What Can We Do to Save Whales From Dying Off? How Can We Help to Eliminate Whaling?

What Can We Do to Save Whales From Dying Off? How Can We Help to Eliminate Whaling?
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What Can We Do?

It is surprising to many that whaling still exists in any form. This cruel and barbaric practice has decimated whale populations and has many concerned about what we can actually do to save the whales from dying off? How do we work to eliminate whaling for good and why hasn’t what has already been put into place been working?

1. Strengthening Current Laws and Regulations:

While there are several laws, both nationally and internationally, in place as well as treaties and bans involving the practice of whaling a lot of these laws and regulations are riddled with loop holes that make it all too easy for ruthless and unscrupulous whalers to continue their often illegal activities. These laws need to be tightened in order to mend these loopholes and provide more solid protection.

2. Enforcement of Those Laws and Regulations:

Even with the laws on paper, many international bodies and member nations have been either unable or unwilling to enforce these laws and to punish those who violate them. More power needs to be given to the international bodies such as the IWC to enforce their rules and to severely punish violators. Member nations also need to take a stronger stand and impose sanctions, denying access to their water ways and arresting those who violate these rules, or other punishments against those nations who attempt to continue whaling for any reason.

3. More Marine Preserves:

Greater portions of the ocean that are critical to the survival of whales and other marine life need to be protected where these animals can live in peace and where whalers, fishermen, and other human threats are not permitted.

4. Strong International Protection and Cooperation:

Greater and stronger international laws need to be put into place to make the harassment, capture, hunting, harm, or killing of marine mammals

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and other endangered species illegal in all the waters of the world. Additionally, more cooperation is needed among nations to capture, report, and punish those who violate these laws instead of letting these pirate hunters of the sea go unchecked.

5. Public Education and Involvement:

Educating others on the terrible atrocities that are committed by whalers and the dangers that whales face is a critical element in protecting them. There is a lot that the public can do to help change the current fate of whales by writing letters to your own government officials as well as those of offending nations. Boycott products from whaling nations and urge others to do the same and urge your own governments to enact sanctions against those nations. At the same time, write letters to the companies that you choose not to do business with and make it clear that the reason you are refusing their goods is because of their nations whaling practice, this will in turn put more pressure on those governments to cease their actions. Public opinion and involvement can have a great impact and help turn the tides of extinction.

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In order to protect whales it will take the effort of everyone getting involved and making a difference. To learn more about how whales are being harmed and what you can do to help save them visit the following resources and organizations:

The Sea Shepherd Society

Greenpeace’s Anti-Whaling Campaign

The Stop Whaling Campaign from IFAW

This post is part of the series: Seas of Blood: A Look at Whaling, Past and Present

A series on tfhe history of whaling around the globe and the current state of the whaling industry and the impact on whale populations.

  1. Seas of Blood: A Look at Whaling, Past and Present
  2. Whaling in the 18th and 19th Centuries
  3. 20th Century Whaling and The Eve of Extinction
  4. Disappearing Whales and the Birth of the IWC
  5. Modern Whaling: Why is This Still Practiced?
  6. Examining the Claims of Modern Whalers: Are There Arguments for Whaling?
  7. Current Measures to Protect Whales
  8. What Can we do to Save Whales From Dying Off & Stop Whaling?