What's everyone got against whaling?

Question

Why are some people so passionately against it? But more to the point, why does society at large seem to have such an anti-whaling sentiment?

I don't know if there's been much of a hype about it in America, but here in Australia there are news stories at least weekly about how Japan is refusing to stop their whaling operations, despite international pressure, and all this crap.

I can see a few possible reasons why people might have a gripe with it, but none of them make sense:
1. Whales are big: - Yeah they are, but there's a gap in the logic to say that they're big and therefore they're more intelligent, important or sentient than other animals (and that's assuming you can even come up with a working definition of sentience!) Pigs are one of the most intelligent domesticated animals, but we eat them. Except the Jews and the Muslims, but my understanding is that their abstinence is unrelated to any pig intelligence.

2. Whales are endangered: - No, they're not. Well, many of the species that are hunted are not endangered. It's fair enough that endangered whales shouldn't be hunted.

3. The method of killing is inhumane. This is probably the best argument against whaling. But, it follows that if a humane method of whale hunting was devised, then people shouldn't have a problem with it. So, really, all the international delegations and Greenpeace should be putting their efforts into researching a painless harpoon with a fast-acting toxin in it instead of childishly wheedling the ships.

Am I right?

Answer 1

yes! you are right! Also instead of targeting Japan. Look at China right now. The inhumane things they do are much much worse than whaling.

Answer 2

I am against, although it'll never stop and I'm sure many species of whale and other animals will begin to die out soon to come in some more years. It can't be helped... Not sure why whaling is still popular in today's world. Clearly everyone thinks Japan is monopolising the business to feed their nation, since whale meat is regarded a delicacy there. But in today's world we no longer have delicacy and tradition so I guess there is something else to do with the whales - concerned with money and/or power. Whale juice an ingredient to nuclear weapons, anyone?

Answer 3

Here here. People get latched onto a concept ad hold it without ever understanding it's meaning. Same thing happened with peta