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Argumentative Essay On Whaling

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An Exemption For Whaling

For this week’s written assignment, I have chosen to address the Norwegian and Japanese positions on permitting whale hunting as a cultural exemption. As someone who was born in Norway, and has visited several whaling towns, I feel that I have some idea of the importance of whaling to Norwegian cultures and national identity. Although Japan is culturally and geographically a very different place to Norway, I feel that the importance of whaling to both cultures provides some similarities between the two nations.

1. Do you agree with the Norwegian and Japanese position on permitting the hunting of non-endangered species of whales as a cultural exemption?

I find this particular question a difficult one to answer. Whaling is a notoriously cruel method of hunting – “there is no humane way to kill a whale at sea. Many die a slow, painful death” (Whale and Dolphin Conservation, n.d.). There is also concern from whale scientists about the effect of the hunting of whales on whale communities and populations (Whale and Dolphin Conservation, n.d.). It cannot be denied that whaling is an inhumane process, with serious repercussions for the whale species.

However, I do feel that Norway and Japan should be able to exercise their right to self-determination (as expressed in the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights). Both countries argue that whaling is crucial to several of their local communities. The North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission states

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