190: The Geopolitics of Whale Conservation with Peter Corkeron

11/05/24 • 56 min

Is the resumption of commercial whaling inevitable? What hidden geopolitical forces are shaping international whale conservation efforts? Let's dive (pun not intended) into the complex world of whale conservation with marine scientist Dr Peter Corkeron. In our conversation, Peter uncovers the surprising connections between military bases, national security, and the fate of the world's largest mammals.

From the history of industrial whaling to the current state of whale populations, our guest provides a comprehensive overview of the challenges facing whale conservation today. He explains how some whale species are making an impressive comeback while others teeter on the brink of extinction. But the real story goes beyond biology! Learn how US military interests in Japan may be influencing whaling policies, and why anti-whaling efforts that seemed successful for decades may now be faltering.

As commercial whaling threatens to resume, we argue for a new approach to whale protection. We discuss the limitations of current conservation strategies, the complex motivations behind pro-whaling interests and why simply allowing whaling to "fizzle out" is no longer a viable option. Finally, Peter offers his perspective on potential solutions, addressing underlying geopolitical factors and advocating for policy changes to protect whale populations more effectively.

Conservation and Science - 190: The Geopolitics of Whale Conservation with Peter Corkeron

Transcript

00:00:00.320

This is episode 190. Im Tommy Serafisnki and youre listening or watching the conservation and science podcast where we take a deep dive into topics of ecology, conservation, and human wildlife interactions. And by the way, its an episode 190. Tell me, what do you think about episode numbers? Apparently I shouldnt be doing them because they are not considered best practice anymore. So do you prefer just plain episode titles without number or do you think that those num

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