Commercial whaling causes prolonged suffering through non-instantaneous killing methods and disrupts the complex social structures of highly intelligent animals.
Whaling causes some of the most severe individual animal suffering of any industry. Explosive harpoons frequently fail to immediately kill animals that then drown or die slowly. Whales are highly intelligent social animals that form strong family bonds, and the death of individuals traumatizes remaining group members. The economic case for whaling is weak compared to non-lethal whale tourism.