The Baleen Whales’ Saving Grace: The Introduction of Petroleum Based Products in the Market and Its Impact on the Whaling Industry

This paper presents empirical evidence which indicates that the introduction of petroleum based products on the American markets was a significant factor in reducing the demand for whale oil. As a result, the whaling industry, America’s 5th largest industry at the time, soon collapsed. A counterfact...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sustainability
Main Authors: Henry F. Check, John McCollough
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2010
Subjects:
sustainable yield
whaling
sperm whales
baleen whales
Environmental effects of industries and plants
TD194-195
Renewable energy sources
TJ807-830
Environmental sciences
GE1-350
baleen whale
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.3390/su2103142
https://doaj.org/article/db883ba98fb44c11ad95603e1b6960ea
Description
Summary:This paper presents empirical evidence which indicates that the introduction of petroleum based products on the American markets was a significant factor in reducing the demand for whale oil. As a result, the whaling industry, America’s 5th largest industry at the time, soon collapsed. A counterfactual study is then presented which suggests that if the introduction of petroleum based products had been delayed, then the increase in demand as a result of rising GDP per capita, as well as rapid industrialization, would have given whalers incentive to continue chasing after a diminishing whale population. This could have resulted in the baleen whale population being subject to unsustainable harvest levels.

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