BBC - Whaling nations set for majority Pro-whaling nations look set to command a majority of the votes when the International Whaling Commission (IWC) annual meeting begins on Friday. Several countries which appear likely to vote with the pro-whaling bloc have joined the body in recent weeks. UK marine affairs minister Ben Bradshaw said he is "very concerned". A pro-whaling majority could lead to the scrapping of conservation and welfare programmes, though not a return to full-scale commercial whaling. That would need three-quarters of the delegates to vote in favour, which is extremely unlikely. But a simple majority would be enough to end IWC work on issues which Japan believes to be outside its remit, such as welfare and killing methods, whale-watching and anything concerning small cetaceans such as dolphins.
Pro-whaling nations look set to command a majority of the votes when the International Whaling Commission (IWC) annual meeting begins on Friday. Several countries which appear likely to vote with the pro-whaling bloc have joined the body in recent weeks. UK marine affairs minister Ben Bradshaw said he is "very concerned".
A pro-whaling majority could lead to the scrapping of conservation and welfare programmes, though not a return to full-scale commercial whaling.
That would need three-quarters of the delegates to vote in favour, which is extremely unlikely.
But a simple majority would be enough to end IWC work on issues which Japan believes to be outside its remit, such as welfare and killing methods, whale-watching and anything concerning small cetaceans such as dolphins.
Eating fish or lizards on the other hand, is a lot harder to amalgamate to eating mammals ... ie. it's easier to go "awwww ain't that cute" when seeing a calf breast-feeding but harder to say the same thing when seeing a lizard dump eggs in the sand somewhere and walk away. Eating birds ... I don't know, it kind of sucks too ... they go tweep tweep, are (mainly) monogamous, care for their little lones ... so that should make them prone to "awwww ain't that cute" syndrome too.
I just don't think I get the whole "I'll eat this mammal but not this one, which is man's friend (or man's cousin)" thing.
In my philosophical view, if you can farm blue whales you are welcome to eat them, but I think there is a decent argument for opposing them becoming extinct just because you like their flavour.
