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For  many  people,  whales  are  just  another  resource  for  us  as  humans  to  take  advantage  of,  

but  for  others  whales  are  recognized  as  sacred  animals.  Either  way  countless  whales  of  all  

species  are  being  killed  each  year  for  “scientific”  research,  commercial  whaling,  and  

aboriginal  whaling.  Some  species  such  as  the  BrydeWhale  contain  fewer  than  50  whales  left  

in  the  wild  and  face  extinction.  Ever  since  man  could  travel  the  seas,  we  have  not  looked  

back  since  and  things  have  only  gotten  worse.  There  is  light  at  the  end  of  the  tunnel,  in  the  

form  of  laws  and  agreements  put  into  place  to  help  out  these  majestic  creatures  who  do  not  

have  a  voice.  

Abstract

Aboriginal  Whaling

There  is  no  doubt  that  whales  provide  a  number  of  resources  that  greatly  benefit  us  such  as  

blubber,  meat,  and  bones  which  are  some  if  the  reasons  they  are  hunted.  The  history  of  

whaling  can  be  simply  put  like  this,  Norwegians  have  been  thought  to  have  been  whaling  as  

far  back  as  4,000  years  ago.  Some  estimate  that  the  Japanese  could  have  been  doing  it  way  

before  them  as  well.  There  was  no  store  or  supermarket  that  you  would  go  to  buy  things  that  

you  needed.  As  everyone  knows  we  as  humans  were  primarily  hunter-­‐gatherers  and  did  not  

make  settlements  until  we  learned  how  to  plant  and  harvest.  After  the  Renaissance  period,  

whaling  gained  popularity  mainly  because  of  the  oils  harvested  from  the  blubbers  used  to  

keep  lanterns  lit  as  well  as  having  many  other  practical  uses.  With  the  discovery  of  north  

America,  came  the  tradition  of  whaling  as  well.  Of  course  this  meant  whaling  was  part  of  our  

history,  but  by  during  the  18th  century,  whales  around  the  Atlantic  were  nowhere  to  be  

found  because  of  overfishing.  Nevertheless,  our  ancestors  brushed  this  off  and  just  hunted  

farther  until  they  reached  both  the  Artic  and  Antarctic  seas.  With  the  invention  of  the  

Harpoon  Gun  and  the  Steamboat,  whaling  became  much  more  efficient  than  ever  but  the  

longer  distances  of  travel  meant  more  risk  for  them  as  well.

Commercial  Whaling

A  loophole  that  has  been  used  extensively  by  many  to  conduct  the  murder  of  whales  is  to  

make  the  claim  for  scientific  research  when  in  reality  it  is  not.  Japan  is  notorious  for  killing  

marine  life  for  “scientific  resources”  and  selling  the  excess  whale  material  to  markets  for  

consumption.  An  article  on  the  Washington  Post  discovered  that  a  Japanese  fleet  killed  333  

Minke whales  in  the  Antarctic  sea.  Japan  justified  the  killing  of  the  whales  by  claiming  they  

are  strictly  for  scientific  purposes  only  when  they  have  openly  admitted  to  giving  away  the  

meat  to  supermarkets  to  sell.  Out  of  the  333  whales,  a  whopping  207  were  pregnant  which  

means  that  more  than  62%  of  the  whales  caught  could  have  potentially  given  birth  to  

increase  the  population  even  more.  Japanese  scientists  claimed  that  this  is  a  good  sign  

indicating  that  the  population  has  a  steady  growth  rate.  They  supposedly  tagged  the  whales  

as  well  with  a  GPS  device  to  monitor  migration  patterns  as  well.  The  Minke whales  are  not  

endangered  as  a  species,  but  what  happens  if  Japan  fails  to  follow  simple  rules  like  not  

hunting  whales?  They  can  ultimately  run  the  population  to  the  ground  which  is  why  the  

Australian  government  wanted  to  bring  charges  to  Japan  in  the  International  Courts  for  such  

actions.  There  is  no  scientific  research  in  killing  harmless  animals.  

