Regarding Jennie Kern's Dec. 9 letter, "Whales don't cause fish shortages": Whale meat used to be a staple food for Japanese just as beef is for Americans. It's true that Japanese people don't have to eat whale meat to live, just as Americans don't have to eat beef to survive, since there are so many other foods available.
But the Institute of Cetacean Research has reported that some species of whales in the western North Pacific are estimated to have a population of more than 28,000 animals, which clearly means that those whales are not endangered.
The point is to manage the Earth's precious resources well. After all, most creatures including whales, cows, chickens, pigs and the like can be used as food for humans. When it comes to whales, some species are available to us as food just as cows are. Incidentally, the average American eats 43 kg of beef a year, while the average Japanese eats 18 kg of fish.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.