A brief summary.
We would like to start our first ever Fundition project by asking our followers to help protect and save our largest mammal friends, whales, which are more endangered every year. We will use this first project to expose the environmental issues affecting whales, and to spread some information about whales’ involvement in the world’s ecosystem. All funds that we raise will go directly to SavetheWhales.org, in the name of Fundition.
The situation.
The commercial whaling industry has been around for a very long time; it actually started at least 5000 years ago. However, it wasn’t until the 17th century that technology and innovation allowed whaling to truly emerge as a powerful “industry.” Especially in the 18th and 19th centuries, in the boom that accompanied the Industrial Era, demand for whale-based products skyrocketed; especially tallow that acted as the fuel for lights.
In the 20th century, factory ships were transformed into whale ships, capable of transporting an entire whale. This innovation made the capture of whales even easier, which led to a rapid decrease in the overall population of whales. This caused many species to be listed as endangered for the first time.
By the end of the 1930’s, there were more than 50,000 whales killed every year. Environmental organizations and associations began to be concerned, and they saw whale hunting as a questionable practice. Unfortunately, initial conclusions were reached, and it seemed that certain species would almost surely face extinction.
In 1986, the International Whaling Commission finally banned almost all whales hunting, dealing a fatal blow to the whaling industry. Unfortunately, in many cases, it was nearly too late. Over the past 30 years, many whale species have been able to recover, but some are still vulnerable, and risk extinction.
Do we still need to act today?
We did made an improvement, as a result of the 1986 treaty. We have gone from more than 50,000 whales killed annually to 2,000. But that isn’t enough; whale hunting continues, and it is an issue we must face in today’s world.
Nowadays, whale hunting is allowed in two categories. The first is somewhat understandable, but the second should no longer be allowed.
The cultural hunt. For some communities, whale hunting is part of their culture. For these peoples, hunting isn’t part of an industry, but instead, part of their survival.
Hunting for research. Unfortunately, a few countries are still hunting in the name of scientific research. However, in the meantime, no clear research was conducted. Namely, there has been no significant advancement in the understanding of the whale, or new discoveries.
Additionally, some countries (Norway and Iceland, for example) are ignoring the 1986 ban on whale hunting. They have decided to not follow it anymore, to the detriment of whale populations.
Why should we save whales?
Well, first of all, and in our opinion, whales are the most magnificent animals, ever, in the universe.
They are very important to the world’s ecosystem, and they are also important to the understanding of marine life. We can also observe and analyze whales, to improve our own abilities and develop our own skills as humans.
Whales have many similarities with humans. In fact, depending on the whale species, some spend the majority of their lives together. They will even hunt together, in order to be able to protect one another from harm.
More than that, whales help to maintain a stable food chain, making the ocean less crowded for all its inhabitants. They ensure the balance of the ecosystem, so that species don’t become overpopulated.
Even the whale’s poop is important.
Because of atmospheric pressure, whales can’t poop when they are under water; they have to be near the surface to be able to defecate. Amazingly, thanks to that, they are able to release a huge amount of nutrients into the water. That, in turn, helps phytoplankton to grow. The incredible thing is that this phytoplankton extracts carbon from the air, thus cleaning the atmosphere. This plant provides a cleaner and healthier breathing environment. In fact, phytoplankton supply at least half of the world’s oxygen. They are also providing food for the species who eat phytoplankton, for example the minnows.
It breaks down as follows:
Whales poop → nutrients enter the water
Nutrients → allow phytoplankton to grow
Phytoplankton → extracts carbon from the atmosphere, and supply half of the world’s oxygen
Phytoplankton → feed other species such as minnows
Each whale, even when they poop, makes a huge difference to the entire world’s ecosystem, and that’s why we must protect them as much as we can.
Help us save a whale!
You can start by donation to our Fundition campaign. Every single cent of what you give will go to Save the Whales (www.savethewhales.org), a nonprofit organization that has been changing the world for whales for more than 40 years.
We would like to also invite you to check some websites about the whales and get to know more about this issue that is touching our environment but also our lives.
What will we do with your donation?
We will give 100% of your donation directly to savethewhales.org, in the name of Fundition.
