Whale hunting dates very far back. For example, Japan has instances of whale hunting that date back to 800AD, and there have also been instances of whale hunting during the middle ages in European waters for their meat, blubber and oil. In early America, whalemen ate whale blubber. However, the general public did not usually do this as it was percieved as unfit for the ‘civilized’ population.
A species called the Minke whale, a species with a white underbelly and a black back, is one of the most common species still hunted in substantial numbers. However, in recent years, Japan has resumed taking North Pacific fin and sei whales in their research whaling. The fin whales are quite popular in the whaling community as they yield arguably the best quality of tail meat (onomi).
One reason why people may continue to consume whale meat is due to religion. For example, certain parts of Buddhism argue that if you’re going to eat an animal, it is morally better to consume one large animal rather than multiple smaller ones. Thus, with this logic, killing a whale or a species that isn’t endangered is more ethical than eating something such as beef as a singular whale yields more meat than multiple cows. However, this can be countered with the argument that due to the whale’s large size, the process is more difficult and the pain is prolonged, hence it can be considered as an unethical practice.
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