The International Whaling Commission has upheld the ban on whaling:
Commission members voted 29-23 against the Japanese proposal for regulated sustainable whaling, which needed a three-fourths majority of ballots cast to pass. There were five abstentions, including countries such as Pacific Island nation Kiribati that have voted with Japan on other issues at the annual meeting.
If you’ve ever seen any of these creatures up close, you’ll know why this is important.
But before that, there’s more:
Japan maintains that whaling is a national tradition and a vital part of its food culture. It says whale stocks have sufficiently recovered since 1986 to allow the resumption of limited hunts of certain species.
Countries led by Australia and New Zealand and conservation groups including Greenpeace reject that view. They advocate protecting all whales and encouraging alternative ways of profiting from them, through tourism and whale-watching.
One of my favorite things to do is go whale-watching off the coast of Cape Cod.
The boats go out to Stellwagon Bank, a National Marine Sanctuary. It is a protected critical zone where lots of fish and whales come to eat and play.
On my first trip, I saw almost two dozen humpbacks. They were breaching (where they jump out of the water and land with a huge splash!) left and right. It was a lucky trip for me and my friends, and I’ll never forget it.
Other times I’ve seen finback and minke whales. I saw a mother and baby swim up to the boat and “wave” at us.
They are amazing creatures.
We almost hunted them out of existence. I’m glad to see that in this era of global-warming denial and spotted owl vilification, at least one of our fellow inhabitants of this planet is getting the protection they deserve.
If you ever get a chance, please go out and see a whale.
You’ll never forget it.
