Much like crude oil today, whales were regarded as a valuable resource and were hunted the world over for their blubber and meat by people. The oil derived from their blubber was used to light homes and streets as well as manufacture soap, cosmetics and other everyday commodities. And as for their meat? A single catch of a large sperm whale could feed a small coastal village for weeks. Although demand for whale meat is ailing and advancements in technology have replaced whale oil with more effective and practical substances, whales are still being hunted and killed. Despite a ban on all commercial whaling certain nations still continue to kill these animals, primarily Japan, Norway and Iceland. The populations of these animals are becoming …show more content…
Every year a report is given to the ICR of Japan on the number of catches and then the ICR sets a price for wholesalers in the fish market. In recent years, due to the falling demand of whale meat, both wholesalers and retailers have been dropping the price given to them by the ICR so they can get it off their shelves. Even if the meat was sold at the price set by the ICR it would still not be enough for the industry to break even and would still be subsidised by the government. The japanese government spent twelve million last year to subsidize their whaling industry. So even with three quarters of the meat caught last summer remain unsold why does the government continue to support whaling? Some say it’s because the japanese have a sense of imperial pride and don’t wish to bend to the whims of foreign western powers. Japan claims that it is part of their culture and that whale meat has been a primary source of protein in japan for centuries. Although many japanese coastal communitees have been hunting whales for hundreds of years, whale meat only became a major source of protein in Japan in the years following World War II because of the damage to the nation’s infrastructure. An article by Peter Wynn Kirby of the New York Times provides an economic