The Speculist: How Big a Sacrifice Is It, Really?

Here's the deal:

Japanese consumers increasingly snubbing whale meat

TOKYO (AFP) - Japanese consumers are increasingly snubbing whale meat despite their government's campaign to overturn an international ban on commercial whaling, a Japanese environmentalist has said.

Japan has enraged its Western allies by hunting whales, using a loophole that allows a catch for research purposes, and hopes an International Whaling Commission meeting later this week will lift a whaling ban.

Good for the Japanese consumers. What, exactly, is it that the Japanese government is trying to protect here? There can't be that big a revenue stream associated with whale meat...compared to other industries, anyway. Is it a precious cultural heritage -- slaughtering whales? Let it go already.

Meanwhile, one of the estimated 13 rhinos living on Borneo just got photographed. Here's hoping the 13 find a way to turn into many more, and that the publicity surrounding the photo doesn't put that rhinoceros and his 12 companions in danger of being harvested for their horns -- another precious cultural heritage.

Comments

I am also concerned about what will happen at the IWC. If you want update from the IWC I recommend this blog click here
Keep on blogging on such important issues, it is well needed!

Posted by: Seagull76 | June 15, 2006 07:25 AM

I'm a pretty conservative guy - not a big animal rights activist - but I agree with Phil on this.

It's not that its morally wrong to eat whales, its just...inefficient. Humans, for the most part, stopped eating horses and dogs a long time ago because those animals were much more useful employed in other ways.

How much more profitable would it be to replace whaler boats with cruise ships full of tourists who want to see whales...while eating lobster?

Posted by: Stephen Gordon | June 15, 2006 09:02 AM

Exactly. Anything as big and beautiful and smart as a whale has got to be good for something other than this.

As for whether it's morally wrong to eat whales... as I wrote a while back, I don't believe in animal rights per se, but I do think that our relationship with animals is changing over time. Things that were once okay aren't any more. For example, our ancestors might have considered it a tremendous stroke of luck to kill a mother wolf and find her den full of tender, juicy young pups.

Today, in our culture (I realize there are different norms in different places) what kind of monster would eat a puppy?

For me, eating a dog would be somewhat akin to cannibalism. I feel related to dogs in a way that I don't to say, lobsters. And because I know that they are highly intelligent creatures -- and because I value them both aesthetically and as wonderful examples of biodiversity -- I feel a kinship to whales (and to a lesser extent, rhinos) that I don't feel to, say, a plate of sushi. Call me fickle.

Posted by: Phil Bowermaster | June 15, 2006 09:35 AM

My take is that you should also consider how intelligent the animal is. And frankly, whales and dolphins are up there with humans. They aren't tool users and don't have a modern society. But I just think it's a really bad idea to use an intelligent animal as a food source. It's the next thing to cannibalism, IMHO.

Posted by: Karl Hallowell | June 15, 2006 10:39 AM

The Speculist

Live to see it.

How Big a Sacrifice Is It, Really?

Comments

Post a comment