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Should whale hunting be banned?

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Should whale hunting be banned The debate over whale hunting has raged for a number of decades. I will investigate both sides of the argument and decide for myself through my research which side to take. Whale hunting, formally known as whaling, has many benefits but also has major effects on the endangered species. For me to take sides I will first need to explore all different points of views and understand the reason why different people have different opinions on the topic of the banning of whaling in the world. Commercial whaling was banned globally in 1982, but Iceland, Japan and Norway continue to hunt under under the guise of scientific research, collectively targeting more than 2,000 whales each year.The IWC does not have the capacity to enforce the moratorium. ...read more.


That's why blue whales are not being hunted whereas minke whales. Many question the if Japan continue whale hunting for cultural reasons rather than scientific. Whales are hunted by explosive harpoons. Anti-whaling campaigners say the method of killing is cruel. However pro-whale hunting countries hit back saying factory farming is equally bad. Apparently the whale-watching industry generates more money than whale-hunting. At a estimated $2.1bn per year. Whale watching is more environmentally sustainable and economically beneficial than hunting. Ifaw claim if the countries that whale hunt switched to whale watching it would be much more beneficial. Against. Norway is currently the only country in the world that allows whaling for commercial purposes. ...read more.


They claim that they have good scientific research showing that the bowhead whales are not an endangered species, and their hunt is sustainable. With a limit of 50 whales killed per year in 2002. [5]Mike Fox (2002). The Icelandic market has a decreasing demand for whale meat. Retailers estimate it is not likely that attempts to increase the quota would prove profitable. The same seems to be the case in Japan. As you can see in graph 1, there has been a huge increase of unsold whale meat. Activists believe not achieving the quota each year means that the demand for whale meat is decreasing. And the correlation to (graph 2) Norway quota for each year has decreased at 2008. Showing that recently people have less demand for whale meat, therefore less catches. ...read more.

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