Hobbies And Interests
Commercial Whaling
One of the most significant threats to whale populations throughout the world is commercial whaling. International law prohibits commercial whaling, yet many commercial fishermen -- and even some countries, such as Japan -- ignore the international moratorium on whaling. Consequently, more than 1,000 whales are hunted and killed each year and sold on the market. The hunting of these whales depletes their population and further endangers the survival of the species. These whales are hunted for meat, oil, fat and other uses.
Trapped in Fishing Gear
In the past, drift nets were used in commercial fishing. These light nets caught large swathes of schooling fish, but also caught other types of marine life that were not intended for hunting, including whales. Although the nets were banned for use outside of 200-mile coastal areas in the 1990s, old nets still remain in the ocean, and some countries continue to use them despite the ban. When whales get caught in these nets, they usually drown.
Pollution
The poisoning of marine habitats also threatens the population and health of several whale species. Pollution such as toxic waste, oil spills, trash and chemicals harm whale populations as the animals ingest these materials. Sometimes debris serves as a choking hazard for the animals while other times harmful items found in their environment poison them. These materials may also have an impact on the food chain, limiting or making poisonous the food that whales consume.
Collisions with Ships
As international trade continues to grow, more and more commercial vessels are coming into contact with what populations. Sometimes whales collide with commercial ships and are either killed or injured from the collision -- for instance, by coming into contact with the propeller. Shipping traffic may also disturb the whales' habitat through the loud noise they make, which scares whales away from areas in which they may be feeding or breeding.