The act of whaling is defined as "the catching, hunting, and killing of whales primarily for oil and meat" (Jackson). Whaling is an activity conducted throughout history by our ancestors, dating back to 3000 BC. For people living in cold climates, whale meat served as an important food source and provided sufficient amounts of vitamins A, C, D, iron and proteins. The whales' excess parts could be used to make lamps, tools and sleds. Most modern societies no longer depend on whaling for resources, but it still remains deeply rooted in some cultures. The extinction of whales could have serious repercussions on the ecosystem or aquatic environment. Commercial whaling by several countries has significantly reduced whale populations and is threatening their existence. Environmentalists also argue that whales show signs of high intelligence and exposing them to inhumane whaling methods and pain is cruel. These reasons explain why whaling is a controversial environmental topic and is creating tensions between countries. So the question is: should whaling be banned? One of the biggest arguments for banning whaling is that it is pushing several species towards extinction. According to Greenpeace, there are less than 1% of blue whales in Antarctica compared to what they used to be. The Western Pacific gray whale is on the brink of extinction with only more than 100 individuals remaining, and humpback whales that previously numbered at 1.5 million before commercial hunting now have only 20,000 left (Greenpeace, 2014). In addition to the annihilation of one species, whales stabilize multiple food chains and ecosystems within an aquatic environment. Whales can consume 40 million krill every day (Whalefacts.org, 2014), so the former... half of the paper environment... pushes species to extinction, produces poisonous meat, and the other part presents arguments that some species are harmful, whaling is part of tradition and culture and contributes to local economies. Overall, the arguments in favor of banning whaling outweigh those against. Possible solutions to this problem are for people on both sides to come to a compromise. Whaling activity should be more closely monitored and strictly controlled, banning the hunting of some endangered whale species and perhaps granting those who depend on hunting as a food resource in harsh climates (such as the Inuit) a permit hunting special. This solution provides protection to the whales and gives them time to breed, as well as ensuring they are not driven to extinction, and still allows hunters to house their small supplies.