Many people in the West are opposed to whaling and some will go to great lengths to voice their opposition to the hunting and killing of these majestic sea creatures.
But is this a justifiable position, given that a high proportion of people in the West eat meat, including other sea creatures? If we care about animals should we not care about all of them? What makes a whale different from a giant yellow-finned tuna or a tiny mackerel? Should they all not be seen as majestic?
Is it time to step back and apply similar standards across the oceans for all inhabitants? Is it justified to impose standards on another culture when one's own culture inflicts significant harm on other sea (and land-based) animals?
Some consider the West's views (and inconsistencies) as reflecting 'eco-imperialism'. Eco-imperialism refers to the forceful imposition of Western environmentalist views on developing countries. Read more here and also in the following segment of an article from the Russian news network RT:
'The whaling issue is seen as a symbol of a larger issue sometimes in Japan... You might have heard the word 'eco-imperialism',' Japan's commissioner to the International Whaling Commission, Joji Morishita, told a news conference, hinting at Australia’s campaign against whaling.
'When you go out and ask ordinary Japanese about the whaling issue, they're going to say 'I don't eat whale meat, however I don't like the idea of beef-eating people or pork-eating people saying to Japanese, stop eating whales.'
Morishita said Japan is making an effort trying to meet anti-whaling nations halfway.
'We are happy to talk about conservation or recovery of depleting species or endangered species ... we are happy to talk about non-lethal methods as long as ‘sustainable utilisation’ is also on the table for discussion,” he said.
Japan killed 251 minke whales during the 2014 Antarctic hunt and 103 the previous year, according to data from Japan's fisheries agency. In the Northwest Pacific, 132 whales were killed in 2013, and 92 off the Japanese coast.
Each year about 300,000 whales, dolphins and porpoises die in fishing nets. Eating whale, however, happens to be part of Japan's food culture. Morishita said international disapproval of whaling could be compared to... a ban on the wearing of kimonos.' http://rt.com/news/209451-japan-science-whaling-research/
Given the vast numbers of creatures killed directly and indirectly from fishing - many many more than the number of whales killed - is it right to focus so much on the practices of the Japanese?
Should we also examine our own cultural practices?
If we claim to be a nation of animal lovers shouldn't that mean all animals?
If whaling ought to be banned shouldn't all fishing?
What do you think?
Image source