Icelandic whaler defends blue whale kill (warning pics inside)

Chrome Hyena · Jul 12, 2018

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2018/07/12/europe/iceland-blue-whale-intl/index.html

One of Iceland's richest men has hit back against claims his whaling company illegally killed a protected blue whale.

"We have never caught a blue whale in our waters since they were protected," Kristján Loftsson, managing director of Hvalur hf, told CNN. "We see them in the ocean. When you approach a blue whale, it's so distinct that you leave it alone."

Anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd claimed Wednesday that Loftsson's company had killed and butchered a blue whale in Hvalfjordur, Iceland. Volunteers monitoring the whaling site photographed orange-clad crews examining the massive carcass.

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What the hell Iceland? This shit still really going on? One of the most majestic animals alive killed so needlessly.

Masoyama · Jul 12, 2018

Really weird reaction people seem to have against certain animals being slaughtered for food. Of course, you dont want to kill endangered animals or be needlessly cruel about it, but whaling has/had its niche.

evil solrac v3.0 · Jul 12, 2018

Masoyama said:
Really weird reaction people seem to have against certain animals being slaughtered for food. Of course, you dont want to kill endangered animals or be needlessly cruel about it, but whaling has/had its niche.

I don't think it's realistic to keep the same practices year after year. as humans we have to start figuring other food sources that don't damage the environment so much. plus blue whales are endangered.

Masoyama · Jul 12, 2018

evil solrac v3.0 said:
I don't think it's realistic to keep the same practices year after year. as humans we have to start figuring other food sources that don't damage the environment so much. plus blue whales are endangered.

I get that, but the whaling ship is arguing that they caught another type of whale, a "fin whale" . Its probably just a lie to save their ass, but I don't have any problem with the idea of whaling itself. It this was indeed a blue whale, then yeah, fuck that.

signal · Jul 12, 2018

Sad but also kind of a cool photo. They're so huge and usually photographed just out at sea where there isn't much to compare them to for scale. Seeing one on land makes it more obvious.

MasterVampire · Jul 12, 2018

Why are whales killed?

They are like modern dinosaurs

Wyman Manderly · Jul 12, 2018

signal said:
Sad but also kind of a cool photo. They're so huge and usually photographed just out at sea where there isn't much to compare them to for scale. Seeing one on land makes it more obvious.

I had this same thought.

The largest animal to ever live.

Westbahnhof · Jul 12, 2018

Authorities in Iceland will now conduct genetic testing to determine the whale's species, which may take months to complete.
In a statement, the government said the "matter was (being) taken seriously by the government and the relevant authorities are investigating this issue."
Initial information "suggests the animal caught is not likely to be a blue whale but rather a hybrid of a fin whale and a blue whale," it added.

I wonder, if it's illegal to catch and kill blue whales, would it also be illegal to catch a hybrid?

Vincent Alexander · Jul 12, 2018

MasterVampire said:
Why are whales killed?

They are like modern dinosaurs

For research! Or some other terrible excuse.

sleepInsom · Jul 12, 2018

Masoyama said:
Really weird reaction people seem to have against certain animals being slaughtered for food. Of course, you dont want to kill endangered animals or be needlessly cruel about it, but whaling has/had its niche.

Your second sentence answers your first.

Eduardo Corrochio · Jul 12, 2018

Species aside, fuck right off you piece of shit.

gutter_trash · Jul 12, 2018

fuck Iceland, at first I wanted to visit it, but now knowing that whaling is continued, fuck'em

BorkBork · Jul 12, 2018

Westbahnhof said:
I wonder, if it's illegal to catch and kill blue whales, would it also be illegal to catch a hybrid?

Fin whales are also endangered, so I would imagine so?

AgainstTheCurrent · Jul 12, 2018

Yeah cool to see it on land.

Sad its dead.

Westbahnhof · Jul 12, 2018

Vincent Alexander said:
For research! Or some other terriblw excuse.

Food, in this case, no?

BorkBork said:
Fin whales are also endangered, so I would imagine so?

They are, but it seems like while the company is being heavily criticized for killing those, there were no government investigations, leading me to believe that they are not protected, at least not to the same extent.
EDIT: Yeah, iceland allows hunting fin whales.

Huncho_Houdini · Jul 12, 2018

Kinda fucked up since they're endangered

Eduardo Corrochio · Jul 12, 2018

TMW you defend pitbulls and don't see the big deal about slaughtering whales

Westbahnhof · Jul 12, 2018

Eduardo Corrochio said:
TMW you defend pitbulls and don't see the big deal about slaughtering whales

What does that mean? What are you trying to say? Sorry, just a very odd statement to me.

