Fall 2021 Children's Sneak Previews

Party Political Whales – The Ongoing Senseless Slaughter Of Whales By Iceland, Japan And Norway

Almost four decades after the 1986 global moratorium on commercial whaling put an end to the mass slaughter of whales, opposition to commercial whaling around the world is stronger than ever.

Yet as we mark World Whale Day 2025, Japan, Norway and Iceland – three of the world's wealthiest nations that otherwise generally abide by multilateral environmental agreements – persist in defying the global ban.

Why do these prosperous nations, with no real economic or subsistence need for whaling, continue this practice?

The answer lies in political symbolism, nationalist posturing and the stubborn protection of dying industries rather than any genuine demand for whale meat or interest in preserving culture and tradition, however outdated it might be.

Japan

Japan's first commercial hunt after leaving the IWC in 2019 (c) EIA

Five years after Japan left the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and resumed commercial whaling, the nation's offshore whaling company Kyodo Senpaku has renewed determination to continue and expand whaling.

The company has overseen the construction of a new whaling vessel, the Kangei Maru, and various marketing strategies such as whale meat vending machines and whale-based 'health' products. In the latest of a long series of efforts to spark consumer interest in whale meat, Japan extended its hunt to fin whales in 2024, auctioning off fresh fin whale meat for the first time in nearly 50 years, which fetched as much as $1,300 per kilo.

But despite these Government-supported efforts, sales are not going well. In a recent debate on Japanese national TV, the director of Kyodo Senpaku bemoaned the fact that leading supermarkets and online retailers such as Amazon Japan would not sell whale meat. Even before the expanded 2024 whaling season began, Japan had a surplus of more than 4,300 tonnes of whale meat, including at least 2,000 tonnes of Icelandic fin whale meat remaining from a 2023 import.

Increasingly, the meat from these majestic animals is being repurposed for pet food, making a mockery of Japan's claim that whaling is a tradition to be upheld.

Although no longer a member of the IWC, Japan continues to wield considerable influence within the organisation, aligning foreign aid with votes for pro-whaling positions as indicated by a number of resolutions supporting commercial whaling proposed and supported by non-whaling states such as Antigua & Barbuda and West and Central African countries.

At the 69th IWC meeting in 2024, for example, countries voting against both a Resolution on commercial whaling and a proposal for a South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary included Antigua & Barbuda, Benin, Cambodia, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Morocco and Togo.

Norway

Whale meat being unloaded from a whaling vessel, Norway (c) EIA

Last week, a Norwegian Government press release announced a new quota of 1,406 minke whales in 2025, an increase of 249 from the previous year.

But what the press release didn't say is that most of these whales won't be caught because there is no economic motivation to catch them. The highest catch since Norway resumed commercial whaling in 1993 was 660 minke whales and that was 10 years ago.

Within the announcement of new increased whale quotas, Norway's Ministry of Fisheries and Oceans seems to lend its support to the notion that by killing whales it will increase fish populations and bring 'balance' to the ocean. This statement, which lacks any credible scientific basis, is also stunningly hypocritical, given the two million tonnes of wild ocean fish that are used to feed Norwegian farmed salmon every year.

While pro-whaling advocates claim that minke whale meat is primarily used as human food and "coveted by fish restaurants", Norwegian whalers actually admit that "Norwegians have stopped eating whale meat". Small amounts of minke whale have been exported to Japan, but that trade has been hampered by Japan's concern over levels of pesticides in the whale meat.

Additional concerns have surfaced recently in a report by the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI), Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) and Norwegian NGO NOAH, revealing concerning levels of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in tests of Norwegian minke whale. This PFAS, or 'forever chemical', is linked to serious human health issues, including cancer, liver damage, immune system suppression and developmental problems in children.

In reality, the only noticeable demand seems to be as cheap meat to make pet food – and not just in Norway. At the end of last year, Finland's customs reported an illegal import of 36 tonnes of sausages containing minke whale meat caught in Norway. According to the customs agency, the sausages were used to feed sled dogs and the main reason whale meat was used in the feed was its "favourable price".

Iceland

Icelandic whaling vessel with its catch (c) Dagur Brynjólfsson

Of the three commercial whaling countries, Iceland offers the most hope for the future of whales. The last minke whaling company ceased in 2020 and Icelandic people have become increasingly vocal concerning the one-man war against fin whales led by millionaire Kristjan Loftsson.

