Are whales protected animals?

Whales are remembered as symbols of mystery and beauty, whether blue whales, orcas, or other whales, are very popular because of their size, strength and mystery. Do cetaceans protect animals? What about the current situation?

There are about 30 species of whales in China. Except for Baiji dolphin and Chinese white dolphin, all other species are listed as second-class protected animals. In the world, whale populations are declining sharply as a result of human hunting. The International Whaling Commission has banned commercial whaling since 1986, but the ban was loosened in 1987 to allow limited whaling "for research purposes". Despite strong opposition, some countries are still engaged in whaling, and the number of whales on the planet is declining at a rate of about 1000 a year.

There are two main types of whales on earth: baleen whales and toothed whales. There are few species of baleen whales, but they are huge. At present, the smallest known species is more than 6 meters long. The blue whale, the largest animal in the world, also belongs to baleen whales. The body length of blue whales is generally about 22-33 meters. The size of toothed whales varies greatly, with the smallest species only about 30cm long and the largest sperm whales more than 20 meters long.

Whales are widely distributed in the Southern Ocean and can be found almost south of the Antarctic convergence zone. Their distribution is closely related to the distribution of krill. Blue whales are mainly distributed in the floating ice zone, while giant arm whales and blackboard baleen whales live in the southernmost part of the sea. Striped arm whales can winter in the waters of Antarctica, right whales are mainly distributed in subAntarctic regions, and toothed whales are distributed in the Antarctic convergence zone and migrate with seasons.

Whales are covered with treasures and have important economic value. Its huge body provides people with plenty of whale meat, whale oil and other products, and a 100-ton blue whale is worth $10000. Because of the high value of whales, the countries engaged in whaling activities in the world have not been restrained by many opposition voices, but have intensified recently. Japan even threatened to reconsider its relationship with the International Whaling Commission and demanded that commercial whaling be reopened.

This is some knowledge about whales. With the deterioration of the environment and human hunting, the number of whales is decreasing sharply. If necessary measures are not taken, it may not take a century. Our children and grandchildren will only know about this animal from the records.