Those who advocate respect for cultural diversity should always temper that preference with respect for the advice of scientists when deciding the merits of food choices. No reasonable person would wish to recklessly consume endangered plant or animal species just to satisfy traditional dietary needs. And, few people would knowingly endanger themselves and their families by consuming products known to be contaminated with harmful pollutants. Science and the advice of scientists must be accorded vital importance in the choices we make in our everyday lives, and this is why it is so important that the voices of scientists be heeded as the IWC 55 meeting agenda takes shape.

The original goals of the International Whaling Commission, as stated in the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, are to ensure that whales are harvested sustainably and for the benefit of the whaling industry. Sustainability was a major concern in 1946, and remains so today. The scientific wisdom of the last 50+ years, however, has added other concerns that are every bit as significant as sustainability of use of the whale resources. These include the continual monitoring of the environmental health of cetacean species and their entire ecosystems, so that increasing knowledge of whale/fisheries interactions is carefully documented in on-going projects everywhere that fish or cetaceans are extracted from the oceans. This is the only sensible "green" thing to do in today's world.

Those few societies whose people prefer to consume whale products are fortunate that their governments insist on scientific recommendations regarding the above concerns when choices are made about harvest levels, and specific food choices. At this time, it is significant that those who enjoy whale cuisine can be comfortable in knowing that this cultural preference is environmentally friendly as well as nutritionally beneficial.

Today's truly green ocean food cuisines are pursued with use of both modern scientific and traditional values. The carefully monitored use of cetacean and other ocean resources is increasingly recognized as a "green" practice that does no harm, and gives some people both nutritional and spiritual benefits.