Whalers Win Stanley Cup, May Resume Commercial
Whaling
For those of you who don't follow hockey,
or are relatively new to the sport, the
Carolina Hurricanes used to be
known as the Hartford Whalers. After many years of sucking ice, attendance
dropped and the owner moved the franchise down to Greensboro, North Carolina (2
years later they moved to Raleigh). The team's performance remained the same for
a few years but actually did well enough in the 2001-02 season to make it all
the way to the Stanley Cup Finals. Although they lost to the Detroit Red Wings
that year, it seemed as if things had turned around.
But it wasn't the case.
The Hurricanes fizzled the next year and didn't even make the playoffs. This
season they were predicted to be last in their division and at, or near, the
bottom of the league. They surprised everyone by having one of the best
records in the league. After getting off to a shaky start in the playoffs, they
rallied and, last night, they finally won the Stanley Cup. While only one
player, Glen Wesley, remains from the team's days in Hartford, I'm sure that
there's several fans of the old team in Connecticut who were glad to see them
win.
The International Whaling Commission was originally set up to settle disputes
among whaling nations. Over time, most member nations abandoned whaling but
retained membership in order to regulate whaling. Overzealous whaling, combined
with the improved efficiency of the hunt, brought several species to the brink
of extinction. Endangered whales were excluded from hunting, though Japan and
Iceland still collected "scientific samples." Norway opposed the 1986 ban on
commercial whaling and still hunts. 2,000 whales are expected to be killed this
year.
But now, the
pro-whaling nations are back in the majority. Thanks to the inclusion of new
members like Morocco, the big whaling nations of Japan, Norway, and Iceland are
back out front. While they need a super majority to completely kill the ban on
commercial whaling, they can now re-visit the idea.
Pro-whaling groups claim that the massive mammals are eating up all the fish.
It's an absurd claim. Somehow, nature managed to balance out its ocean
populations of fish and whales for millions of years without a problem, but now
that the whale populations are recovering somehow it is? No. These people are
conveniently ignoring the commercial fishing industry which has increased its
own efficiency through the use of drift nets which scoop up every fish in its
path.
The idea that we still need whaling boggles my mind. The only remaining excuse
is that they want whales for food. But there are
reports that
consumption is falling among the big three. Younger generations have shied away
from eating whale meat. So, other than Eskimos, Inuits, and other Arctic people,
who eats whale?
Should we let commercial whaling resume? Should we rely on market demand, or
lack thereof, to prove that this is an unprofitable venture? Or will cheap
blubber send people running to their grocers with a sudden craving for whale? My
gut says No. Those who live in the Arctic should be permitted to keep hunting,
their low numbers and lack of commercial ambitions shouldn't be a concern.
Besides, there isn't much to eat up there on the ice (though global warming
should take care of that pesky ice problem, right?). If the Big 3 can prove that
they can develop sustainable whaling, they might have a peg leg to stand
on. But with reports of reduced catches (I'll see if I can find a link) in the
commercial fishing industry, whale populations may soon level off or even shrink
again. The wholesale slaughter of these magnificient creatures, who actually
have brains as big as ours, is not something that should be allowed.
2 Comments:
 Mike said...
- Nobody eats whale???
Ded, you're kidding right? Whale is a staple of
the diet of 56% of Americans. In fact, our dearth of protein is so severe that
without whale meat, it's possible that 12,000 American school children would
perish *every day*.
And don't even get me started on Peak Oil. When
Durban & Ghanwar run out, you think the Tar Sands are gonna save us,
preserving our non-negotiable way of life?
I think not. And *that's*
where whaling comes in.
- 6/21/2006 9:44 AM
 DED said...
- Well, if they can ever figure out how to power a car on hot air alone, we'll
be all set. All the rhetoric, posturing, and grandstanding going on in DC
should be enough to meet this nation's energy needs for decades.
- 6/21/2006 10:54 AM
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