Еssay Whaling as a Controversial Issue

During recent time whaling became a subject of political disputes and controversy. The dispute arouse between whaling and anti whaling countries. Those countries, who stand against killing whales believe that it is impossible to kill whales without becoming extinct. They believe that countries, which kill whales put their existence in danger.

Countries, where whaling hunting is allowed believe that there is a possibility to take whale without extinction and thus avoid danger. The dispute lasts for more than two decades. The main confrontation regarded this issue appeared between Japan and the U.S. In this dispute Japan presents interests of whaling countries, while the U.S. takes an opposing position. Animal right activists make the main driving force of anti-whaling group, though all these matter has a political coloring as well.

During the centuries whaling has been a profitable business for Japan. Since old time this was one of the most  popular occupation in this country. The whaling technique became modernize in the 17^th century and became an organized hunting.

Those, nations, who believe whales hunting to be an acceptable policy, count on new scientific evidence. According to this evidence they believe they have a right to take mink whale stock without putting whales in danger. Their opponents believe that killing whales can not be accepted by any means.

In 1946 there was created the International Whaling Commission. This Commission was created in order to regulate whaling and the main goal of the commission was “to provide for the conservation of whale stocks and thus make possible the orderly development of the whaling industry” (McKee, p.9, 1996). Anti-whaling countries passed a resolution of a ten-year moratorium on commercial whaling in the UN Conference on the Human Environment in 1972. The International Whaling Commission did not join this moratorium. Whaling countries based their decision to go on with commercial whaling on the data received by their scientists. The Whaling Commission passed another moratorium in 1981. Some countries, such as Japan, Iceland and Norway filed their objections but the U.S. used pressure in order to make Japan join the moratorium.

After Japan lost opportunity to perform commercial whaling it turned to research whaling n the Atlantic Ocean. This practice is regarded by many specialists as commercial whaling. Japan can not leave the practice of whaling and gives its own justification of such a policy. This country states that research whaling is not prohibited by the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (Tsurumi, 1996). All the date achieved by these research whaling is added to International Whaling Commission every year. Japan states that this can server as a proof of its research activity.

The U.S. states that research whaling performed by Japan is nothing but a commercial whaling. The U.S. is a country, which follows anti-whaling policy and wants to popularize it all over the world. It protests against the actions of Japan, which uses scientific research in order to hide the real goal of killing whales, which is commercial.

Japanese government states that whaling has been a source of income for Japan for many years and abolishment of this practice brings great damage to the economy of the country. Japan does everything possible in order: “to conserve traditional whaling communities that are collapsing because of the ban on commercial whaling” (ICR, 1995).

Anti-whaling countries state that Japan is a civilized country with developed economy and ban on commercial whaling can not bring serious damage to its economy. In addition, they believe that preserving the lives of innocent animals costs spending time and effort.

Japanese government also states that eating the meet of whales has been traditionally national custom since old time and people of the country can not refuse it.

“Intelligent mammals must be conserved,” is a core statement of the American government, which reflects its position in the whaling conflict. The government of the country states that society moves to civilization and old customs, which serve as justification for Japanese, who eat whale, can be overcome by civilized people. They believe that saving lives of intelligent mammals is more important than national customs and habits.

Whaling is a controversial issue. This issue reflects fundamentally different approach of whaling and anti-whaling countries to the problem. Whaling countries state that whaling serves for them as a source of income, gives people opportunity to earn money and helps to maintain national economy. They also turn to traditions in order to explain the national habit to consume the meet of whales. Anti-whaling countries turn to the defense of whales as their core argument. They believe that whales are intelligent mammals and such kind of animals can not be killed in commercial aims.