Passed another hurdle
I knew that one of these days of my 4 weeks at sea I would be obliged to try whale meat. Today was the day. I did not know it was whale meat when I put it on my plate and started cutting into it. Gunnar, who's father was a whaler, asked me "Do you know what kind of beef that is?" I said no, and he replied "good". So I had a couple of bites not connecting the dots, then Øyvind (another older scientist) said "Oooh! You are trying whale meat? The food of the Eskimos! They say there are many good minerals in whale meat."
...yup, I had done it. I ate a piece of whale meat....but it wasn't bad. It tasted like an overcooked steak. It was not what I had expected. I felt guilty when I had finished my dinner and started to think about the politics, morals, etc. behind whaling. First of all, you should know that Norway is only allowed to take 1400 whales per year, and the meat is very expensive. It is not an economically valuable meat, but has some culture to it and not too long ago (while Marius' dad was growing up), whale was once cheaper than beef.
I also learned today that the whales are killed very humanely in Norway. The harpoon is shot at the softest part of the whale's scull and the tip explodes upon entry, which kills the animal instantly. Remember, these whales are swimming wild and free until the one unlucky day that they are hunted. We must compare Norway with Japan, as most of us have probably seen The Cove. Japanese have practiced a very inhumane way of slaughtering hundreds, if not thousands, of dolphins each year, which are probably highly laced in mercury.
I am a total flip flopper, but I will not say that I am against Norwegian whaling, nor in support of it. I am neutral. I will, however, not have whale meat again. One final comparison - chicken vs. whale. Whales swim free, but chickens are caged and fed copious amounts of hormones....but one word - farming. We are producing so much chicken on farms, but whales are not farmed. So we can't truly compare these meats.
And if you're curious in terms of salmon - go for wild caught salmon, not farmed.
...yup, I had done it. I ate a piece of whale meat....but it wasn't bad. It tasted like an overcooked steak. It was not what I had expected. I felt guilty when I had finished my dinner and started to think about the politics, morals, etc. behind whaling. First of all, you should know that Norway is only allowed to take 1400 whales per year, and the meat is very expensive. It is not an economically valuable meat, but has some culture to it and not too long ago (while Marius' dad was growing up), whale was once cheaper than beef.
I also learned today that the whales are killed very humanely in Norway. The harpoon is shot at the softest part of the whale's scull and the tip explodes upon entry, which kills the animal instantly. Remember, these whales are swimming wild and free until the one unlucky day that they are hunted. We must compare Norway with Japan, as most of us have probably seen The Cove. Japanese have practiced a very inhumane way of slaughtering hundreds, if not thousands, of dolphins each year, which are probably highly laced in mercury.
I am a total flip flopper, but I will not say that I am against Norwegian whaling, nor in support of it. I am neutral. I will, however, not have whale meat again. One final comparison - chicken vs. whale. Whales swim free, but chickens are caged and fed copious amounts of hormones....but one word - farming. We are producing so much chicken on farms, but whales are not farmed. So we can't truly compare these meats.
And if you're curious in terms of salmon - go for wild caught salmon, not farmed.
Hopefully safe seas ahead--wow! Sorry about the "taboo" meat, but that's how we learn. There is much education necessary in the concept of "balance" on our planet of whom we are a guest. Sustainability is a great start! Take care of my little sailor. Love, Dad
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