After the appalling cruelty of the fin whale hunt was laid bare by the country's own veterinary experts in 2023, the Government suspended whaling. Although the fin whale hunt began in August 2023 with new regulations in place, welfare violations continued, prompting the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority (MAST) to temporarily suspend the permit of one of the two whaling vessels and only 24 whales were killed, compared to 148 the previous year.

In June 2024, the Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries granted a one-year permit to kill more than a hundred fin whales, but no whaling took place.

However, in October 2024, after Iceland's coalition government collapsed and during the interim period before a snap election, Loftsson's Hvalur whaling company submitted a new whaling license. Despite the caretaker status of the Government, Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson asserted that he would make a decision on the license and in December 2024, after Benediktsson lost the election, new five-year quotas to hunt 217 minke whales and 209 fin whales per year were announced.

Whether the new Government will overturn the quotas remains to be seen, but there are hopeful signs. The new Minister for Foreign Affairs, Þorgerður Katrin Gunnarsdóttir, has previously raised the issue in the Alþingi (the Icelandic Parliament), describing Iceland's whaling as "absolutely indefensible".

More recently, Kristrún Frostadóttir, the Prime Minister of Iceland,  stated that the laws on whaling in Iceland are outdated and require revision.

The time for whaling to end is now

Minke whale

The continued whaling by Iceland, Japan and Norway is not about cultural survival or economic necessity – it is about politics, nationalism and the unwillingness of a few powerful interests to let go of an outdated and unsustainable practice.

These three wealthy nations have no real justification for persisting with commercial whaling, especially when demand for whale meat is nearly non-existent and the economic value of live whales far outweighs that of dead ones.

In my view, whales represent the facets of the triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss perhaps better than any other group of animals.

Slaughtered almost to extinction, their numbers now are still a fraction of what they were before industrial whaling, even after almost 40 years of protection. Their marine habitat is threatened in multiple ways by climate change while the mercury, PFOS and other pollutants in their environment threaten not just their viability, but also the health of people that consume them.

At the same time, these wonderful creatures offer so much hope. Whales are not just incredible to watch, supporting sustainable whale watching industries around the world and connecting millions of people to nature, but they are one of nature's solution to climate change, making them an important ally in our global efforts to avoid catastrophic climate change.

Commercial whaling as a profit-making industry died long ago – what will it take for these countries to end this political charade that keeps whaling alive?

It is time for Iceland, Japan and Norway to acknowledge the changing values of their own peoples and the changing world around them – and consign commercial whaling to the history books.

Whales Have Developed An Impressive Strategy To Evade Predators

The ocean is a world of sound. Beneath the surface, marine life relies on calls, clicks, and songs to navigate, communicate, and survive. For baleen whales, singing songs is essential, but it also comes with risks.

Killer whales, their primary natural predators, are intelligent and highly skilled hunters. Yet, despite their sharp senses, some baleen whales manage to avoid their attacks.

New research from the University of Washington sheds light on a fascinating survival strategy. Some baleen whales call at frequencies so deep that killer whales cannot hear them.

This unique adaptation influences everything from migration to mating, revealing how fear shapes the behavior of these giants of the sea.

Fight or flight dilemma of whales

Baleen whales, known for their filter-feeding systems, differ from their toothed relatives in behavior and survival strategies.

Unlike dolphins or sperm whales, which often live in large, social pods, many baleen whale species lead more solitary lives. When faced with an attack, they must decide whether to fight or flee.

Some species, like humpbacks and gray whales, choose to stand their ground. They rely on their maneuverability and group defense to deter predators. Others, like blue and fin whales, opt for speed, escaping into the vastness of the open ocean.

This divide between fight and flight species plays a crucial role in shaping their lifestyles, habitats, and even the way they sing.

Mystery of whale songs

Whale songs are among the most haunting and complex sounds in nature. Scientists have long studied these vocalizations to understand their purpose.

While it is well known that whales use songs to attract mates and communicate across great distances, one question remained: why don't killer whales track these calls to hunt them down?

The answer lies in frequency. Killer whales have a hearing range that starts at 100 hertz, meaning they cannot detect sounds below this threshold.

Some baleen whales, particularly those in the flight category, have adapted by producing ultra-low-frequency calls that remain completely undetectable to their predators. These deep-voiced species include blue, fin, sei, Bryde's, and minke whales.

How songs help whales hide

Trevor Branch, professor of aquatic and fishery sciences at the University of Washington, led a study analyzing the relationship between whale songs and predation risk.

The research combined existing knowledge of killer whale hearing with studies on baleen whale vocalizations. By modeling how sound moves through the ocean, Professor Branch was able to determine which species remain acoustically hidden.

