Thursday, January 24, 2008

Whale myths

People offer a number of reasons why whales should not be hunted. The main arguments are

1. "Whales are endangered"

Most species of whale are not endangered. This is what anti-whalers never tell you. Anti-whalers want you to believe that all whales are rare and close to extinction. The truth is that some whale species are endangered, and nobody wants to hunt those. Rather, hunting is for plentiful species such as the minke whale. There are at least one million minke whales in the sea, and controlled hunting of this whale is sensible and sustainable.

2. "Whales are too intelligent to hunt"
Whales are not that smart. If they were smart, why are they so easy to catch and why do they end up stranded on beaches? Whales are nothing but swimming cows. The nearest living realtive on land is the hippo.

3. "But whales can sing"
So can birds. Unlike birds the typical whale song recording is played back at 10x the real speed because whale song is so boring.

4. "But whales care for their young. They are social animals"
So do sheep, cattle, rats and any other mammal.

5. "But whales are special, magnificient animals"
Whales are nice enough. They are big and look good on television. But since the 1960s some people have given whales symbolic and mystical power. Some people almost worship whales, as if they were gods. This is New Age nonsense.

6. "Whaling is illegal"
There is a ban on commercial whaling. This should be lifted for species of whale that are plentiful.

7. "Whaling is barbaric and the animals suffer"
Whales live free lives in the sea till they are caught and killed. The end is quick. Who is better off? A whale or the Kentucky Fried Chicken you had for lunch?

8. "We can't allow whaling since whales were overhunted in the past"
No whale has gone extinct due to human hunting. The massive whaling in the 19th century was mainly for whale oil, used in lamps. This is irrelevant today. Modern whaling is for food and a limited hunt is no threat to their numbers.

9. "Nobody should eat whale meat"
Why not? It is tasty meat, similar to beef. If you can eat beef you can eat whale.

10. "We must preserve whales for the future"
Yes, and we can do that while allowing a responsible, limited hunting. How many whales to hunt each year is something science should deceide. Keep sentimentality out of it.

Whales are animals. Don't try to make them human.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

wat do u think u on about brov ??

why r u for WHALE HUNTING ??

LISTAN YEA DONT MAKE ME MAKE A MOVE ON U ??

Anonymous said...

This arguments are stupid and LAME, whales are a thousand times smarter than you, I feel sorry for your ignorance and your so shorted view.

Anonymous said...

First off, endangered whale species are hunted, for instance, the blue whale, second, whales and dolphins are some of the most intelligent creatures on the planet. Third, they’re not singing, they’re talking, any moron would know that. And why is it that everyone looks down at people in South and Central America for killing and eating dogs, but so many people eat whale and think it’s not the same thing? It is. Also, the last time I checked, chickens are bred in farms especially to be made into food, whales are not. No one treats whales like gods; we may be fond of them and care about them just as we would with pets, but we don’t treat them as gods. Do you actually think that people would really follow a hunting limit? Or do you think that people would go right ahead and kill as many as they can? Hmmm, what’s wrong with eating whale meat? Let’s see, there’s a lot of mercury in whale meat and it can kill you. But go right ahead and eat it, see if I care when you die. But before you do, can I know your name? So when I find your grave, I’ll remember to laugh.

Anonymous said...

your are stupid

Anonymous said...

I'm your short sided views reflect your short sided penis.

Anonymous said...

I hope a whale comes back from the dead one day and eats you whole.

Anonymous said...

You must be jocking!!
Get a life, tell your real name and photo!!
Your coward!!!!!!!!!
Get real!

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

"Why not [eat whale meat]?"

'Cause it's loaded with mercury?

none. said...

i beleive that some (poorer)nations should be allowed to whale on a commercial basis. it's easy to say "whaling is evil" or "whales are smart/ special/ magic/ kind/ gentle" when you have a home and something to eat. the fact of the matter is- whales ain't so great. have any of the these anti-whalers seen what an orca will do to a seal cub? or did they know that a blue whale bull will intentionally drown a disabled calf? a whale dies a kinder death from an exploding harpoon (unconscious in 7-9 seconds) that they do in nature, which is limited to being beached, and taking an hour or more to be crushed under their own weight, or by slowly drowning in the sea. there is nothing wrong with whaling.