Waddle Dee · Jul 12, 2018

Whales shouldn't have to put up with this shit.

xbhaskarx · Jul 12, 2018

No whaling should be allowed at all, but in any case their "it was a blue / fin hybrid" excuse is bullshit:

Adam A. Pack, researcher and professor of biology at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, said the photos appeared to show a blue whale.
"(Look at) the way the dorsal fin is hooked, the pointed pectoral fins, and the size of the animal," he said.
Pack also noted the lack of a white lip, characteristic in fin whales, and the mottling on the whale's flank, an identifier that acts like fingerprints, as more evidence the animal in question was likely a blue whale.

ry-dog · Jul 12, 2018

Whaling is bad. But the regular ass fishing industry accidently kills a lot more dolfins and whales comparatively. Stop eating fish all together or catch your own if you remotely give a shit about it

blame space · Jul 12, 2018

leave whales alone

Lulu · Jul 12, 2018

MasterVampire said:
Why are whales killed?

They are like modern dinosaurs

Birds are literally modern dinosaurs tho

Wonderboy · Jul 12, 2018

Westbahnhof said:
Food, in this case, no?

They are, but it seems like while the company is being heavily criticized for killing those, there were no government investigations, leading me to believe that they are not protected, at least not to the same extent.
EDIT: Yeah, iceland allows hunting fin whales.

What is wrong with his face, looks like he is wearing a human mask

Tux_ · Jul 12, 2018

what a majestic animal

Westbahnhof · Jul 12, 2018

Wonderboy said:
What is wrong with his face, looks like he is wearing a human mask

It's a hair net. He usually looks like this:

Madness · Jul 12, 2018

Edited.

Cow Mengde · Jul 12, 2018

It is cool to see them in the flesh like this on land, but it also makes me angry.

Deleted member 10060 · Jul 12, 2018

Masoyama said:
Really weird reaction people seem to have against certain animals being slaughtered for food. Of course, you dont want to kill endangered animals or be needlessly cruel about it, but whaling has/had its niche.

Horeshit! Whales are massive, intelligent beings, and they are hunted in barbaric ways. With fucking explosives. Can you even imagine that? Having explosives shot into you because you're so big that's the only way the barbaric assholes can cut you down? Blow up one painful piece of you at a time? Can you even imagine the pain these creatures are forced to endure from the point of being atta ked to finally dying?

There is absolutely no justification for this. People do it because they can, and anyone excusing it can go fuck themselves. And I'm not some outsider looking in, Norway has a lot to answer for when it comes to whaling.

Toxik · Jul 12, 2018

People super pissed at this but don't care about the thousands of chickens, pigs and cows slaughtered every day..hmm.

Westbahnhof · Jul 12, 2018

Toxik said:
People super pissed at this but don't care about the thousands of chickens, pigs and cows slaughtered every day..hmm.

I don't think this is a good comparison.
If we bred millions of blue whales for regular consumption, I can guarantee people would care just a little.

Krakatoa · Jul 12, 2018

Toxik said:
People super pissed at this but don't care about the thousands of chickens, pigs and cows slaughtered every day..hmm.

Those animals aren't nearly extinct.

signal · Jul 12, 2018

Toxik said:
People super pissed at this but don't care about the thousands of chickens, pigs and cows slaughtered every day..hmm.

People more concerned about endangered creatures than chickens which are bred in the billions for the sole purpose of human consumption.

Afrikan · Jul 12, 2018

THAT PIECE OF SHIT! >:(

Look how Beautiful that Whale is.

Those fuckers. Hope Karma comes through.

Imperfected · Jul 12, 2018

MasterVampire said:
Why are whales killed?

They are like modern dinosaurs

Well, no, in the time of (or immediately after the time of) dinosaurs whales would have been walking river-based mammals living in like Indian waterways or something.

The whole "Age of Giants" hype from Jurassic Park ignores that blue whales came later and are bigger than all those sad little bitches.

Just_a_Mouse · Jul 12, 2018

That picture made me break down in tears. Fuck these bastards.

Antiwhippy · Jul 12, 2018

evil solrac v3.0 said:
I don't think it's realistic to keep the same practices year after year. as humans we have to start figuring other food sources that don't damage the environment so much. plus blue whales are endangered.

Uh, as humans we have only been devising ways to generate food at the cost of the environment. The beef industry is far, far more damaging than whaling is and causes more actual extinctions of known and unknown species.

WordsintheWater · Jul 12, 2018

That's pretty clearly a blue whale or am I crazy?

BlackLagoon · Jul 12, 2018

Einherjar said:
Horeshit! Whales are massive, intelligent beings, and they are hunted in barbaric ways. With fucking explosives. Can you even imagine that? Having explosives shot into you because you're so big that's the only way the barbaric assholes can cut you down? Blow up one painful piece of you at a time? Can you even imagine the pain these creatures are forced to endure from the point of being atta ked to finally dying?

