Beats me why people in modern countries would want to eat whale meat, anyway.
“Whale meat and environmental toxins”
“Studies with several species have shown that whale meat often contains dangerously high levels of environmental toxins such as PCB, mercury, and dioxin. [4][5] The highest concentration of EDCs (Endocrine Disrupting Compounds) ever found in any animal was measured recently in the blubber of a Minke Whale,[6] a species commonly hunted by Japanese whalers in Antarctic waters. These toxins are particularly dangerous for pregnant women and growing children, which calls into question the practice of providing whale meat lunches for school children. This is common in whaling areas[7] but it is also on the increase in parts of Japan that do not engage in whaling.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whaling_in_Japan
“These toxins are particularly dangerous for pregnant women and growing children, which calls into question the practice of providing whale meat lunches for school children.”
And mother whales probably pass on the toxins they have accumulated to their babies, which in turn accumulate even more toxins in their lifespans. It`s a vicious cycle. If we are`nt killing them off outright, we`re doing it with poisons. And we call it “progress.”