Freakonomics Radio

550. Why Do People Still Hunt Whales?

Thu Jul 20 2023

whalinghistorytechnologyconservationactivismJapan

Description

The episode covers the history of whaling, technological advancements in the industry, the rise and fall of the whaling industry, environmental activism and cultural perspectives, the current state of whaling and conservation efforts, and future threats to whales.

Insights

Whale meat's value

Whale meat is primarily valued for its oil content rather than as a major product.

Impact of post-war conditions

After World War II, Japan's demand for whale meat increased due to food shortages.

The International Whaling Commission (IWC)

The IWC was established in 1946 to regulate whaling and set a global quota for whale hunting.

Greenpeace's Save the Whales movement

Greenpeace launched a movement called Save the Whales to raise awareness about the conservation of whales.

Paul Watson's confrontational tactics

Paul Watson, an eco-warrior, used direct action tactics to interfere with whaling ships and raise awareness about the horrors of whale hunting.

Japan's decision to resume commercial whaling

Japan left the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in 2019 and resumed commercial whaling, citing historical significance and support for local communities.

Impact of anti-whaling activism on small towns

Anti-whaling activism puts pressure on small towns like Taiji, which lack international presence and official social media representation.

Declining demand for whale meat

The global demand for whale meat is low compared to Tuna, leading to declining prices and struggling markets.

Support for whaling in Japan

Polls show that most Japanese people support whaling or Japan's right to whale, even if they don't consume whale meat themselves.

Future threats to whales

Whales face threats from offshore wind farms, noise pollution, and fishing nets.

Chapters

The History of Whaling
Technological Advancements in Whaling
The Rise and Fall of Whaling Industry
Environmental Activism and Cultural Perspectives
Current State of Whaling and Conservation Efforts
Future Threats to Whales

Summary

Transcript

The History of Whaling

00:02 - 07:34

Bjorn Basperg, an economic historian, has eaten whale meat and studied the whaling heritage in Antarctica.
Whale meat can be cooked on a barbecue or eaten raw as carpaccio.
Commercial whaling is still practiced in Norway, Japan, and Iceland, but it is no longer a big business.
The American whaling industry collapsed due to the rise of fossil fuels and better job opportunities.
Norway remains the largest commercial whaler, but there isn't much demand for their whale meat.
The International Whaling Commission enforces a global moratorium on commercial whaling, but Norway, Japan, and Iceland do not abide by it.
Indigenous groups in various countries still hunt whales sustainably.
The Norwegian government justifies its continued whaling industry based on historical significance and community interest.

Technological Advancements in Whaling

07:14 - 14:46

Whaling industry in Sandefjord and Bjorn Baspburg declined in the 1960s
Interest in economic history led to studying whaling as an industry
Technology played a significant role in whaling
Norwegian whaling industry used steamships and harpoon cannons
Norwegians hunted whales in Antarctica, offering a new supply of larger whales
American whaling industry couldn't hunt blue whales due to their size and sinking quickly
Norwegian whaling ships were like floating factories accompanied by smaller ships for processing whale oil
Other countries adopted Norwegian technology, but the US didn't show interest due to macro trends and diversification into other industries
US focused on coal, petroleum, steel, railroads, real estate, media, and telecommunications instead of whaling
Norway's low wages and availability of inexpensive oil made whaling attractive for economic growth
Whaling contributed significantly to Norway's economy with revenues sometimes surpassing those from fishing
Whale oil was used as lighting fuel and industrial lubricant before demand fell; it was then processed further for margarine production by companies like Unilever and Procter & Gamble
Whale meat was never a major product; its value was primarily in its oil content
After World War II, Japan's demand for whale meat increased due to post-war conditions

The Rise and Fall of Whaling Industry

14:21 - 21:49

Whale meat became more valuable in Japan after World War II due to food shortages.
General Douglas MacArthur ordered the Japanese to go all in on whale hunting to alleviate the food shortage.
The International Whaling Commission (IWC) was established in 1946 to regulate whaling.
The IWC set a global quota for whale hunting, leading to a surge in catching as many big whales as possible.
In the 1970s, there was a shift in public sentiment towards whales and conservation efforts increased.
The US banned commercial whaling under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Greenpeace launched a movement called Save the Whales.
Paul Watson, an eco-warrior, intervened against the Soviet whaling fleet and witnessed the killing of whales for military purposes.

Environmental Activism and Cultural Perspectives

21:31 - 28:32

Paul Watson's encounter with a Soviet ship helped drive the Save the Wales movement
Watson's confrontational tactics led to his ousting from Greenpeace and he now operates under the Captain Paul Watson Foundation
Direct action, like interfering with whaling ships or sinking them, is justified by the horror of whale hunting according to Watson
Attempts to understand whalers' perspectives have been difficult due to their reluctance to speak publicly
Jay Alabaster gained the trust of Japanese whalers by involving himself in their society and giving a speech explaining his intentions
Whaling in Taiji is done using a method called drive hunt, where boats spread out and push pods of whales towards Taiji
Live animals are worth more than those sold for meat in Taiji, with show animals fetching higher prices
The film 'The Cove' condemned both killing whales for meat and selling them to dolphinariums
'The Cove' won an Oscar for Best Documentary and Japan faced widespread criticism for allowing whaling

Current State of Whaling and Conservation Efforts

28:06 - 35:29

The Cove won the Oscar for Best Documentary, highlighting the issue of whaling in Taiji, Japan.
Jay Alabaster, a journalist, decided to get a PhD in Journalism and Mass Communications to tell the bigger story of Taiji and its whaling practices.
Japan left the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in 2019 and resumed commercial whaling.
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary defended the decision, stating that whaling has supported local communities and has historical significance beyond just protein consumption.
Anti-whaling activism puts pressure on small towns like Taiji, which lack international presence and official social media representation.
Japan is concerned that if whaling ends successfully, it may impact other parts of their fisheries industry, particularly their Tuna industry.
The global demand for whale meat is low compared to Tuna. Whale meat prices have significantly decreased over time.
Whale meat is served across Japan but constitutes a very small percentage of people's diets.
Polls show that most Japanese people support whaling or Japan's right to whale even if they don't consume whale meat themselves.
Outside pressure has boosted support for whaling across the political spectrum in Japan due to cultural traditions being invoked as justification.
The war against whaling has had an impact on countries like Spain, Australia, and Chile but not on Japan, Norway, and Iceland who continue to ignore anti-whaling efforts.
Small communities like Taiji have a thriving whaling culture that they believe is sustainable despite moral arguments against it.
The era of big-scale commercial whaling is declining due to struggling markets and limited demand for whale meat in countries like Norway.

Future Threats to Whales

35:01 - 37:07

Humans are still killing hundreds of thousands of whales a year, not by hunting them.
Whales are washing up on shores or being found floating dead.
The next episode will discuss the dangers to whales from offshore wind farms, noise pollution, and fishing nets.
The third and final episode of 'Everything You Never Knew About Whaling' will explore the ethnic diversity of 19th century whaling crews compared to modern offices.