Legality of Whaling

[opebo]

Japan and Norway are the only two countries that haven't agreed to the international ban on whaling.

It should be noted that, perhaps coincidentally, Japan and Norway have the highest life expectancy rates in the world.  The average Japanese and Norwegian lives 82 and 81 years, respectively.  Compare to mean longevities of 78 in the UK and Germany, 77 in the US and Ireland, 75 in Italy, 71 in Mexico, 66 in China, and 52 in Nigeria, all of whom are signatories of the international whaling moratorium. 

However, Japan does have the third highest female suicide rate in the world after China and Sri Lanka.  Norway has the second highest female suicide rate among OECD countries after Japan.

Only a small minority in those countries eat whale meat, angus, and an even tinier number engage in the sport.  So I doubt that has caused their longevity.

[opebo]

I straddle the fence on this one. I think whaling should be illegal for people of "civilized" cultures Reason: the term "civilized" simply refers to a culture which is bent on maximizing the amount of harm it does to the planet. Reducing the level of harm by not systematically eliminating a species is an excellent policy.

However, Native American tribes are not bent on destroying the planet. Their way of life worked for them and worked very well for hundreds of thousands of years. Their way of life included whaling, and therefore they should be allowed to continue doing what has worked for them for such a long time.

I disagree, Yaks.  I think the answer is to ban whaling for everyone, but in order to recognize that it was the destructive cultures that caused the problem, they should be taxed to pay a large compensation to the more traditional ones that have been robbed of their sustainable whaling. 

Monetary compensation isn't always precisely to the point, but it at least admits responsibility and recognizes a loss.  I think given the severe danger of extinction this is preferable to allowing the natives to kill even a few whales.

[opebo]

I vote legalize it. I'm usually in favor of saving endangered species but since the public is a bunch of idiots who focus on trying to save ones that I don't think should be saveD(the "cute" and 'cuddly" ones like pandas) instead of ones like various kinds of venomous snakes I say to hell with the public.

Why would you be in favour of saving endangered species, public-hater?