Quote:
Originally Posted by Ryzorian
Beer is an aquired taste as well Gonative..yet it seems to be pretty popular.
I'm not disagreeing about whaleing persay, I'm just saying.
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Sure but I don't believe the government has to subsidise the beer companies to keep their industry going does it?
The whaling industry is heavily subsidised. If it wasn't it would have gone broke many years ago.
You have to ask the question why is the government propping up this industry that doesn't really employ all that many people anymore and causes such international condemnation?
It doesn't make good economic sense at all. The domestic market for the meat is only very small (much smaller than the amount they catch) and is declining. Culturally there are only a few towns that could say they have a long history of whaling and I doubt any of them would be devastated if the industry were to discontinue. The current industry isn't like some indigenous culture maintaining a hunting practice that has huge cultural significance. If it was about that they'd be hunting whale in their traditional hunting grounds wouldn't they?
The only reason to continue whaling I can see is a political one. Primarily I think it's an easy way for the government to appease the ultra nationalists.