Whaling: Consequences and Benefits to the Environment

This presentation explores the practice of whaling, its consequences, and the benefits whales provide to the environment. It discusses the health concerns associated with consuming whale meat, the threat to infants, and the impact on tourist health. It also highlights the importance of whales in stabilizing the aquatic ecosystem, contributing to a healthier environment, and promoting ecological growth. The presentation concludes with recommendations for preserving whales and maintaining the ecological balance.

CHARITY
PRESENTATION

Table of content
• Introduction
• Whaling
• Consequences
• Benefits to the Environment

Table of content
• Reflection
• Recommendation
• Conclusion
• References

Introduction
Whales are aquatic mammals belonging to order cetacea, which is an order involving
porpoises, dolphins and whales. There are two suborders in which whales are divided:
Toothed and Baleen whales. These mammals live their entire life in the water and breath air
through their blowholes, which is different from fishes which use gills for respiration.

Whaling
Whaling refers to a process of hunting of whales and killing them for scientific, recreational
and commercial purposes. Seeing the practices of today's wildlife protection organisations
and committees, this practice has been suspended in 1982 by International Whaling
Commission.

ORIGIN OF WHALING
Maritime communities consider whaling as a very prominent tradition and their integral part
of their societies. It began as a mere coastal activities. To enhance this tradition and expand
the practices, weapons like 'drogue' were created which were used to hunt small whales.

WHALING STATISTICS
With time, whaling became a wide adopted
activity and was practised in almost every part of
the world. Major countries like Iceland, Norway
and Japan have been continuing this practice in
recent
years.

Consequences
• With high rise in whaling in recent years, there are also consequences that are widely
analysed and acknowledged. These consequences are mentioned below:
• There are various health concerns regarding which various Healthcare organisations have
issues reports regarding the adverse effects of consuming whale meat (blubber). There
are various Caribbean nations like Canada and Russia as well as a in parts of Alaska
where this meat is consumed by public.

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• Expose to Contamination: Individuals consuming blubber are exposing themselves to
various contaminants which could be severe for their health.
• Rise in Heath Issues: Eating such contaminated food has always been healthy. There
are negative impacts of consuming blubber.

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• Threat to Infants: There have been research by organisations like Faroe Islanders,
results of which is showed that developmental disorders in children whose mothers,
during their pregnancy, consumed blubber and meat of pilot whale regularly.
• Threat to Tourist Health: Iceland is one of the major countries that provide whale meat
to individuals.

Benefits to the Environment
• Apart from human beings, whales are an important part of the environment as well. They
too contribute in enhancing positive environmental practices within the seas. There are
various threats associated with whaling which are discussed below:
• Stabilizing Aquatic Ecosystem: Whales are an important part of the aquatic life. These
mammals contribute in preservation and stability of environment.

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• Healthier Environment: Each living specie has a role in the environment. There are
various impacts that could be witnessed if any organism extinct.
• Recycling: There are various ecological roles played by whales which are important in
aquatic ecosystems. Processes like whaling would reduce the release of fecal plumes
which help in plankton growth.

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• Ecological Growth: Whales also result in growth of various other species in the aquatic
ecosystem even after death. A huge amount of carbon is present in carcasses of dead
whales which provides immense amount of food as well as habitat for hundreds of
aquatic species which are dependant of “whale falls” in seas. Their extinction and regular
practices of whaling would be dangerous for these species.

REFLECTION
According to me, it is of vital importance that efforts been taken to save whales as they
have so many benefits for the environment as well as on the marine life. Their benefits are
not only limited to life. Whale watching is a prominent tourist activity and with rising
awareness and exploration of tourist attraction points, this activity could be of vital
importance in enhancing the economy of the nation.

RECOMMENDATION
• There are various methods that could be adopted by governments in order to preserve
these creatures. These steps are included below:
• Governments must enhance the awareness of roles of these species in global policies on
Marine Protected Areas (MPA), biodiversity, environment and climate change. These
policies have a wide range and could be effectively communicated to people in different
zones.

CONCLUSION
From the above given information, it can be concluded that it is imperative that whales be
preserved in order to maintain the ecological balance and benefits to marine life. There are
various negative impact of whale meat on human health which makes it important to stop
practices like whaling.

References
Brownell Jr, R.L., Ralls, K. and Perrin, W.F., 1989. The plight of the ‘forgotten’whales.
Shelton, M.L. and Rogers, R.W., 1981. Fear‐arousing and empathy‐arousing appeals to help:
The pathos of persuasion. Journal of applied social psychology. 11(4). pp.366-378.

Thank you