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Global whaling ban -

In 1986, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) banned commercial whaling due to concerns over rapidly depleting stocks.

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Global whaling ban -

The practice of hunting whales for their meat and blubber, which has been popular for centuries the world over, was theoretically put to a stop.

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The practice continues -

However, there are still countries that engage in whaling despite the ban. Norway, for example, “objects” to the ban, while Japan withdrew from the Commission in 2018.

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Numbers -

According to Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC), Japan, Norway, and Iceland have killed nearly 40,000 whales since 1986.

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Whale-based goods -

The meat and body parts of hunted whales are sold and used to make items ranging from pharmaceuticals and health products to human and pet food.

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Unpopular -

Whaling has been unpopular for a long time; many people simply find it disturbing to witness the slaughter of such a majestic animal, particularly one that is already endangered.

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Serious consequences -

And yet there is an equally, if not more, disturbing consequence of whaling that scientists have only recently begun to take notice of.

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Carbon sequesters -

As a matter of fact, whales are very handy when it comes to keeping carbon out of the atmosphere, and therefore hunting them is really quite harmful for the environment.

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How does it work? -

If we want to understand why killing whales for their meat and parts is so environmentally-unfriendly, we must first consider their size.

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Giant stores of carbon -

Whales are among the largest creatures on Earth, and are essentially giant stores of carbon. When they die of natural causes, that carbon sinks to the bottom of the ocean, where it stays for centuries.

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Giant stores of carbon -

When, instead, a whale is hunted, and its carcass is not allowed to sink to the ocean floor, all that carbon is released into the atmosphere.

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Rough numbers -

One scientist at the University of Maine estimated that over the 20th century whaling released roughly 70 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

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Perspective -

This may not seem like a lot (15 million cars can do this in one year), but it is not only by dying and sinking to the bottom of the ocean that whales do their part for the planet.

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Whale poo -

They even contribute to the fight against global warming by pooping! Whale excrement is rich in iron and therefore offers phytoplankton the perfect environment in which to grow.

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Phytoplankton -

Phytoplankton in turn are great at capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. In fact, it is estimated that phytoplankton capture 40% of all carbon dioxide produced.

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Phytoplankton -

With fewer whales, then, there are fewer phytoplankton, and the ocean’s ability to absorb carbon is greatly reduced.

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Tragedy -

According to one policy manager at WDC, “We need to think of whaling as being a tragedy that has removed a huge organic carbon pump from the ocean.”

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Other consequences of whaling -

Research suggests that whaling has also impacted the environment in other, more indirect ways. For example, with fewer other whales in the ocean to feed on, orcas have begun to prey on sea otters.

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Dwindling kelp forests -

With populations of sea otters declining, sea urchins have been allowed to thrive, and sea urchins love to feast on kelp forests, which have long since been recognized as great CO2 absorbers.

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Whale repopulation -

All this, then, has led to concerted efforts in recent years to restore whale populations. The idea is becoming increasingly popular with respect to other climate change initiatives.

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Tackling climate change -

Other ideas include tree planting and stimulating phytoplankton growth by adding iron to the ocean. The problem with tree planting, however, is that it requires landmass that we simply don’t have.

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Tackling climate change -

And while artificially stimulating phytoplankton growth might sound like a good idea, in fact studies suggest it is much less efficient than rebuilding whale populations.

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Other benefits of whale repopulation -

Restoring whale populations has the added benefit that it doesn’t only help combat climate change, but it also helps the planet’s ecosystem in other ways.

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Home sweet home -

For example, whale carcasses provide a great habitat for many deep sea species. Research suggests that a skeleton in its final stage of decay can house and feed up to 200 species.

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Carbon offsetting -

There already exist several carbon offsetting mechanisms that allow parties responsible for high levels of carbon emissions to invest in whale repopulation.

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Carbon offsetting -

The idea is that they pay towards the cause of protecting whale populations rather than reducing their own carbon emissions, and thereby end up in a carbon neutral position.

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IMF Paper -

One of the co-authors of a 2019 paper by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has appealed to potential participants in carbon offsetting schemes. He said: “What you’re doing is valuing the service from the whales, because they’re sequestering carbon dioxide.”

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IMF Paper -

The conclusion of the 2019 IMF paper is that whale protection must now be prioritized as a way to tackle the ongoing problem of climate change.

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Going forward -

It remains to be seen whether the topic will be put on the agenda of the UN Climate Change Conference, which will take place in Azerbaijan later in 2024.

Sources: (BBC) (WDC)

See also: Floating gardens: Bangladesh's answer to climate change

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