Whales are between the most intelligent marine mammals on earth. The blue whale is the biggest animal to ever before exist. In spite of this history, industrial whaling has actually left the whale varieties extremely endangered. Luckily, whaling has been ended in lots of nations, but still exists in some. The influence of this continued whaling endangers the existence of the varieties, and if not stopped, might wipe out whales.
The detrimental impact humans have had on whales stems from the commercial hunting for meat and perfume compounds. More than 2 million whales were killed in the early 20th century. By the middle of the 20th century, whales were seriously endangered and numbers were depleted. In 1986 the International Whaling Commission (IWC) banned commercial whaling, but Japan goes on to neglect this ban. When the ban was in place, Japan continued to hunt whales using a loophole that offers for scientific investigation. The meat from these hunts is sold in shops and restaurants. Though Japan is skirting the guidelines, and it is frowned upon by the IWC, the IWC still permits it.
One organization has strongly objected to this wrongful activity and has actually aimed to conserve the whales from near extinction. The Ocean Shepherd is an intercontinental non-profit business that was established last 1977. As stated in their mission statement, the business aims to stop the damage of the marine environment and the slaughter of fauna around the world’s oceans in order to safeguard and guard the varieties and ecosystems.
Marine Shepherd has boats and companies and go out to intervene throughout whale hunts. This is a unsafe and life-threatening undertaking for Sea Shepherd’s crews, but they go on to go to conserve the whales from slaughter. As just recently as 2010, three Sea Shepherd ships intervened
against unlawful whaling projects and one boat was purposely rammed and sunk by the Japanese. When the captain attempted to serve an invoice upon the Oriental for his sunken boat, he was taken to a Eastern prison. The Ocean Shepherd’s continuing to be crews were not prevented and followed the Japanese fleets for three weeks, and not one single whale was killed during that time.
The illegal whale hunts have not stopped. More wants to be done to get rid of whaling before the species is completely reduced. Sea Shepherd is committed to this fight. Visit Sea Shepherd to study more.
Why are humpback whales endangered and why don’t we save them? im the biggest fan of whales especially humpbacks so why do people treat them so cruely??? its just inhumaine
You are living in the past. Humpback whale are not endangered. Their populations are increasing. They are fully protected. So there is no need for “we” to do anything. Hunting for food may seem cruel to you. But staving people is more cruel. There is something very wrong with a person that puts an animal above a human, it is certainly NOT altruistic. Native peoples have the right to subsistence hunting. What kind of person would deny the Inuit their heritage? http://www.iucnredlist.org/search/details.php/13006/summ
Humpback and many other whales are fully protected and are making a comeback. The reason for their drastic decline was commercial whaling – which also destroyed the whale stocks for many native peoples who carried out low level whaling to survive. These days, nobody will starve without whaling and so there is no need for it to occur. It is cruel – because it takes a long time to kill the animal and many get away seriously injured. Also, there was no holds barred – mothers with young or who were pregnant were especially susceptible and so for one kill often more than one whale died in the process.
They just creep me out. I carry a baseball bat just in case I see one on the beach.
Humpbacks are endangered because we (in general) hunted them to near extinction. You obviously know that. We ARE doing things to save them, and in fact there are more humpback whales estimated in the wild now than in over 100 years. Well into the 10′s of thousands in the Pacific. The reason it’s so slow going is because it takes so long for a whale to carry a calf to term, raise it, and train it to survive on it’s own. Simple biology. We can only do so much. After that the species itself needs to do the work. There are no such things as captive breeding facilities for humpback whales. I couldn’t even imagine the artificial insemination program…
I believe at a place called Bikini Bottom.
in the ocean
Definitely not the fish section of the site.
Are you OK with the fact that Japan is going kill 50 humpback whales next week? Humpback whales should not be in the human food chain. I once saw three of them and it was a religionous expeance for me just to be in their presiance. Who knows a way that we can make the people from Japan know how strongly we feel about this?
I am not ok with it. What makes it worse is that the Japanese signed the convention against whaling like many other countries. This convention does not allow for the take of whales unless for scientific research. So of course they take the whales under the pretence that they will be used for research. The reality of the case is much different. North America does not participate in the industry of whaling except in the extreme north where indigenous people such as the Inuits are legally allowed to take whales but only to sustain themselves and not for profit.
whoa wait what??? this planet is taking a long walk off a short pier it seems. Killing humpbacks is WRONG
No due to the fact that they are still protected along with mink. That made me mad the dolphins on the other hand I’m ok with, but I think they should be given a limit and watched carefully and dolphins with calves should be off limits and I think that they should find a more humane way to to hunt them than to pen them up. In some parts of Japan that is their source of income and food, but going after humpback and mink should not be allowed.
I am. I’m not in favor of it, but I can live with it. It’s not the most tragic thing that has happened or will happen in the near future.
Roughly, how many humpback whales were there in 1920? I’m writing a report on humpback whales and I need to know the above question. I tried google but it’s not helping me in this situation. The report is due tomorrow and I’m completely stuck as to what I could use for a hook in the paper. Thanks.
alot more than back then than now is all i can say. look on wiki u might help