5 ms·

How did it come to pass that only whales are untouchable among animals? In various countries, dogs, cows, pigs, and horses are seen in different lights. Why do

How did it come to pass that only whales are untouchable among animals? In various countries, dogs, cows, pigs, and horses are seen in different lights. Why do we care so much about whales and not the above? Why isn't it like the other situations, where we choose not to eat dogs and horses, and leave those who do in other countries to their own devices? Because whales can't be bred, or because they're too smart, or something else? It's a curiosity for which I haven't arrived at an answer.

paulryanrogers 8y ago
Danger of extinction
- PostOnce 8y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_minke_whale https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_minke_whale Minke Whales are "Least Concern" status, not endangered at all -- so that must not be it.
  - pvaldes 8y ago
    But the animals in the photo aren't minke whales.
    - PostOnce 8y ago
      The article, however, is about minke whales, even the photo's caption is "Japan's whaling fleet killed 333 minke whales in the South Ocean last year, including 122 pregnant females."
  - John_KZ 8y ago
    They're not endangered, but they will be if they keep unsustainable whaling. If they want to hunt them; good for them. But they need to set quotas, monitor the local population, train the crews to recognize different species, and enforce the legislation, not to give out fake research permits to their favourite whaling crews. There are many reasons to oppose their practices.
intopieces 8y ago
Some information that might help answer your questions: http://us.whales.org/wdc-in-action/why-protect-whales-and-dolphins-0 http://us.whales.org/wdc-in-action/why-protect-whales-and-do... >Why isn't it like the other situations, where we choose not to eat dogs and horses, and leave those who do in other countries to their own devices? This is not the case. I'm not sure who you mean by "we", but there are many animal rights activist groups trying to stop the killing of dogs and horses: https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/481199/Week-long-dog-eating-festival-in-Yulin-City-China https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/481199/Week-long-dog-ea... https://www.habitatforhorses.org/the-horse-slaughter-arguments/ https://www.habitatforhorses.org/the-horse-slaughter-argumen... All of these animals have various levels of intelligence. Whales are very intelligent, as are dolphins.
mc32 8y ago
It came to pass because they collectively were being overfished and by the mid 80's some populations were in great decline. Many have rebounded but the moratorium remains. It's one of those things which once it starts, it's hard to shut down --think of any cause-like program. Once it achieves its initial goal, and its raison d'etre disappears, it finds another reason to exist --in this case it seems mostly momentum (from public perception).
- Laforet 8y ago
  There is the wider political issue on fishing rights, namely whether fishing in international waters should be regulated. Japan have always enjoyed support for whaling from China and Russia notwithstanding their geopolitical conflicts elsewhere because their interests align. So did Norway and Iceland as both nations have significant commercial fishing industry.
  - mc32 8y ago
    Apparently the USSRs horse in that race was that it was heavily under reporting its catch by at least an order of magnitude, so it’s unsurprising they’d have common interest in that area.
pvaldes 8y ago
One asian species extinct 2007. A second species from USA will be extinct most probably before 2020. Maybe this year. We know currently that the Japanese sea has several cryptic species and a exclusive fauna shared with pacific countries. Japanese whale Eubalaena japonica is critically endangered, (around 50 animals remain in the planet if I'm not wrong). So yes, we have solid reasons to do it. Hunting one common species will lead to collateral damage, honest mistakes or direct abuse against critically endangered species. And when we wipe top predators very bad things happen typically, bad for humans.
- doall 8y ago
  If there is a clear evidence that killing some species of whales, such as minke whales will cause severe damage to the environment, just create a new international treaty and then the Japanese government will obey the rules. The Japanese government states that they are only killing the species that aren't endangered and also little amount that will not majorly affect the environment. One thing to notice is that increasing of whales may also affect the environment. They eat large amount of fishes that may affect humans if the number increases. Increasing or decreasing both may affect the environment and the important thing is the balance of them.
  - pvaldes 8y ago
    The old rethoric. Not, this is not the japanese government, is a company, one of several, and the goal of private companies is to maximize the benefits, not to care for the environment. For example killing pregnant animals (Something that is normally forbiden in the laws that regulate hunting in most countries). Of course all affects the environment.
    - doall 8y ago
      The private companies which are killing the whales are just a proxy of the Japanese government, which are officially allowed by the government. They aren't allowed by the government to hunt as much as they want to maximize the benefits. To build a sustainable business in such regulated field, of course it is important to obey the laws and also care for the environment. If the killings of 122 pregnant whales severely affect the environment and if there is a clear evidence to support such claim, the company should stop killing them. But if the company is obeying the laws and it's just an emotional thing, I consider it some other people's business.
doall 8y ago
I see this common in the western culture. Some inconsistent mind western people who think they are the right ones brag about something and tries to force people in other countries to obey. One difference between whales/dolphins and others is that the main target is the Japanese people and the government. Those people are tend to be calm that is different from western people and is easy to become a target for the louder ones.

