New Zealanders need to take a stand against whaling
This scenario is all too frequent and the outcome is a diminishing whale population dangerously close extinction. Furthermore, all this unnecessary as there are numerous alternatives for products derived from whales.It has reached the point where we,as New Zealanders, must ask are we really willing to leave the fight against this barbaric act to small, underfunded volunteer groups?
in 1986 the international whaling commission placed a ban on commercial whaling due to the alarming drop in whale populations around the globe.However, Japan's whalers are exploiting a loophole which allows whaling for 'scientific research'. This is supported by data which shows over 30000 whales have been killed since 1986, with 2000 killed in 2012/13 alone (WDC in Action, 2014). This is excessive. It has been proven time and time again that scientist do not ned this number of carcases for their work. Furthermore, The fact that whale meat is still a speciality item in Japanese cuisine shows that these mammals are not dying for ‘research’. Despite the IWC’s best efforts over the past forty year it is still known if some species will recover.
The A sailed into the area in which the Japanese were whaling in order to stage a peaceful, non-confrontational protest, but they were deliberately rammed by the Japanese vessel Shonan Maru. The enormous ship accelerated towards the A and the collision tore the vessel in half, ripping five metres off the front end and exposing the interior to the sea. Thankfully, no-one was killed but the estimated financial loss from the sinking was 1.5 million
this scenario is all too common and it should not be left to these volunteer groups to take a stand against the massive Japanese whaling industry
Japans relentless and unnecessary killing of whales needs to stop. It is clear that they are talking advantage of IWC rules around 'whaling for scientific reasons’. Furthermore, the decline popularity of whale meat and the alternatives for oils renders the use of whale meat, bubbler, and bones almost criminal. The future we face in which whales are extinct must not eventuate, and this means we cannot leave the fight to small