Whaling Policy

Whaling has always been a hot topic, even more so today, in times of climate change and the steady extinction of our large mammals. Big whales as we know them are dying out, but we might yet be able to stop it. And more importantly: we need to stop it.
With this paper, I wish to provide a broad and diverse source of information to motivate people to investigate this topic and form their own opinions about it. My paper is a collection and connection of various scientific sources and traces the history of whaling and whale protection. It explains the biological and ecological impact of whaling on the environment and how whale hunting is perceived by the public. It is important to distinguish between commercial and aboriginal whaling. Commercial whaling was the foundation of the industrial revolution but is nowadays an outdated way of farming resources. It is harmful to whale stocks and especially in our time an unreliable source of income. Aboriginal whaling, on the other hand, provides a vital food resource and cultural identity for marginal communities. Whales are highly beneficial for the environment and initiate certain natural processes that aid us with environmental problems like carbon sequestration. It is important for us to recognise how vital whales are for us and where we must focus our attention in our attempts to help them.