We Are All Whalers

In celebration of World Whale Day, join us for an author talk with a guest of Egan Maritime Institute, marine scientist and veterinarian Michael Moore.

The North Atlantic Right Whale is among the most endangered of all whale species. In 2002, Moore was asked to examine a dead right whale that washed ashore at Siasconset, Nantucket. This and other formative events led him to consider the broader context of how humans and whales relate.

The image most of us have of whalers includes harpoons and intentional trauma. Yet eating commercially caught seafood leads to whales’ entanglement and slow death in rope and nets, and the global shipping routes that bring us readily available goods often lead to death by collision.

We — all of us — are whalers, Moore contends. But we do not have to be.

In his talk, Moore will draw from his recent acclaimed book We Are All Whalers: The Plight of Whales and Our Responsibility. The whales’ plight is complex, confounding, and disturbing. We will learn of existing but poorly enforced conservation laws, of perennial (and often failed) efforts to balance the push for fishery and shipping profit versus the protection of endangered species caught by accident.

Despite these challenges, Moore is optimistic. He will show us how technology for On-Demand (also called ropeless) fishing and vessel speed limits could make a dramatic difference to whales and humans. Through our choices, we can have an impact on the future of these amazing marine mammals.

Monday, February 10th | 2pm | Nantucket Atheneum’s Great Hall

*No registration is required.