Whaling Persuasive Speech

Whale hunting is a very old tradition that was practised around the globe. Whale blubber was refined as heating oil prior to the discovery of petroleum as a fuel source. Whale meat was also commonly consumed as a food source. As agricultural production progressed the reliance of whale meat as a food source is becoming a relic of the past. It is a cruel practice that most citizens of the world overwhelmingly disapprove of. I do not believe in the cultural exemption of whale hunting that has been proposed by the Japanese and Norwegian governments.

That said, the whaling ban does violate national sovereignty. Internationally imposing the ban on whaling prevents nations, such as these, from taking part in one of their historical cultural practices. It also restricts some towns from their normal source of industry, taking with it employment opportunities and sources of tax revenue that could improve the communities. In these cases, despite whaling not being ethical nor a responsible practice according to global majority opinion, it may also not be ethical and economically responsible to remove the right to these practices from communities that depend on them. It is a form of forcing our ideals on others, where their livelihood and preservation of traditions depend on their practices.
Most of these communities are very poor and don't have much access to resources. In order for aboriginal people to continue hunting the methods need to improve to ensure a humane hunt. “The IWC recognises that killing methods used in ASW hunts are typically less efficient than those used in commercial whaling operations, often leading to higher struck and lost rates and longer times to death. The IWC has passed several resolutions seeking improvements in the humaneness of aboriginal subsistence whaling operations” (“Subsistence Whaling,”