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Thread: Eating Whale Meat.

  1. #1

    Eating Whale Meat.

    I know this may stir the pot, but I am inquisitive about the issue of certain cultures/ countries wanting to continue to eat whale meat, which they have done for centuries.

    Im trying to fathom if its really a problem, especially if whale is harvested in a sustainable manner, like a lot of other fish stocks. I know certain whales were hunted to the point of extinction in the past, but thats not the current concern.

    There is a lot of emotion around this issue, with politicians even weighing in and muddying the waters by describing how inhumane it is to harpoon these giant mammals. ??

    I dont really think thats an issue at all, as all fish taken for consumption die thru some means, and it could be argued that most things we eat go thru a death process.

    I also believe its a crazy thing to beautify certain amimals / fish above others. This further clouds the issue.
    Years ago, whales were highly regarded as a resource. Today they get almost deified by sectors of society. I never hear people crooning over how lovely and majestic is a bream, or a catfish, or a mulloway. They are all sea creatures are they not?

    Im raising the debate on here out of curiosity.

    Cheers
    "let not he boast who puts his armor on, as he who takes it off"

  2. #2

    Re: Eating Whale Meat.

    Great thread and should provoke some interesting debate.

    I remember reading somewhere (not researched by me, so feel free to correct my number if you do know with absolute certainty) that there are over a million Minkie whales estimated to be swimming in the ocean and their population net increases by 5% each year, so that should mean an extra 50,000 Minkies. The current world harvest (for scientific reasons -yeah right!) is around 1000 so 2% of the natural increase or 0.1% of the total population, which should indicate that there is room to harvest more under a controlled quota system to provide a food source to those that want it and yet still allow strong population growth to occur. Obviously this doesn't apply to all species of whales, but certainly minkes and pilot whales are in these sort of numbers.

    Still not sure how I feel about whaling in the future or not, but on figures alone, it should be sustainable if managed correctly. I am pretty sure, I won't be lining up for a McMoby

  3. #3

    Re: Eating Whale Meat.

    Tastes like chicken

  4. #4

    Re: Eating Whale Meat.

    I would and do have no problem with personal, family or community taking of whales as a food source.
    I do not want to see a commercial factor enter the field for profit from it.
    The big problem is how do you police illegal poaching and harvesting?? The oceans are a tad big to monitor all behaviours on and the possible sale points are endless.

    Personally i have no emotional link to whales and to be honest I do not like them being around me in my boat.

    Would I kill one for my table??? No, my table is not that big, however I would not mind sampling some whale meat as a food.
    Jack.

  5. #5

    Re: Eating Whale Meat.

    Quote Originally Posted by Just_chips View Post
    Tastes like chicken
    Does everything taste like chicken or does chicken taste like everything?

  6. #6

    Re: Eating Whale Meat.

    At some stage we are going to have to cull or limit the poulation growth of some species of Whale. We have effectivly removed or reduced in numbers most apex predetors from the marine environment leaving the Whales to breed at near 10% population growth each year. A Humpback consumes 2,000 - 2,500 kg of fish and Krill each day. Thats a lot of biomass being taken from the marine foodchain. If allowed to keep going unhindered the population will stall when food stocks are hit too hard but this will also impact on the total fishery.
    I can't see us going back to commercial Whaling so perhaps some form of contraception is on the cards
    A Proud Member of
    "The Rebel Alliance"

  7. #7

    Re: Eating Whale Meat.

    I can just imagine, saying (come here nice whale and take this pill)??
    We could promote Neil to the world conservation society as Whale Contraception Officer
    But if he doesnt accept the position, culling is the only other alternative.

    I believe they only eat whale meat raw ????

  8. #8

    Re: Eating Whale Meat.

    I think the reason so many people are against the fishing of them is that we think that they may be intelligent and they are not a fish but a mammal, they are inquisitive and display some intelligent behavior same as the dolphins. So I think it goes against peoples emotions that they are killing and eating intelligent creatures, most but not all western people would shun at eating dogs for the same reason but in a lot of Asian countries they are just a food source, same as chimps, monkeys or elephants in the African countries. Most westerners would not eat them but it depends in what environment you have grown up in and what you believe. Personally I think that there is a whole heap of other food we could eat without resortiing to killing them.

    I just oppose the big fishing fleets/boats whether it is tuna, whales or even sardines which just go and wipe out whatever is in their path, for me I will just eat chicken or beef raised on a farm or if I choose to get some fish then I will go out and catch some.

    Us westerners believe it's wrong to hunt them and the Japanese, Koreans etc think there is nothing wrong with hunting them for food. So the big questions are, do we westerners have the right to tell the others what they should or shouldn't eat based on our beliefs and values, are their values or beliefs any less or more important than our own and most importantly ...what gives us the sole right to be the judge and jury? Just something to think about!


    Can someone pass me some chicken please!!

  9. #9

    Re: Eating Whale Meat.

