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Blue whales were hunted extensively in the 20th century, with 340,000 out of 350,000 being killed. They were hunted for their blubber and body parts, which were used for various purposes. The hunting was driven by greed and advances in naval technology. Although most countries have now banned whale hunting, Japan, Iceland, and Norway still hunt over 1,000 blue whales per year. Blue whale conservation efforts began in 1966, prompted by their near-extinction. Laws were enacted to protect the whales, and organizations like Greenpeace played a significant role in raising awareness. The conservation efforts aim to increase the whale population and preserve the ecosystem. The whalers lost their rights, and only three countries continue to hunt whales. This is an important topic as blue whales are crucial for the environment and represent hope for other endangered species. Blue whales were hunted in the 20th century, from 1900 to 1950, and 340,000 out of their global population of 350,000 were killed. Whalers took whaling ships with weapons such as exploding harpoons and killed whole pods of blue whales. Whales were hunted for their blubber, which is melted down to be used for oil and lamp, fuel, candles, soaps, and as a base for perfumes. Phthalene, which is their teeth, was used for items such as corsets, whips, and umbrellas. The whales were easy to hunt because they often remained close to the coast, which made them easy targets for the hunters. From 1900 to 1950, most coastal countries participated in the hunting of blue whales, and although it is now illegal in the majority of countries, Japan, Iceland, and Norway still hunt over 1,000 blue whales combined per year. The hunting of blue whales was caused by personal greed and a desire for money, as well as advances in naval technology and the need for their large supply of blubber and body parts. The whaling industry has made millions of dollars from exploiting these whales. Although whale hunting has been happening for centuries, the scale of how many whales were hunted skyrocketed in the 1900s due to advances in navigation, ships, and weaponry. This time period covered both World Wars, during which there were many improvements in technology. The blue whale conservation effort emerged around 1966 because whales were starting to go extinct and people decided to take action to protect them from commercial hunters. Blue whales are now protected by laws such as Endangered Species Act passed by President Nixon and the Marine Mammal Act passed by Congress. These acts are meant to protect the whales and conserve what little population is left. The turning point was the realization that humans had hunted the whales to near extinction and needed to do something about it. This greatly affected the whale population and the ecosystem with which they interacted. One group who really helped the conservation of the whales was Greenpeace. They greatly impacted the deceit of whale ships which got the media involved in the cause. This media played a big role in the conservation of the blue whales because it made people realize that whales were going extinct and there were articles written about it and websites trying to raise money for the cause. Organizations such as Greenpeace and WDC, Whale and Dolphin Conservation, also helped to bring the problem of whaling into the news with some people even going as far as standing off with whaling ships. The turning point of blue whale conservation efforts affected many people because whales play a big part in the food chain and reproduction of many aquatic species and without them the environment could change drastically. The desired effect of the international community was to start increasing the population of blue whales by stopping whalers from killing more whales. It has been very successful so far. The whalers lost their rights to hunt whales and the anti-whaling organizations won. Only three countries who currently hunt whales are Japan, Iceland, and Norway. The only real changes in the U.S. from the turning point were the laws against whaling and the lack of money that was previously been coming from whaling. This is an important topic because blue whales are very important to the ecosystem and are also just really interesting animals. The most interesting thing we learned about our topic is that their tongues can weigh as much as an elephant. This topic relates to the theme, the sign of hope for other endangered species. If we can bring back blue whales, it suggests that it might be possible to do the same for other species that are on the brink of extinction.
