Content Warning: The following piece discusses animal cruelty.
For millennia, humans have engaged in the art of hunting whales, a practice known as “whaling,” dating back to at least 3000 BC when Inuit peoples honed their skills in the pursuit of these majestic creatures. Using techniques like spearing whales with harpoons tethered to inflated seal bladders, they devised methods to exhaust and capture their prey. This tradition evolved into an organized industry as early as 875 AD. Whales stand as among the most intelligent beings on our planet, with certain species boasting the largest brains in the animal kingdom. Their cognitive prowess encompasses abilities such as memorization, problem-solving, and adapting to change. Remarkably, they possess a complex form of communication, a language that eludes our complete understanding. Their communication techniques surpass human comprehension, leaving us in awe of their mysterious methods.
Whales, as mammals, distinguish themselves from fish in their evolutionary journey from land-dwelling ancestors, shedding their once-present legs through the process of natural selection. With lungs for breathing and the ability to nurse their young with milk, they epitomize the wonders of life on Earth. Their enigmatic nature makes them one of the most captivating species on our planet, underscoring the importance of ethical considerations in their hunting practices, even in modern times. Beyond their intrinsic value, whales play a vital role in ecosystems, their carcasses sustaining marine life for decades after death.
Despite widespread bans on whaling, countries like Norway, Iceland, and Japan persist in the practice, claiming varying justifications. Norway defends its actions as a sustainable use of natural resources, viewing whale meat as a traditional food source. Iceland, while attempting to introduce regulations for more humane killing methods, grapples with the complexities of whaling. Japan, having withdrawn from the International Whaling Commission, perceives whaling as a cultural tradition supported by governmental backing. Despite differing perspectives, the ethical debate surrounding the hunting of whales persists, raising profound questions about our relationship with these magnificent creatures and the ecosystems they inhabit.
It’s imperative to acknowledge the unequivocal scientific consensus: there exists no humane method for killing a whale in open waters. Subjecting such sentient and intelligent beings to the brutality of whaling stands as a grave moral transgression vehemently opposed by modern ethical standards. Moreover, alternative sources of protein exist, with most regions having access to a variety of options. Ethics and morality imply a set of objective or normative values universally accepted by all people. While moral relativism suggests that such rules are culturally relative, humanity’s historical consumption of animal meat, though a natural facet of ecosystems, does not justify the inhumane treatment of whales, among the most intelligent organisms on Earth.
Whales, renowned for their prowess as hunters, rarely pose a threat to humans unless confined in distressing captivity. They demonstrate an understanding and respect for our intelligence and power as a species, a sentiment we should reciprocate. Even if we entertain arguments rooted in tradition, we must recognize that while our ancestors hunted whales with primitive tools, modern technology offers safety for the hunter and increased mortality rate for the prey making the reality of the act far from what would be considered part of any traditional practice.
The act of killing humans is unequivocally morally wrong, yet society often deems the extermination of mindless insects acceptable. The moral line rests somewhere in between, where we recognize organisms for qualities that echo our own. Whales undeniably occupy this revered space, warranting the collective admiration of humanity. We must not abandon our tolerance for ethics and render decisions devoid of compassion, particularly when whaling, largely superfluous in most regions, equates to the unjustifiable torment of creatures largely similar to than different from humans.