What is Whaling ? :: Anti-Whaling Education and Protest Group

1 year ago

| Whaling

Whaling is the hunting of whales and dates back to at least 6,000 BC.^{[citation needed]} The evolution of traditional Arctic whaling developed with increasing rapidity with early organized fleets in the 17th century; competitive national whaling industries in the 18th and 19th centuries; and the introduction of factory ships along with the concept of whale "harvesting" in the first half of the 20th century.

The formation of an International Whaling Commission (IWC) in 1946 marks the beginning of modern whaling, with its consensus-based emphasis on conservation, resource management, and international cooperative standards. Contemporary arguments for and against whaling are the subjects of ongoing contention. No resolution of these sometimes heated disputes appears likely in the foreseeable future.

History of whaling

Eighteenth century engraving showing Dutch whalers hunting Bowhead Whales in the Arctic.

Whaling began in prehistoric times and was initially confined to (near) coastal waters. Early whaling affected the development of widely disparate cultures – as, for example, in Norway and Japan.^[1] Although prehistoric hunting and gathering is generally considered to have had low ecological impact, early whaling in the Arctic altered freshwater ecology.^[2] The development of modern whaling techniques was spurred in the 19th century by the increase in demand for whale oil,^[3] sometimes known as "train oil" and in the 20th century by a demand for margarine and later whale meat.