Blue Whale
The History and Impracticality of Whaling
The blue whale is a cetacean species that was declared endangered in the 1960’s, but many people do not know that this whale population was being severely threatened long before then by the practice of whaling (WWF Global, 2015). Whaling dates back to as early as 3,000 B.C, and it’s consistently served as an important role in human’s’ lives until this past century (History of Whaling, 2015). It is hypothesized that Norwegians began whaling 4,000 years ago, and that Japanese began to do so even earlier. The Inuit, Basque, and Japanese are three groups of people whose cultures have relied on whaling for centuries (Marrero and Thornton, 2011). For many years, indigenous people hunted whales for several purposes and made sure to use every part of their bodies (History of Whaling, 2015). Whale meat, skin, blubber, and organs were an important food source because of the vital nutrients they provided. Baleen had several uses, such as being woven into baskets, made into fishing lines, and even constructed into roofing material. Whalebones were used for tool making, as well as material for ceremonial objects (Marrero and Thornton, 2011). This creature also holds a great religious and cultural value for many indigenous groups of people around the world. The Makah tribe is an example of one culture who has built their way of life around the whale. Whaling is the center of their economy and religion (Crawford, 2005). The Makah people, along with many other groups, believed there is a connection between people and whales that must be honored through ceremonial practices.
At the beginning of the 17th century, whaling became a common practice for American colonists. New technologies invented in the mid-1800s made whaling easier and more efficient. The steamship and harpoon allowed whalers to kill more whales than ever before. It also made it easier for whaling fleets to target blue whales, a highly sought after species due to its tremendous size (Marrero and Thornton, 2011). Whaling became a multi-billion dollar industry with fleets in every part of the ocean. During this time period, there was no limit on the amount of whales killed by this practice. By the 20th century, whaling had become so limitless and advanced that many hypothesize more whales were killed during the 17th to 20th centuries than in the thousands of years of whaling prior to this time period. In the year 1931, 29,000 blue whales were slaughtered in only one hunting season. During the 20th century, the whaling industry killed total of 360,000 blue whales, leaving the species nearly extinct. When the world realized this, it was placed under international protection. It is estimated that there are only around 10,000 blue whales living in the wild today (WWF Global, 2015).
No Longer a Need for Whaling
Currently, whaling is only practiced by Norway, Japan, and Iceland (Whaling, 2015). These are countries that have practiced whaling for many years, and this custom has served as an important part of their culture for a great period of time. In 2012, the International Fund for Animal Welfare researched the cost and benefits of whaling in Japan. Their research showed that whaling did not benefit the economy nor receive approval from the Japanese people. Many citizens felt that it was an “abomination” to hurt an innocent species when we are seeing no progress coming from this activity. Taxpayer money, a total of $9.78 million annually, subsidizes this industry, but there has been almost no economic growth created by whaling. Also, stockpiles of unsold whale meat have increased by four times their original amount from 18 years ago. There is no longer a demand for whale meat in Japan, and 85% of citizens interviewed expressed strong opposition to this activity and taxpayer money funding it (Mulvaney, 2013). Overall, this practice provides very few benefits to the countries who take part in whaling. The cost of hunting these whales is more expensive than the economic “growth” it provides.
The Trouble With Sonar
Whaling is not the only threat to the blue whale species. Sonar is the system currently used by the Navy to detect objects underwater. Loud sound pulses are emitted, and locations are determined based on how quickly the sound returns after it is reflected. Often times, blue whales encounter these sounds and confuse them with the sounds of their own species, or become startled and harmed by the high frequencies. In both scenarios, the blue whale can become stranded, fearful of its own habitat, abandoned by its pod, ultimately resulting in its death. If the blue whale is not stranded from its pod, it can still experience temporary hearing loss and exhibit erratic behavior, such as rearing their young. Currently, the Navy has agreed to protect important marine species by designating safe havens in which they can reside (Knoblauch, 2015). This is not enough to protect the blue whale from sonar. The ocean is this animal’s home. It cannot be contained to one area, and sonar will continue to threaten the lives of blue whales until it is no longer used.
Chemicals in all the Wrong Places
During a blue whale’s lifetime it will encounter many different chemicals in the ocean. Like all animals, these pollutants will accumulate in its body over the course of its life. You may be asking yourself, “How do these chemicals end up in our beautiful, pristine ocean?” Well, most of these contaminants enter the ocean through run-off water from land. Unknowingly, humans allow the products they use to drift into nearby creeks, water grates, and lakes. Flame retardants, mercury, DDT, PCBs, and other harmful pesticides have been found stored in blue whales’ fat and earwax. During gestation and milking periods, the mother blue whale transfers these pollutants to her calf. As soon as the blue whale is weaned, it gets its daily dose of pollutants from another source. Krill, the blue whale’s main diet, contain small amounts of chemicals that build up in the whale’s body over time (Nuwer, 2013). The blue whale eats up to 40 million krill each day during its summer feeding season (The Blue Whale, 2015). This many animals filled with chemicals going into the blue whale’s digestive system will have an effect on the blue whale. Just like humans, the amount of chemicals in a blue whale’s body increases as it ages. Also similar to humans, the blue whale can develop thyroid problems and developmental disorders when exposed to pollutants, specifically DDT (Nuwer, 2013). If we prevent such harmful contaminants from harming us, why should the innocent blue whale receive such cruel treatment?
