Relief! Japan Lost Battle to Re-Instate Commercial Whaling (Killing Whales for Profit)
September 2018
The Japanese government (and some others) tried to overturn a decades-old global ban on commercial whaling – killing whales for profit. Luckily, they failed – but there are loopholes.
Conservationists are delighted that the ban remains in place – whales face huge threats already (climate change, ship strike, marine debris, and bycatch), without being hunted too. Killing whales by commercial hunting is viewed as unnecessary and cruel.
So that’s the good news. The not-so-good-news is that calls for a sanctuary for whales to be set up in the south Atlantic were defeated. Pro-whaling nations argued there was “no need” for it.
It was also disheartening to look at the statistics. 41 governments approved keeping the ban which is great – but 25 countries wanted the ban lifted. That’s a lot of countries – many of which have no whaling interests of their own but have political allegiances with Japan for other reasons.
Under the ban, which has been in operation since 1984, no commercial whaling can take place – but there are loopholes. Some indigenous groups are granted rights for subsistence whaling, which is fair enough. .Norway and Iceland still hunt whales for food, and Japan circumvents the ban by conducting whale hunts for “scientific research”.
While keeping the ban is very good news, it really highlights the difficulties of global conservation. If the world can’t agree to protect a truly iconic species, what hope do we have for others?
 
Please Share this post  –  it’s easy – sharing buttons below and right!
What do you think about whaling? Let me know in the comments below.
Warm regards,
P.S.  Don’t forget to download your free green living handbook “Live Well, Live Green” here.
Related:
- How to avoid food from factory farms
- Get rid of all the toxic products in your life (you’ll be shocked at where they hide!). It’s easy – see how here!