Modern Whaling Methods

In the early part of the 20th century, whaling was still a profitable industry. The Japanese had whaling stations, as did Norwegians that adopted the modernization methods of whaling as early as 1906. The harpoon gun decreased the risk whalers endured simply because it allowed men to stay aboard the ship and not be in a small boat tracking the whale. The beginning of the 20th century also saw the use of the exploding harpoon gun. The exploding harpoon gun shot explosives at the whale in an attempt to kill it for slaughter.

  1. History

    • Whaling has driven the whale into near extinction.

      Whaling is the hunting of whales for their blubber and meat. Whaling goes back as far as the 9th century in Spain. By the 19th century, whaling had become its own industry. Norwegians, during the boom of the whaling industry, created the exploding harpoon gun. Whaling became so popular and profitable that some whales nearly became extinct. In 1986, the International Whaling Commission set a ban on all commercial whaling and it is still in effect today.

    Current

    • Whales feed in the neritic zone of the ocean.

      Despite the ban on commercialized whaling set in 1986, Japan and Norway continue to whale. The Japanese use scientific research as a guise for whaling, while Norwegians ignore the ban by the International Whaling Commission and set their own quotas as an industry with Iceland. All three countries collectively kill 2,500 whales annually, still using the techniques used 100 years ago. Species targeted by the Japanese, Norwegians and Icelanders include fin, minke, sperm, humpback and sei. Aboriginal whaling also continues in the United States, Greenland and Russia.

    Hunting

    • Whaling as an industry was lucrative.

      The hunt for a whale requires visibility, a good captain and great marksmanship. All three are necessary to kill a whale instantaneously in a hunt. The weather can create a disaster for a whaling ship by not allowing the motion of the vessel to give the marksman a good shot at the whale with a harpoon. A properly aimed shot can reduce the kill time of the whale by days. Also the suffering endured by the whale is less when the weather motion of the ship and the marksman all come together for a merciful kill of the whale.

    Killing

    • Whale hunting was a dangerous business before the exploding harpoon.

      The most common killing method of a whale is with the exploding harpoon. The harpoon is fired from a cannon at the bow of the ship. The force of the explosion can penetrate the whale from 30m away. Once the grenade has penetrated the whale, it detonates causing neuro-trauma to the whale, ultimately killing it. If the exploding harpoon fails to kill the whale, a non-exploding harpoon or rifle wounds the whale for a second time. The pain suffered from whale hunting is unclear. Norwegian whalers kill their target with the first attempt 81 percent of the time, while Japanese whalers only have a 40 percent first shot kill rate.