Reasons Why Commercial Whaling Should Be Banned

Argument Essay Since 2003, Icelandic whalers have killed over 700 Fin Whales. Whaling is the hunting and killing of whales to recover resources like oil, meat, and blubber. Whaling was banned in 1986, but a loophole in the law allows countries to continue whaling for scientific research. At the moment Japan and Iceland are the main countries continuing this act. The act of commercial whaling should be completely banned before whales before extinct. First reason why commercial whaling should be banned is because whales could become extinct due to whaling. According to Frank Zelko, “Most whale species are not even close to recovering from the population crashed caused by commercial whaling” (2). Zelko also goes on to explain that Fin whales, the most commonly hunted whale, holds a the offspring for 11 months while being able to reproduce every three years, (Zelko 2). This shows that whales are not able to reproduce as fast as other animals, making it more difficult for them to recover from a drop in population like this. “Susan Millward, the
One reason why is, “The sheer killing of whales, coupled with Japan's failure to provide evidence of scientific research, could be conducted without lethal means or by killing fewer whales” (Japan's whaling must 1). This provides support by showing that if Japan even is wailing for science, it could be conducted. Zelko tells us, “Australia is now challenging Japan's claim of scientific whaling in the International Court of Justice, alleging that it is simply a cover for the continuation of commercial whaling” (1). This shows that Australia is trying to prove that Japan is not actually whaling for science, but covering to continue whaling commercially, meaning whales are being unnecessarily killed. This proves that whaling should be banned because whales are being sacrificed illegally by Iceland and