More Whaling
Tonight I have been doing more research into whaling and have read a couple of pro-commercial whaling sites. Both sites try to assert that the fact that commercial whaling is responsible and imply that the whole reason for a moratorium is a joke. I will now summarise the site themes.
Firstly, each site claims that dolphins and whales are not definately smart creatures. In fact they seem to suggest that the smaller the animals brain mass ratio the dumber the animal. At the same time they try and assert that there is no link between between brain mass ratio and animal smarts. So they immediately contradict their own argument. In fact by their own argument dolphins and whales may be smarter than humans. Finally, what if anything this has to do with the inhumane slaughter of whales is beyond me.
Secondly the sites argue that killing whales is not a cruel act. My favourite is the site that says:
I don’t think so. When I imagine the life of beef cattles, which cannot enjoy free activity, whose meals are determined not based on their taste but on humans’ convenience, and which are killed eventually without exception, it reminds me of life at concentration camp.
Notice there is nothing here about the harvest of the beef cattle. Beef cattle are killed quickly and suffer little pain, the butchery begins once the animal is dead. Unlike whaling where the animal is first harpooned with explosive tips then flensed whilst still alive taking hours to eventually die. The pro-commercial sites claim these are the odd one or two, and that the average is much lower. To me the worst case is more important than the average in any event.
The sites then argue that it is necessary to consume whale meat for traditional communities. Even though the reasons the animals were hunted as due to remoteness, something roads and airstrips overcome 40+ years ago. Further, the current hunts kill more whales in a week than these traditional communities would have caught in a year. If it is necessary for traditional communities to eat whales, then they shoul be caught in the traditional manner. That is by a group of men in a flimsy raft and wooden spears. Atleast then the whale has some chance to fight back in its traditional way
For what its worth I would like to see all whaling using modern methods banned. It is unneccessary and inhumane. If traditonal communities wish to maintain the traditional hunts, then thats fine as long as the hunt uses traditional methods. That is a rickety raft and wooden spears, not explosive tipped harpoons.
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