This has led to sever over population of seals from having a lack of predators and therefore a large decrease in their food source, the threatened species Atlantic cod. If unchecked the seals will continue to deplete the cod stocks causing them to run out of a sufficient food source causing the seals to die of starvation. This can lead to the marine ecosystem in this area to collapse. There is a common misconception that the seal hunt is inhumane because of some of the tools tradionally used in the hunt. In fact, the way that the seals are killed is actually very humane.…
False Killer Whales versus Killer Whales Both Killer whales (Orcinus orca) and False killer whales (Pseudorca Crassidens) belong to the Delphinidae family. False killer whales resemble orcas because of the shape of their skulls, but the two species are actually not closely related (Baird, 2012). False killer whales are found in all tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate seas (MarineBio, 2013), usually in relatively deep offshore waters (Taylor, et al., 2008). In contrast, killer whales are often found in cold coastal waters (National Geographic, 2015).…
It’s 1848, Captain Horatio Dobbs and his whaling ship Princess a scouring the Pacific Ocean in search of the elusive Sperm Whale, his crew has been on a fruitless voyage for several months, not a whale in sight the reserves are running low and the ship has to make port to restock on rations. Suddenly, out of the vast blue expanse, an explosion of water, the Princess had stumbled upon a pod of Pacific Sperm Whales within minutes the small whaling boats a launched leaving only a skeleton crew on the Princess, one of these boats contained green hand Caleb Nye, the newest member of the crew of the Princess, they paddled toward the pod and select a target. Two men quickly hurl their harpoons toward the whale, each makes perfect contact with the…
Niki Caro’s 2002 film, “Whale Rider” could captivate any audience. Not only was it a film about a young girl dreaming of being a chief, but set in New Zealand, it showed Maori culture and traditions to the rest of the world. With Keisha Castle-Hughes making her film debut as Paikea and Cliff Curtis returning to the screen as her father, “Whale Rider” launched the careers of several actors with it’s story of the determination and courage of a young girl. Paikea, the most recent descendent of the chief who led his Maori tribe to New Zealand on the back of a whale, is determined to prove to her narrow-minded grandfather (Rawiri Paratene), that she deserves to be the next chief. Her grandfather abides by the chief tradition, always first-born…
What would you say if someone of high power called for a culling on sharks? Would you be for? Or against this action? From my perspective, a culling would do nothing but lower the numbers of sharks, but not the numbers of attacks.…
I agree on the Norwegian and Japanese position on permitting the hunting of non-endangered species of whales as a cultural exemption. This is once again, dominant cultures forcing their "morals" on inferior cultures. I honestly feel like this is a new form of colonialism. As the great Christian philosopher so beautifully put, "Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies.…
Why should whaling be banned and illegal? Whaling should be banned to preserve whale life within the world’s seas and to keep all species of whales protected instead of 2,000+ whales getting killed per year pushing whales to be on the verge of extinction for so called “research”. How can you help? There are multiple ways to take action to help preserve and free the whales from extinction by making your voice heard alongside thousands of people around the world in a pledge to our world leaders at https://goo.gl/1zQRdz. Make your voice heard!…
With this speed, the loss of whales is impossible to recover through natural reproduction. A halt of whaling production should be immediately…
Killer Whales are a very large and strong breed of marine mammals that belong to the dolphin family that can grow up to ten meters long and can weigh up to six tons. Theses whales are a highly social species that are very intelligent with an excellent sense of hearing and have developed highly complex communication systems. Killer whales are immediately recognizable by their distinctive black-and-white coloring, when you see these magnificent creatures many people immediately get the idea of Shamu from SeaWorld and the tricks they preform, most people don’t remember that that captivity is limiting the whale’s freedom and life. Captivity is not only taking away and damaging these animals mental and physical health, it is also playing a role in taking the lives of the trainers that risk their lives swimming with killer whales just to make a profit for SeaWorld.…
Food is not only for the stomach but also for the heart, mind and soul. It is what ties you back to your heritage and culture. That is very evident during the segment that talked about the Makah Indians. The culture and lifestyle of the Makah Indians is tied back to the sea. A big part of their culture was the hunting of the gray whales.…
Killer whales have been kept in captivity since 1961 and at least 165 orcas have died in captivity, not including 30 miscarried or stillborn calves. Dozens of wild orcas are plucked from their families and forced to live in artificial social groupings. There are currently a total of 60 orcas held in captivity in many entertainment parks. “While the whales have been spotted with rake marks caused by tankmates' teeth, and a host of serious injuries caused by fighting, Fischbeck confirmed just how regular - and severe - the fighting could get” (Schelling). People began capturing whales for entertainment purposes in the late 1960’s.…
Free the Orcas Imagine an infant ripped from its family, sent millions of miles away to an unfamiliar prison and forced to work for the rest of its life, never to be free again. This is a reality for many Orca whales captured from the wild, and sold into the entertainment business. There are currently 56 Orca whales in captivity around the world (The Fate of Captive Orcas). These animals are used solely for human entertainment. Orca whales are meant to be in the ocean, not in a concrete swimming pool.…
The IWC should have a panel of environmental scientists as well as representatives from each country seeking to hunt whales. That way you have opinions from all sides that would be affected by the bans. Giving a those with some thing at stake a chance to tell their side opens up an opportunity for agreement and perhaps a way to continue with the cultural…
Hunting and fishing has been around since the earliest people on Earth. People have been trying to perfect the ways of which they are done for thousands upon thousands of years. Hunting and fishing is primarily done because it is a necessity for living or hunters and fisherman do it for fun. A lot of people do both, however. Although what happens when people hunt an area too much or overfish a lake or stream?…
Whaling has been a controversial activity for some years now. Whales in today’s society have been regarded as “gentle giants” and highly intelligent animals, which is true. Some nations however, such as the Norwegian and Japanese have whaling deeply rooted in their culture and history. For many centuries, their ancestors took part in whaling as a means to sustain their life, livelihood and culture. I agree with the Norwegian and Japanese position on permitting the hunting of non-endangered species of whales as a cultural exemption, given that the hunting of the whales is regulated to prevent over-hunting so that the whale population can replenish.…