History

• Whaling is the hunting of whales for their meat and by-products.
  
• Whaling dates back to the 9th century when the first large-scale whaling took place in Spain, by the end of the 19th century many other countries had invested in this industry and developed major whaling industries.
  
• Norwegian whalers developed the method currently used to kill whales – the exploding harpoon – in the late nineteenth century
  
• Over time some species were hunted to the brink of extinction and it became apparent that sustainable whaling could not continue on such a large scale.
  
• Thus in 1986 the International Whaling Commission (IWC) adopted a worldwide ban on commercial whaling.

Current situation

• Despite this ban, loopholes allow Japan and Norway to continue whaling.
  
• Japan hunts under the guise of scientific research. Iceland and Norway both hunt under an objection to the ban, allowing them to award themselves quotas outside the of the IWC’s recommendations.
  
• Japan, Iceland and Norway collectively kill over 2,500 whales annually, using methods that have changed little in over a century.
  
• Targeted species include fin, minke, Bryde’s, sei, sperm, humpback
  
• Aboriginal whaling also continues in many countries including the United States, Greenland and Russia.
  
• Our report, Troubled Waters, examines the welfare implications of the methods currently used to kill whales.

The hunt
The combination of visibility, sea state, ship motion and marksmanship are likely to impact significantly on the ability of the whaler to reliably kill a whale instantaneously.

If the weather, sea conditions or the motion of the vessel do not allow for a properly aimed shot, then there is a significant risk of a poorly placed harpoon or bullet causing an extended time to death and associated suffering.

The kill
The main killing method used during commercial and scientific whaling is the penthrite grenade harpoon which is fired from a cannon on the bow of a ship. The harpoon is intended to penetrate about 30 cm into the whale before detonation and kill the animal through neurotrauma.

If the first harpoon fails to kill the whale, then a second penthrite harpoon or a rifle is used as a secondary killing method. The common use of secondary killing methods reflects the inefficiency of the primary killing methods. The IWC has not established any formal criteria for determining when to apply secondary killing methods and the decision rests solely with the hunter.

In 2002, Norwegian whalers killed 80.7% of their targets instantly, whereas in 2002/2003 Japanese whalers only killed 40.2% of their instantly. As marine mammals, whales bodies’ are adapted for diving and going without oxygen intake for long periods. This may mean that whales are able to experience pain over a period significantly longer than suggested by the current IWC criteria for death in whales.