“Scientific”  Research

Conservation  Efforts

References

• https://www.animallaw.info/article/overview-laws-and-regulations-protecting-whales

• https://www.animallaw.info/article/overview-laws-and-regulations-protecting-whales

• http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2016/03/17/seaworld-orcas-killer-whales/81900498/

• http://www.seashepherd.org/who-we-are/our-history.html

• http://www.animalplanet.com/tv-shows/whale-wars/• https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-

science/wp/2016/03/24/a-japanese-fleet-killed-333-whales-for-research/?utm_term=.14e1f25af5b3

Laws  Helping  out  WhalesThis is a compilation of all the Laws that protect whales not just in the United States, but throughout the world. Angela LangMichigan State University-Detroit College of Law Published in 2002

I. United States LawsA. Marine Mammal Protection Actn 1972, the United States Congress passed the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The Act makes it illegal for any person residing in the United States to kill, hunt, injure or harass all species of marine mammals, regardless of their population status. In addition, the MMPA also makes it illegal for anyone to import marine mammals or products made from them into the United States.B. Endangered Species ActThe Endangered Species Act (ESA) is a federal law passed by the United States Congress in 1973. The Act protects both endangered species, defined as those in danger of extinction and threatened species, those likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future. All of the great whales are listed as endangered species under the ESA. As a result, it is illegal to kill, hunt, collect, injure or harass them, or to destruct their habitat in any way. It is also illegal to buy or sell any whales.C. Pelly AmendmentCongress enacted this statute in 1971. The statute directs commerce to impose import sanctions on the fish products of nations that have violated any international fishery conservation program, such as the International Whaling Convention.D. Packwood-Magnuson AmendmentCongress enacted this statute in 1979. This amendment directs requires commerce to sanction nations who have violated any international fishery conservation program. The sanction is a reduction in their fishing rights in United States waters.II. International LawsA. International Whaling ConventionIn 1946, the International Whaling Convention (IWC) was established to oversee the management of the whaling industry worldwide. It was established in response to the rapid decline in the population of whales from whaling. In 1986, the IWC instituted an indefinite ban on commercial whale. This ban is still in effect, with certain exceptions. Countries such as Japan and Norway have not honored the ban.B. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)CITES is an international treaty that provides protection for wild animal and plant species in international trade. It is designed to promote the conservation of endangered species while allowing trade in certain wildlife. There are three categories of protection under the treaty. Species listed in Appendix I are threatened with extinction and are or may be affected by trade, therefore commercial trade is strictly prohibited. All of the great whales are listed on Appendix I.C. United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)UNCLOS imposes a duty on nations that have signed this treaty. First, they have a duty to conserve marine mammals. Second, they have a duty to follow the International Whaling Convention’s guidelines. The duty imposed by UNCLOS is thought to be stronger than the obligations imposed under the International Whaling Convention.III. Additional Regulations Protecting WhalesA. Net RegulationsDriftnets and gillnets kill thousands of whales each year. In 1991, the United Nations passed a resolution establishing an international ban on driftnet fishing. As for gillnet regulations, in 1993, regulations went into effect in Hawaii, where the nets are predominantly used, that make it unlawful for any person fishing with a gill net to leave it unattended for more than two hours.B. PollutionWhale populations are dying as a result of PCB’s in the ocean and ozone depletion. The International Whaling Convention has recently placed pollution on their annual meeting schedule. Regulations should follow.C. Whale WatchingLocal laws may make it unlawful to approach a whale within a certain number of feet. The MMPA also regulates whale watching because watching can cause a harassment to the whales.D. Ocean Noise PollutionUnderwater noise has been attributed to whale beachings. This noise primarily results from military testing using sonar in the ocean. Noise pollution is regulated by the MMPA. Before tests may be conducted by the military, requests must be made under the MMPA.E. Ship Collisions with WhalesCollisions with ships are a major source of injury and death for many whales. The United States Coast Guard has implemented mandatory ship reporting systems. When ships enter specific whale habitats, they must report to a shore-based station. The ships then receive a message about ship striking of whales, measures they can take to avoid ship strikes, and locations of recent sightings.

