Deep Dive with Whales: Environmental Harm, Green Criminology, and Ocean Justice

Whale fall I attended in Cape Breton, NS

Whales are among the most intelligent and socially complex marine mammals on Earth. Despite this, they face increasing pressure from human activity, including industrial shipping, pollution, and large-scale environmental change (World Wildlife Fund, n.d.; International Whaling Commission, n.d.). 

Many of these impacts are not widely understood, and in some cases are not treated as direct legal violations, even though they result in significant ecological harm, including vessel strikes and death of marine species (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries, n.d.).

This article explores whale protection through the lens of environmental justice and green criminology, giving a voice to those without human voices.

Green Criminology

Green Criminology is a field of study that examines harm to the environment, wildlife, and ecosystems, including harms that are not always fully addressed by traditional criminal law (South & Brisman, 2013; White, 2013).
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Rather than focusing only on individual actions, green criminology highlights:

• Systemic environmental harm
• Corporate and industrial responsibility
• Weak or inconsistent enforcement of environmental laws
• Unequal protection of ecosystems and species

From this perspective, environmental damage is not only a scientific issue but also a matter of justice and accountability (White, 2013).

Key Threats to Whales

1. Ship Strikes and Vessel Traffic: Large commercial vessels frequently travel through whale habitats and migration routes. Collisions can cause serious injury or death. While some protective measures exist, enforcement is often inconsistent and not strong enough to ensure whale safety is paramount to save whale lives  (International Whaling Commission, n.d.; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries, n.d.).
2. Ocean Noise Pollution: Industrial shipping, naval sonar, and offshore development generates underwater noise that can interfere with whale communication, navigation, and feeding. These disruptions can have long-term biological impacts on whales, including stress, disorientation, and reduced reproductive success (World Wildlife Fund, n.d.).
3. Plastic and Chemical Pollution: Whales are exposed to micro plastics and toxic chemicals that enter marine ecosystems through water courses, waste systems and industrial runoff. These substances accumulate through the food chain and impact health over time, including broader ecosystem and human health (United Nations Environment Programme, 2021).

Systemic Responsibility

Environmental harm to whales is rarely the result of a single cause. Instead, it is shaped by interconnected systems including:

• Global shipping industries
• Waste management systems
• Environmental policy gaps
• Uneven enforcement of regulations

Green criminology emphasizes these structural factors are central to understanding environmental harm (White, 2013; South & Brisman, 2013).

Why This Matters

Understanding whale threats through the lens of green criminology shifts the focus from individual behaviour to broader systems of responsibility and encourages:

• Stronger environmental protections
• Better enforcement of existing laws
• Increased public awareness
• More sustainable industrial practices

Protecting whales is not only a conservation issue—it is also an issue of environmental justice.

Conclusion

Whales play a vital role in maintaining healthy marine ecosystems as noted in my previous research. The threats they face highlight the importance of understanding environmental harm as a systemic issue that requires both awareness and action.

While humans were appointed as guardians and protectors of earth, present day pressures and lack of knowledge have led us astray with nature and non humans suffering and dying unnaturally. Despite this, it is still possible to help those without voices flourish and keep the earth healthy. Forgive them Father.
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Each one of us can make a positive difference in the world. Once we are aware of the issues, we can take action to become positive change-makers for the benefit of nature and non-human life that supports healthy ecosystems and in doing so, benefits human health.

References

• International Whaling Commission. (n.d.). Threats to cetaceans. https://www.iwc.int
  
• ​National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries. (n.d.). Vessel strikes and marine mammals. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov
  
• Polegatto, M. L. (n.d.). Research. In Maria Lisa Polegatto. https://www.marialisapolegatto.com/research.html
  
• ​South, N., & Brisman, A. (2013). Routledge international handbook of green criminology. Routledge.
  
• United Nations Environment Programme. (2021). From pollution to solution: A global assessment of marine litter and plastic pollution. https://www.unep.org
  
• White, R. (2013). Environmental harm: An eco-justice perspective. Policy Press.
  
• World Wildlife Fund. (n.d.). Whales and dolphins: threats and conservation. https://www.worldwildlife.org
  
• Wyatt, T. (2013). Wildlife trafficking: The deconstruction of a global crime problem. Palgrave Macmillan.
  

#greencriminology #environment #ecosystem #wildlife #earth #conservation