Why Do People Still Hunt Whales? (Update)

For years, whale oil was used as lighting fuel, industrial lubricant, and the main ingredient in (yum!) margarine. Whale meat was also on a few menus. But today, demand for whale products is at a historic low. And yet some countries still have a whaling industry. We find out why. (Part 2 of “ Everything You Never Knew About Whaling .”) SOURCES: Jay Alabaster , doctoral student at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism. Bjorn Basberg , professor emeritus of economic history at the Norwegian School of Economics. Eric Hilt , professor of economics at Wellesley College. Kate O’Connell , senior policy consultant for the marine life program at the Animal Welfare Institute. Paul Watson , environmental activist and founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. RESOURCES: “ The Soviet Union Killed an Appalling Number of Whales. I Wanted to Know Why ,” by Ryan Tucker Jones ( Slate, 2022). “ Behind the Smile: The Multi-Billion Dollar Dolphin Entertainment Industry ,” by World Animal Protection (2019). “ Japan to Resume Commercial Whaling, Defying International Ban ,” by Daniel Victor ( The New York Times, 2018). “ Why Is There Not More Outrage About Japan’s Barbar…