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 TradeThe Long Battle for the Whales: Page 5 To end whaling and trade, economic alternatives such as whale watching should be seriously considered by those countries that continue to whale. Even Japan has recently begun whale watching tours in the Ogasawara Islands, bringing in sizeable revenues. One Japanese fishermen said: "Whales have always been regarded as a kind of divine omen in this area. I feel it is an atrocious thing to kill whales. We Japanese do not have to eat whales anymore" (Anon. 1992). In 1992, an estimated 19,267 people participated in whale watching in Japan, a $10 million business according to New Scientist (May 8, 1993), which also reports that Japanese people are increasingly critical of their government's whaling. In 1996, anti-whaling pressures increased within Japan, and many young Japanese now consider the whale a mammal rather than a meal, but this has not influenced the government's policies (Kristof 1996). A Japanese harpooner quoted in The New York Times angrily disputed critics of whaling, saying: "I don't think of whales as especially smart. They're just like ordinary fish. We feel that they're just a big present from the sea" (Kristof 1996). Most Japanese are unaware that Japan is still involved in whaling (Kristof 1996).
In the United States, almost $200 million was earned by whale watching boats and associated businesses in 1991 (WDCS 1991). In 1992, revenues from the whale watching industry increased to $260 million, and a survey found that whale watching was carried out in 37 countries (New Scientist, 8 May 1993). By 1998, the worldwide total revenues from whale watching topped $1 billion, according to a study by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). This far exceeds revenues from whaling (BG 2000). Nine million people whale watched in 1998 in 87 countries, according to the IFAW study. The sale of whale meat represents a one-time profit, as opposed to the renewable benefits from watching whales that may live to be 50 or more years old. An adult Minke Whale brings about $100,000 on the market (Talmadge 2000)--a significant amount, but a fraction of its potential income from whale watching. Products obtained from whales are not essential, and economically, far more people profit from whale watching than from the whale products industry. They include whale watching boat companies, local motels and restaurants and tourist shops. By contrast, whaling profits the whaler, the wholesale buyer and the retail seller. These arguments should not be necessary, however, in view of the extraordinary qualities of these fascinating animals. Whales possess tremendous appeal, and the research that will reveal the most about them will be based on observations of live whales, not necropsies of dead ones.
A growing number of people condemn the killing of all cetaceans. Iceland's illegal whaling in the late 1980s was halted when conservation and humane organizations persuaded many commercial importers of Icelandic fish to cancel orders, costing that country some $50 million. The actions of governments, individuals, organizations and consumer boycotts, combined with public opinion, have brought about whaling moratoriums and country bans. Only stronger enforcement of laws and better public awareness in the whaling countries themselves about the cruelty to these gentle and intelligent creatures may bring whaling to an end. The presence of these sentient beings in the ocean is an inspiration to all, but their survival may depend on active opposition to their killing.
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