancestors continue to hunt whales as sources of food or continue their ancestors’ culture.
Because this practice of hunting whales is cultural and not industry/profit-based, several countries allow these small groups to continue practicing their cultural beliefs without much interference.