It turns out that the calls of flight species rarely travel more than a kilometer before fading. This means that even if killer whales could hear them, they would still be difficult to track.

Meanwhile, the fight species – right, bowhead, gray, and humpback whales – produce higher-frequency calls that can be detected from much greater distances.

Whales survival strategy hidden in songs

The idea that baleen whales rely on fight or flight responses is not new, but the role of sound in their survival adds a new layer of understanding. Could these deep songs serve as a defense mechanism?

This concept, known as "acoustic crypsis," suggests that some whales evolved to sing in a way that keeps them hidden from predators.

"But these super-loud songs could expose them and their mates to killer whale attack. And this is where acoustic crypsis comes in: singing at low frequencies that are impossible, or very difficult, for killer whales to hear," Branch said.

This survival strategy highlights how even the most massive creatures on Earth must adapt to threats. By calling at deep frequencies, flight species can continue their essential communication while reducing the risk of drawing unwanted attention.

How habitat influences defense

The fight-or-flight divide among baleen whales also affects where they live. Fight species tend to migrate and give birth in coastal areas.

These shallow waters provide some protection, as they allow group defense strategies to work more effectively. Their slow-swimming bodies may make them vulnerable, but their ability to maneuver quickly gives them an edge when fending off an attack.

In contrast, flight species thrive in the open ocean. Their sleek, powerful bodies allow them to escape quickly when danger approaches.

These whales spread out over vast distances, making it harder for killer whales to find them. Their survival depends on speed and silence rather than confrontation.

Trade-offs in feeding and mating

Choosing where to live comes with trade-offs. Coastal waters offer some protection from predators, but they also provide less food. Fight species must compete for limited resources, while flight species, living in more isolated open waters, have access to greater food supplies.

However, mating presents the opposite challenge. It is much easier for fight species to find partners when gathered in the same location.

Flight species, scattered across thousands of miles, must rely on their songs to attract mates. This explains why their calls are long and repetitive, increasing the chances of being heard over vast distances.

Role of fear in whale behavior

The findings of this research suggest that fear plays a significant role in shaping whale behavior. Every aspect of their lives, from where they breed to how they communicate, is influenced by the threat of predation.

"It just never occurred to me that some whales sing low to avoid killer whales, but the more I looked at this, the more I realized that every aspect of their behavior is influenced by the fear of predation," said Professor Branch.

This hidden war of sound beneath the waves highlights how even the ocean's largest creatures must navigate the dangers of their world. By understanding songs of whales, scientists continue to uncover the secrets of survival in the deep.

The study is published in the journal Marine Mammal Science.

—–

Like what you read? Subscribe to our newsletter for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates. 

Check us out on EarthSnap, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.Com.

—–

Cautious Whales Sing In A Whisper Orcas Cannot Hear

Blue whales are not just the largest animals alive today, but the largest animals to ever live on Earth. They can stretch past 100 feet long and weigh up to 330,000 pounds. Being this big, it seems, should render blue whales impervious to predators. But just as no bank is too big to fail, no whale is too big to totally evade being eaten by the ocean's top predator. Killer whales prey on nearly every large animal species found in the ocean, and blue whales are no exception.

In 2022, scientists confirmed that a pod of orcas can take down an adult blue whale, not to mention the smaller calves they frequently hunt. "Killer whale attacks on large whales is the biggest predation event that occurs on the planet," Robert Pitman, a researcher with the Marine Mammal Institute at Oregon State University, wrote in an email. "There probably hasn't been anything on that scale since dinosaurs roamed the earth."

Orcas pose a threat to all species of baleen whales, which are famously known to sing. These songs could endanger the whales, alerting the orcas to the whales' presence. But a new paper in the journal Marine Mammal Science suggests that blue and other big baleen whales are capable of a phenomenon dubbed "acoustic crypsis"; that is, they sing at frequencies or levels too low to be detected by killer whales.

The idea first came to Trevor Branch, the sole author of the new paper and a scientist at the University of Washington, when he was on sabbatical last year. He was trying to write a book about blue whales, which involved reading everything that has been written about them. One book he picked up mentioned the lower hearing limit of orcas. "It suddenly struck me that they couldn't hear blue whales at all," Branch said. "And I thought, wait, that can't be right. That's just impossible." He started poking around in the literature and found evidence suggesting that killer whales cannot hear sounds below 100 Hz. (Of course, Branch caveated, orcas' hearing abilities are as variable as those of humans; "some can hear much better than others, and some of them have hearing loss.")