    Good post.
    The way I see it is that a certain Asian country tries to snow everybody by calling it scientific research whilst we all know if finished of as sushi.
    From what I have read, that goes down like a lead balloon and does not do them any favors.

  10. #10
    Ausfish Platinum Member gruntahunta's Avatar
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    Re: Eating Whale Meat.

    Yep...really good thread and some great points/arguments...so perhaps I should add some more.... Would we, as Humans like it if we got hunted...I know this sounds strange & stupid but we are top of the food chain and apparently the most intelligent of all species, although I have met a few that do not fit into that category, so we choose what we eat and what we don't.

    We are over populating the planet because we are not being culled by anything and have to rely on wars and disease to slow our population, perhaps if we had something that chewed on us we would have a different view on what we did.....

    And yes, as someone before has just stated all societies/cultures try to influence others to their way of doing things....who is to say what is right and what is wrong.... same applies to fishing Regs about size and bag limits.....same applies to water restrrictions....same applies to birth control, the list goes on and on....

    My point I guess is that there is no right or wrong about eating whales, same applies to eating humans, remember their are still cannibal cultures in the world....it is only the law that stops most people from doing things.


    Gotta Love Maroochydore.

  11. #11

    Re: Eating Whale Meat.

    Quote Originally Posted by Horse View Post
    At some stage we are going to have to cull or limit the poulation growth of some species of Whale. We have effectivly removed or reduced in numbers most apex predetors from the marine environment leaving the Whales to breed at near 10% population growth each year. A Humpback consumes 2,000 - 2,500 kg of fish and Krill each day. Thats a lot of biomass being taken from the marine foodchain. If allowed to keep going unhindered the population will stall when food stocks are hit too hard but this will also impact on the total fishery.
    I can't see us going back to commercial Whaling so perhaps some form of contraception is on the cards
    That's one hell of a franga Neil!

  12. #12

    Re: Eating Whale Meat.

    Quote Originally Posted by Apollo View Post
    That's one hell of a franga Neil!
    Attachment 82276

    can you get them that size?
    fishing's as simple as 3 P's - patience, perserverance and PLASTIC!

  13. #13

    Re: Eating Whale Meat.

    are certain indigenous tribes here in Australia still allowed to hunt dugong and marine turtles? I remember hearing about that somewhere.
    The Rainbowrunner
    Peter Hansler
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    Give a man a fish, he'll eat it and fall asleep.

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  14. #14

    Re: Eating Whale Meat.

    I really dont have so much problem with traditional hunting of certain animals, so long as they are hunted in a traditional manner,
    if certain Asians went out & hunted whales in a canoe with a big pointy stick, as their traditional ancestors did, no probs at all,
    the whales would probably cull as many of them as they did the whales,
    as for them hunting them in a big ship with exploding tip harpoons.........I"M DEAD AGAINST IT.

    I may get bagged for my opinion,

    but cetaceans do us no harm, nor do they impinge on our world in any way,
    perhaps scare the crap out of the odd fisho, but we put ourselves out there.......
    OK, so they eat a few prawns (krill),
    just because they are there dosn't mean we have the automatic right to kill & eat them,

    I see them as a higher life form than just fish.

    Just my opinion,

    Muzz

  15. #15

    Re: Eating Whale Meat.

    Quote Originally Posted by EdBerg View Post
    I think the reason so many people are against the fishing of them is that we think that they may be intelligent and they are not a fish but a mammal, they are inquisitive and display some intelligent behavior same as the dolphins. So I think it goes against peoples emotions that they are killing and eating intelligent creatures, most but not all western people would shun at eating dogs for the same reason but in a lot of Asian countries they are just a food source, same as chimps, monkeys or elephants in the African countries. Most westerners would not eat them but it depends in what environment you have grown up in and what you believe. Personally I think that there is a whole heap of other food we could eat without resortiing to killing them.

    I just oppose the big fishing fleets/boats whether it is tuna, whales or even sardines which just go and wipe out whatever is in their path, for me I will just eat chicken or beef raised on a farm or if I choose to get some fish then I will go out and catch some.

    Us westerners believe it's wrong to hunt them and the Japanese, Koreans etc think there is nothing wrong with hunting them for food. So the big questions are, do we westerners have the right to tell the others what they should or shouldn't eat based on our beliefs and values, are their values or beliefs any less or more important than our own and most importantly ...what gives us the sole right to be the judge and jury? Just something to think about!


    Can someone pass me some chicken please!!
    I think you nailed it here when explaining what we westerners presume to impose on the rest of the world. To me this is the key issue, and may explain why the Japanese and possibly the Koreans try to explain they are doing it for scientific research, to save face, when in fact they are just absolutely fanging for a serve of whale, just like we sometimes do for a feed of red emporer, or barra (or charcoal chicken)
    "let not he boast who puts his armor on, as he who takes it off"

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