hankyoreh

The international community is up in arms after the South Korean government announced intentions to resume whaling, which has been banned since 1986. A few days ago, the South Korean delegation at a conference of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in Panama said Seoul intends to allow limited whaling for scientific research purposes. The only other country in the world that does this is Japan. For all intents and purposes, this means the allowance of commercial whaling. Japan is already the subject of worldwide denunciation for its flouting of the rules on whaling. By following its lead, we are not only running counter to the times but also hurting our national prestige. It is a decision that should be withdrawn immediately.
The government explained the need for scientific whaling by noting a significant rise in the whale population over the 26 years the banhas been in effect. Officials have claimed that this has resulted in widespread damages that demand urgent action. But no research study to date has shown that the population has recovered enough since the ban that it would be acceptable to begin whaling again. Indeed, many say that illegal whaling and accidental catches have done enough damage to the whales’ ecosystem to offset any effects from the protective measures. In particular, the minke whale population off the Korean Coast has been the subject of special IWC protections after a sharp drop in numbers in years past.
While carrying on its charade of “scientific whaling,” Japan has been catching hundreds of whales a year for commercial sale. Whalers take just a small sample from the animal’s massive body, and then sell the rest on the market for whale meat. If the purpose truly were scientific, it would suffice to attach a tracking device. There would be no need to kill the whale.
Obviously, one can sympathize to some degree with the plight of fishermen who are seeing their stocks depleted and gear damaged by whales. But these mammals have a very long reproductive cycle, with females typically giving birth to one calf every two to three years. If whaling is permitted, endangerment is all but guaranteed. In the first decade of this century, South Korean fishermen caught nearly five thousand whales accidentally when whales become caught in fishing equipment, leading some to classify South Korea as an unofficial, illegal whaling nation. Also, due to the high price of whale meat, fishermen may catch whales illegally for sale.
If whaling itself is legalized, there will be no stopping the overhunting. Measures to offset the damages to fisherman should take the form of things like whale ecotourism, not the permission of whaling.
A 2009 opinion poll showed 68% of South Koreans in favor of protections for whales. It was just a few days ago that the city of Seoul, to much applause, abolished commercial dolphin shows and returned Je-dol, a dolphin that had previously been kept in captivity, to the wild. We‘re also the country that is playing host right now to an ocean-themed Expo event that is about creating a “living ocean.” Does it make any sense for us to go back to whaling?
　
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