Reference no: EM133618787
Assignment:
The International Whaling Commission (IWC) recognizes three types of whaling: commercial (selling whale meat and body parts), subsistence (consuming whale meat as one's own food source), and scientific (hunting whales and using them for research purposes).
Since 1986, the IWC has permitted subsistence and scientific whaling, but has banned commercial whaling. Norway and Iceland have objected to this ban and have continued whaling in their own waters. In 2019, Japan withdrew from the IWC and began commercial whaling.
TASK
Read the article: What is whaling and why is it controversial
After reading the article answer these questions: Why did Japan begin commercial whaling? Should commercial whaling be allowed for whale species that are thriving?
For reference, the IWC protects minke whales mentioned in the article, though the International Union for the Conservation of Nature lists this species as "least concern" and in no danger of extinction:
Are whales deserving of special protection regardless of the conservation status? Are there risks to the IWC's ban on commercial whaling?