Whaling

History

By: iMinds

Narrated by: Luca James Lee

Learn about the history of whaling with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series.The history of whaling is a fascinating look at international efforts to protect finite resources in international waters, otherwise known as common territory or commons.

While whaling can date back to 6000BC, large-scale whaling is thought to have commenced around the twelfth century with the Basques who killed a large number of right whales in the Bay of Biscay. Despite very primitive modes of slaughter, using hand-held harpoons and man-powered boats, they were believed to have depleted the local whale stocks within a century.

In the following centuries, even without significant technological improvements, whaling continued unchecked in the North Atlantic and resulted in the extinction of the gray whale and a significant reduction in the numbers of other species.

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Critic reviews

"I'm learning all sorts of stuff about stuff I didn't even know I didn't know. And it sticks. In a nutshell: wonderful." (Jonathon Margolis, Financial Times)

Historical and Scientific Information on Whaling

I learned much in this short audio on whaling. Whale hunting began as early as 875 AD. By the 16th century it was a major industry in the coastal waters off France and Spain. The Basques were the first to catch whales commercially and dominated the industry for five centuries. The Norwegians were instrumental in developing what became the modern harpoon gun. By as early as the 1930s, international controls began, as the number of whales began to decline. The formation of the International Whaling Commission to oversee the killing of whales and determine hunting quotas has greatly cut down on the number of whales killed each year. Most countries had stopped hunting whales altogether, although some are now petitioning the IWC to review their position on the matter.

Biased not a history

Sadly, this was not what I expected. I thought it was gonna be a history of wailing. Instead, it was a slanted viewpoint on the history of controlling whaling. No mention of the economic factors, the changes in technology, and even errors in its statements put forth as fact. Not worth the eight minutes it took to listen to.