Whales are for watching. Whether the motivation is cultural or commercial is irrelevant. The Makahs make a strong case, bolstered by Inuit whaling rights in the Bering Sea. But their claim is no more legitimate than that of the Japanese or the Norwegians, equally ancient whaling cultures that propose to hunt healthy populations of minke whales. As creatures that routinely migrate the globe, whales demand a coherent and consistent international policy.
Whales are for watching.
The whaling nations are hungrily anticipating the huge loophole in IWC rules that a Makah quota would create. For the second year running, the Danish Delegation and its acolytes were frustrated by bottlenose whales and the Infractions Committee. Denmark agrees that this species is protected by the Moratorium, with all its implications. She explains that in the Faroes, bottlenose whales are either killed once they have accidentally stranded or are deliberately driven ashore and then slaughtered. But the Faroese have even more explaining to do.