We have been told that whales and dolphins are very intelligent creatures, if this is so then they should have no difficulty in avoiding the hunters and no one need worry about them.

There should be only two issues of concern to humanity regarding the hunting of whales. The first is sustainability of the hunt: are the populations of the whale species large enough to sustain hunting? At present, it appears the species being targeted by the Japanese are at no threat of extinction. The second issue relates to the cruelty imposed on the whales being taken: are they being killed humanely? The answer is clearly no: all available film footage shows whales being harpooned and remaining alive and in extreme pain for several to many minutes.

Since whaling cannot be carried out humanely at present, it should not be allowed.

For an intelligent MP whose libertarian values I hold dearly, the lack of focus on the humane killing of whales is a serious oversight.