You seem pretty misinformed. The explosive harpoons came into use precisely to minimize the animal's suffering. It's a single explosive bolt to the brain fired by a certified marksman, ensuring a quick, painless kill. I mean, look at the picture... Where are all those horrible wounds you're talking about?

Chamaeleonx · Jul 12, 2018

Westbahnhof said:
I wonder, if it's illegal to catch and kill blue whales, would it also be illegal to catch a hybrid?

It should be. No reason to catch/kill them anyway outside of greed or malice.

As others said, the time for whaling is over and a lot of their species are endangered on top of it.
Wish he would be brought to justice, dismantle his company, remove him as CEO/Chairman or whatever.

DarthWoo · Jul 12, 2018

I need to find me a Klingon Bird of Prey.

IchigoSharingan · Jul 12, 2018

WordsintheWater said:
That's pretty clearly a blue whale or am I crazy?

Indeed a beautiful blue whale........slaughtered.

You beautiful blue beast.....I am so sorry this earth is so fucking shitty that it unnecessarily took your life.

IchigoSharingan · Jul 12, 2018

BlackLagoon said:
You seem pretty misinformed. The explosive harpoons came into use precisely to minimize the animal's suffering. It's a single explosive bolt to the brain fired by a certified marksman, ensuring a quick, painless kill. I mean, look at the picture... Where are all those horrible wounds you're talking about?

Oh how adorable. Merciful murder. Absolutely disgusting.

zoukka · Jul 12, 2018

Westbahnhof said:
I don't think this is a good comparison.
If we bred millions of blue whales for regular consumption, I can guarantee people would care just a little.

...which makes it that much more intellectually poor. Pigs are smarter than these blue whales.

Westbahnhof · Jul 12, 2018

zoukka said:
...which makes it that much more intellectually poor. Pigs are smarter than these blue whales.

But that's not what people care about, right? So I still don't get how the comparison works.
People are (usually) against whaling because the animals are endangered and absolutely majestic to behold, I believe.

zoukka · Jul 12, 2018

Westbahnhof said:
But that's not what people care about, right? So I still don't get how the comparison works.
People are (usually) against whaling because the animals are endangered and absolutely majestic to behold, I believe.

The endangered part is valid sure. But to think that the suffering of a few majestic animals is worse than that of millions of others is stupid.

Westbahnhof · Jul 12, 2018

zoukka said:
The endangered part is valid sure. But to think that the suffering of a few majestic animals is worse than that of millions of others is stupid.

I mean, it's superficial as hell, but that's how people are.
You'll have a harder time making people care about a "boring" looking little fish or bird or rodent that's almost extinct than when you try to get support to protect whales, tigers, rhinos and other animals with a "woaaaah" factor attached.
Mainly, I think the assumption that this is about suffering is wrong. People don't want to "lose" the species, to have it disappear from the planet. I think that's the main motivation people have, which is why the comparison to farming won't really affect them.

Ocean Bones said:
They are?

Killing pigs is also wrong.

That's what we're discussing. People caring about killing whales, but not about killing pigs.

Ocean Bones · Jul 12, 2018

zoukka said:
...which makes it that much more intellectually poor. Pigs are smarter than these blue whales.

They are?

Killing pigs is also wrong.

Mivey · Jul 12, 2018

Toxik said:
People super pissed at this but don't care about the thousands of chickens, pigs and cows slaughtered every day..hmm.

We don't breed whales, we breed chickens, and other animals. It's about preserving a species. No one cares about killing the animals per se. Same with fishing, few people have a problem with fishing, but fishing ever larger amounts risks destroying entire ecosystems. You need to do it in a measured way.
And we humans need a functioning biosphere far more then it needs us. If just a few key species were to go extinct, it would put our entire survival on risk. And no, that's not hyperbole. We can't make food entirely synthetically, not in this century anyway. So preserving species should be in anyone's interest.

zoukka · Jul 12, 2018

Westbahnhof said:
I mean, it's superficial as hell, but that's how people are.
You'll have a harder time making people care about a "boring" looking little fish or bird or rodent that's almost extinct than when you try to get support to protect whales, tigers, rhinos and other animals with a "woaaaah" factor attached.
Mainly, I think the assumption that this is about suffering is wrong. People don't want to "lose" the species, to have it disappear from the planet. I think that's the main motivation people have, which is why the comparison to farming won't really affect them.

I never said I don't understand the cognitive biases behind the topic. It's dumb and based on emotions. And people don't really care about losing animal species, we have lost countless of them since the agricultural revolution and continue to lose just as many on a daily basis.

But you know all that and so do most of the poeple posting here so I don't even know what I'm rambling about :b

Icelandic whaler defends blue whale kill (warning pics inside)

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