paulryanrogers 8y ago

Danger of extinction

PostOnce 8y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_minke_whale https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_minke_whale Minke Whales are "Least Concern" status, not endangered at all -- so that must not be it.
- pvaldes 8y ago
  But the animals in the photo aren't minke whales.
  - PostOnce 8y ago
    The article, however, is about minke whales, even the photo's caption is "Japan's whaling fleet killed 333 minke whales in the South Ocean last year, including 122 pregnant females."
- John_KZ 8y ago
  They're not endangered, but they will be if they keep unsustainable whaling. If they want to hunt them; good for them. But they need to set quotas, monitor the local population, train the crews to recognize different species, and enforce the legislation, not to give out fake research permits to their favourite whaling crews. There are many reasons to oppose their practices.

intopieces 8y ago

Some information that might help answer your questions: http://us.whales.org/wdc-in-action/why-protect-whales-and-dolphins-0 http://us.whales.org/wdc-in-action/why-protect-whales-and-do... >Why isn't it like the other situations, where we choose not to eat dogs and horses, and leave those who do in other countries to their own devices? This is not the case. I'm not sure who you mean by "we", but there are many animal rights activist groups trying to stop the killing of dogs and horses: https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/481199/Week-long-dog-eating-festival-in-Yulin-City-China https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/481199/Week-long-dog-ea... https://www.habitatforhorses.org/the-horse-slaughter-arguments/ https://www.habitatforhorses.org/the-horse-slaughter-argumen... All of these animals have various levels of intelligence. Whales are very intelligent, as are dolphins.

mc32 8y ago

It came to pass because they collectively were being overfished and by the mid 80's some populations were in great decline. Many have rebounded but the moratorium remains. It's one of those things which once it starts, it's hard to shut down --think of any cause-like program. Once it achieves its initial goal, and its raison d'etre disappears, it finds another reason to exist --in this case it seems mostly momentum (from public perception).

Laforet 8y ago
There is the wider political issue on fishing rights, namely whether fishing in international waters should be regulated. Japan have always enjoyed support for whaling from China and Russia notwithstanding their geopolitical conflicts elsewhere because their interests align. So did Norway and Iceland as both nations have significant commercial fishing industry.
- mc32 8y ago
  Apparently the USSRs horse in that race was that it was heavily under reporting its catch by at least an order of magnitude, so it’s unsurprising they’d have common interest in that area.

pvaldes 8y ago

One asian species extinct 2007. A second species from USA will be extinct most probably before 2020. Maybe this year. We know currently that the Japanese sea has several cryptic species and a exclusive fauna shared with pacific countries. Japanese whale Eubalaena japonica is critically endangered, (around 50 animals remain in the planet if I'm not wrong). So yes, we have solid reasons to do it. Hunting one common species will lead to collateral damage, honest mistakes or direct abuse against critically endangered species. And when we wipe top predators very bad things happen typically, bad for humans.

doall 8y ago
If there is a clear evidence that killing some species of whales, such as minke whales will cause severe damage to the environment, just create a new international treaty and then the Japanese government will obey the rules. The Japanese government states that they are only killing the species that aren't endangered and also little amount that will not majorly affect the environment. One thing to notice is that increasing of whales may also affect the environment. They eat large amount of fishes that may affect humans if the number increases. Increasing or decreasing both may affect the environment and the important thing is the balance of them.
- pvaldes 8y ago
  The old rethoric. Not, this is not the japanese government, is a company, one of several, and the goal of private companies is to maximize the benefits, not to care for the environment. For example killing pregnant animals (Something that is normally forbiden in the laws that regulate hunting in most countries). Of course all affects the environment.
  - doall 8y ago
    The private companies which are killing the whales are just a proxy of the Japanese government, which are officially allowed by the government. They aren't allowed by the government to hunt as much as they want to maximize the benefits. To build a sustainable business in such regulated field, of course it is important to obey the laws and also care for the environment. If the killings of 122 pregnant whales severely affect the environment and if there is a clear evidence to support such claim, the company should stop killing them. But if the company is obeying the laws and it's just an emotional thing, I consider it some other people's business.

doall 8y ago

I see this common in the western culture. Some inconsistent mind western people who think they are the right ones brag about something and tries to force people in other countries to obey. One difference between whales/dolphins and others is that the main target is the Japanese people and the government. Those people are tend to be calm that is different from western people and is easy to become a target for the louder ones.