The  term  “aboriginal  whaling”  refers  to  the  whaling  or  hunting  of  whales  within  a  native  

community  strictly  for  their  survival  and  culture.  One  such  example  could  be  the  Alaskan  

Eskimo’s  whom  hunt  Bowhead  whales,  but  this  tradition  has  been  around  longer  than  the  

United  States  has  existed  as  its  been  a  part  of  life  for  these  natives  over  thousands  of  years.  

They  are  allowed  to  hunt  and  harvest  the  remains  of  these  whales  because  it  is  considered  a  

“Subsistence  Tradition”  and  is  allowed  by  the  United  States  government  as  well  as  the  

International  Whaling  Commission.  Even  though  though  the  Bowhead  whales  are  considered  

endangered,  their  numbers  are  starting  to  go  back  up  and  thus  leaves  the  natives  to  hunt  

them  but  under  a  close  eye.  Even  though  they  are  hunted  by  the  natives,  they  only  account  

for  less  than  1%  of  the  population  which  means  they  only  take  what  they  need  in  order  for  

survival  and  to  keep  their  tradition  alive.  

San  Diego  Miramar  CollegeJuan  Ortiz  Gomez

Whale  Conservation  Efforts

Photo  Credit:  www.Margaretriver.com

Photo  Credit:  Alaska-­‐in-­‐pictures.comInuit  Eskimos  around  a  Bowhead  whale

Photo  credit:  www.australia.gov.au

Photo  Credit:  http://yourshot.nationalgeographic.com/

We  often  times  do  not  realize  the  power  that  our  voices  have  until  we  actually  put  our  foot  

down  and  speak  with  our  chest  and  heads  high.  According  to  an  article  published  by  USA  

Today,  it  is  said  that  the  ending  for  Orca  or  more  commonly  known  as  “Killer”  whale  shows  

will  come  to  an  end  by  both  2017  and  2019  at  all  of  their  parks.  Along  with  the  controversial  

documentary  “Blackfish”  which  exposed  what  really  goes  on  behind  closed  doors  at  

SeaWorld.  Just  like  how  everything  starts  out  small,  the  voices  and  constant  lobbying  paid  

off  against  the  giant  that  SeaWorld  is.    Victories  like  these  that  ultimately  remove  animals  

from  harms  way  are  only  small  victories  in  a  war,  we  ,must  keep  fighting  to  come  out  

victorious.  There  are  also  several  conservation  groups  that  are  non-­‐profit  with  the  main  

focus  being  to  help  out  whales  that  are  hunted  all  around  the  world.  One  of  these  groups  

are  the  “Sea  Shepherds”  who  like  to  take  direct  action  and  can  be  viewed  as  one  of  the  

toughest  conservation  groups.  They  started  out  in  1977  headed  by  Paul  Watson  with  the  

mission  statement  of  saving  marine  life  from  harms  way.  They  have  been  known  to  directly  

interfere  with  the  disruption  of  illicit  activities  such  as  illegal  whaling  and  fur  trapping.  They  

have  a  television  show  titled  “Whale  Wars”  that  follows  their  journeys  throughout  the  

dangerous  seas.  Apart  from  laws  written  specifically  protecting  whales  and  other  marine  

wildlife,  there  are  activists  like  Greenpeace  and  Sea  Shepherds  that  will  fight  to  end  the  

atrocities  that  are  committed  to  these  animals  without  a  voice.  

Photo  Credit:  TheWashingtonPost.comActual  image  from  the  Japanese  ship  used  to  kill  333  minke whales  earlier  in  2016