h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

So Japan, Norway and Iceland have succeeded in beginning the process to recommence commercial whaling. The feeble excuse being to preserve the fish stocks of poor nations. Complete and utter piffle. No mention of the massive protein harvesting vessels that hoover the seabed and sail under Japanese and Norwegian flags.

What realistic hope do we have of preserving this planet when we can't even defend magnificent, harmless cetaceans?

http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/article1090433.ece

no hope.

I am not some Green Peace type person, but to start whaling again is just sick, aparantly, according to TV news, last time they hunted whales they had so much spare they used it to go in dog food, it is just sad, just sad.
.
....the sight of those bloody harpoons exploding in Whales is just so sad.

What sickens me is that so many people seem much more concerned about stupid sports, or whether the barcodes on library books translate to the number of the beast

Well, is there much likelihood of any debate?

It doesn't seem likely that many people would come along here supporting a return to unrestricted hunting.

In fact, I guess if someone came along and even suggested that:
a) *if* a particular species was widely agreed to be abundant to the point of being entirely unthreatened
b) *and* there was a humane way of killing members of that species - like they had an especially thin skull, and a small brain, and a liking for floating motionless alongside boats
c) *and* that species had been reliably shown to be dumber than the average sheep
d) *then* it might be justifiable for limited hunting to take place.

I suspect many people would still attack them.

A pure 'I agree' conversation could be pretty dull.

I see no problem with killing for food, even quite intelligent animals. However... Whales are a little more endangered. The article states quite clearly that the moratorium hasn't been lifted, so I'm not busy worrying. As long as the whale population is reasonably stable (which I don't know about)

Well potholer, just for fun I'll play devil's advocate.

I think we should have unrestricted whale hunting b/c it will help speed up the ultimate destruction of the eco-system as we know it, bringing about apocalyptic change. I think I am personally well suited for this, being physically strong, and intelligent. Therefore, during the apocalyptic period, I will most likely become a barbarian overlord of some sort, thus increasing my relative social standing.

WERE SAVING WHALES HOW

Morning all,

Whilst on this subject of Japanese fishing techniques ( among others ) can we save the ALBATROSS too, by banning the use of multi kilometere baited lines in the southern oceans?

Novo

Traveller in Time on his head
"< A552908 > 'Save The Albatross'"

The Japanese initiative raises two issues in my mind. One is the attitude of us, the supposedly most successful species on Earth needlesly destroying fellow inhabitants of this watery planet in such a barbaric fashion. The reason for killing whales is cultural, not scientific, not for food The carcasses go for pet food for Bobs sake.

I argue from a pro-shooting stance but as any responsible hunter will tell you the quarry is always dispatched as humanely as possible. Not with an exploding grenade into soft tissue and hours long, lingering drowning.

The second issue is the defence of the fishing industry that has proved over the years that they will relentlessly fish out species to the point of extinction. Look no further than Newfoundland cod, North Sea sand eels and salmon. We have to hunt whales to save fish stocks for poor nations. One of the main drivers of the desparate migration of Africans to the Canaries is that they can no longer make a living from their fisheries because rich countries with their fish factories have fished out the local stocks.

Traveller in Time not ordering a whale burger
"So to help the poor countries to survive on fishing we should hunt down the industrial fishers.

Sounds humane to me, they show near to none intelligence, nor compassion. Only wonder what the catch will end up, think it is not suitable to feed the dags with. "

true

Wow. Some here in this thread show much more concern for whales than for people! Whence came this idea that whales are super intelligent anyway?

(Devil's advocate - *seriously*...)

Traveller in Time out of perspective
"It is not a matter of intelligence, more about respect. And the suggestion to hunt the hunters is obviously in jest"

Why's that Della? B/c someone suggested hunting the whalers?

>..the suggestion to hunt the hunters is obviously in jest<



*-ishly puts the 30-30 away... *

Also, Della, you never answered my post about Global Warming on the SEx thread. I went and looked up all those papers written by the New Zealand professor that you mentioned, and you never gave me a response. Can I expect similar behaviour here if I look up a lot of papers on whale intelligence?

Traveller in Time trying to think creative
"We can not say to anyone, you will not do your job as we do not like what you are doing. These people have to make a living too .

--Why not teach them to fish manganese nuggets ? (a metal in abundance in ocean floor scattered nuggets)
--Is there a way to farm krill ? That should be a way to provide them (and the customers) an ecologically efficient source of proteines.

There is a huge potential for touristic 'spotting the whales in the open ocean'. They could organise the tours. "

"Whence came this idea that whales are super intelligent anyway?"

I thought it was only the mice that were super-intelligent?