Do you love Dolphins? Then you ought to love whales!
Whales are beautiful and harmonious oceanic creatures. They are often shy and prefer to live in solidarity in the deep ocean. Much like dolphins, they have large and developed brains, and lead a human-like life beneath the ocean.
There is a global ban on whaling since 1980. Yet, Iceland hunts about 200 whales per year for its meat and blubber.
Iceland generates a revenue of about US$12 million every year from whaling.
Now, defying global sentiment, Iceland extended the whaling licenses to another five years to hunt 2,130 more whales.
Is it ethical? No simple answers yet.
Icelanders say it is a part of their culture since millennia. Much like bull fighting in Spain or cow reverence in India. But doesn’t culture evolve?
The Iceland government claims that it promotes ethical whaling. It hunts only mink whales, a specific species in abundance. This has helped in replenishing the fish stock and protecting oceanic diversity. But the numbers show a different story.
The stock of fin whales, an endangered species, is five times more than mink whales
So it is not sustainable.
What do locals think?
Nearly two-thirds of Icelanders, either support or indifferent to whaling, shows a 2017 study by International Fund for Animal Welfare.
There is no consensus on this issue, even among the political echelons. Iceland is growing as a tourist attraction, especially for whale watching.
In 2017, the revenue of whale watching companies amounted to US$26.5 million or 8% of GDP.
So, the tourism industry is against continuing whaling as this would affect Iceland’s brand as a tourist destination. However, the rampant growth in tourism is creating marine pollution and interfering with whales’ ability to communicate locate food.
But this is an easier problem to address with political will and public support.
The cost of saving endangered whales, an economic view
The opportunity of stopping whale hunting is US$33 per person per annum or 1% of earnings.
Japan, which is the biggest market for whale meat, has now started whaling in its waters. This should put pressure on revenues and further lower the margins for Iceland whaling industry.
The numbers show that this problem isn’t an insurmountable financial challenge to solve rather a social indifference. So, awareness among Icelanders and further measures to promote sustainable tourism will help travelers come to “meet” but not to “eat” the beautiful mammals.
PS: If a tour of Iceland trip is not on cards, watch the episodes of Whale Wars on Animal Planet to get a glimpse of these charismatic fauna and human-like mammals.
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