Branch came up with a hypothesis: If killer whales can't hear blue whales, maybe the hunters couldn't hear any other species of baleen whale. But as he tracked down the calling frequencies of other species, he learned that killer whales could actually hear some species, disproving his hypothesis. "It was like a constant series of revelations," Branch said. "Getting my theory dashed, and then coming up with a new theory and getting that dashed," he said. But then Branch realized the two groups of whales he had discovered—the whales orcas could hear and the whales orcas couldn't hear—mapped onto another theory he'd encountered.

The fight or flight theory, proposed in a 2008 paper, divided baleen whales into two discrete categories of defense against orcas. The "fight" whales—which include right whales, bowhead whales, grey whales, and humpbacks—actively defend themselves and their calves against killer whale attacks. "I read a case of a right whale smacking an orca straight out of the water 20 feet up in the air," Branch said. Conversely, the "flight" group—which includes blue whales, minke whales, Bryde's whales, sei whales, and fin whales—flee in response to killer whales, often reaching speeds of 24 miles per hour for hours at a time.

The powerful tail of a southern right whale.Johann van Heerden via Getty Images

In Branch's research, he generally found the killer whales could hear the higher-frequency songs of the fight whales, but not the lower-frequency songs of the flight whales, allowing the latter, defenseless group to communicate, undetected, in the vast open ocean. And it wasn't just the frequency, but also the levels, at which the whales were calling; flight species often did not call as loudly or as frequently as fight species. For example, minke whales—whose tongues are a prized orca treat—rarely ever call. "They just wander around silently," Branch said. "They're like submarines."

For a long time, scientists disputed how common and significant a threat orcas posed to baleen whales, said Peter Corkeran, a marine ecologist and conservation biologist at Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia, who reviewed the new paper. "No one saw a lot of orca attacks back then, because there weren't that many whales around," Corkeran said. In 1999, Corkeran and a researcher named Richard Connor published a paper, "Why Do Baleen Whales Migrate?", which argued that orca predation had a bigger influence on baleen whales than was previously believed. The researchers hypothesized that the baleen whales' annual migrations allowed mothers to birth and raise calves in areas with reduced risk of killer whale attacks. "People just thought we were insane," Corkeran said. "Now it's accepted."

Pitman saw his first killer whale attack in 1997, when a pod of 35 orcas attacked a pod of nine sperm whales. During these attacks, sperm whales, a fight species, arrange themselves in a rosette, their heads pointing to the center and tails pointing outward, ready to slap an orca away. Pitman and colleagues watched as the orcas circled and lunged toward the rosette of sperm whales until they could isolate one whale and deal a fatal blow. Pitman found the attack so moving that he spent the next 20 years studying killer whales. "It is hard not to be enthralled," he said.

Different populations of killer whales prefer different prey. But orcas that hunt marine mammals find their prey acoustically, said Pitman, who was not involved in the new paper. "But they have limitations on their ability to detect sounds, and their prey take advantage of that," he said. He said he wasn't too surprised by the findings of the new paper, as scientists have known that smaller whales produce higher-frequency songs above an orca's hearing range. Pitman added that the loud, low-frequency calls of large whales offer the animals another benefit of being able to communicate across many hundreds of miles.

In the new paper, Branch speculates whether the threat of orca attacks has shaped other aspects of baleen whale evolution, such as the shifts in their songs. A blue whale has a simple, monotonous song that does not evolve year after year, unlike the complex songs of bowheads and humpbacks. "Blue whales are like 'wah-wah,' 'wah-wah,' 'wah-wah,' for hours and hours and hours," Branch said. A 2009 paper identified a mysterious trend: all populations of blue whales worldwide have gradually deepened their songs since the 1960s. Branch wonders if killer whales might be behind the deepening songs; perhaps the lowest-singing blue whales were more likely to evade predation and produce more offspring. He also wonders if orcas explain the rapid growth of blue whale calves, which are born 23 feet long and grow to about 52 feet in just seven months—a size that makes them far more difficult prey.

Branch sees this paper as a concept: a very simplistic analysis of an idea he thinks works, that he hopes others will test in experiments. For him, the research was a labor of love—a project undertaken with no funding‚ although he's since applied for a grant from the National Science Foundation to continue the research. Last month, the NSF froze payments to all existing grants in response to Trump's orders targeting DEI efforts. "I'm hoping there will still be an NSF to fund us, of course," Branch said.

Recommended

---