In western countries, whaling is found to be illegal, but the more you move east, the more you start to realise that a whale is treated the same as a fish, crab or squid. These incredibly large creatures that dominate the oceans are being hunted every single day and, without remorse.

Whaling refers to the practice of killing whales, dolphins, as well as porpoises. These species are all warm-blooded mammals that breathe air, give birth and nurse their babies. They are also well known for their intelligence and ability to learn or remember things.

Whaling in fishing terms divides the catch into two categories, one being toothed whales and the other baleen whales.

Toothed whales include orcas, sperm whales, belugas, beaked whales, dolphins, porpoises and odontocetes to name just a few of the 70 different species. These mentioned, however, are the most targeted when it comes to whaling. There are 14 species of baleen whales which includes the blue whale, humpback, the fin whale and the sei whale, to name a few.

Why whaling has become a problem

Unlike fish that are made up of schools and reproduce in abundance, whales, dolphins and porpoises are reproduced at a far smaller scale.

Both toothed whales and baleen whales are hunted for their meat, oil and fat, which is primarily sold on the commercial markets of Asia, against a miraculous profit.

Whaling has become a problem over the years because some species are being hunted more and more, which places them at risk of becoming endangered and eventually, extinct.

The blue whale, for instance, the largest creature in the ocean, will soon be entirely difficult to find, if hunting them is not stopped.

Organisations, such as the IWC (the International Whaling Commission) has put in a substantial amount of effort to ban countries from whaling. Unfortunately, some of the biggest markets of whale meat and the by-products thereof, are Asian countries, who fail to join or comply with the IWC’s initiative. With countries such as Denmark hunting whales for sports or in the name of tradition, it is yet another instance that adds to a problem that seems impossible to stop.

 

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