Is it okay to eat endangered species?

[Tsuwano]

I live in Japan and was recently invited to a business party where very expensive whale steak was served. I am aware that whales are an endangered species and certainly have no appetite to eat them. Still, I did not wish to offend my host who obviously paid a lot of money to entertain his guests. Does the Church say anything officially about eating endangered species?

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

You can read the Church’s teaching on man’s use of animals in paragraphs 2415-2418 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. So far as I know, the Church does not specifically forbid eating animals that are on endangered species lists, but prudence and a proper concern for responsible stewardship of creation (CCC 2415) suggests that it is not a good idea.

In the situation in which you found yourself, I recommend eating what you can and discreetly ignoring what you do not wish to eat. If you cut it up now and again, mix that with eating what you can, and lose yourself in conversation with others at the table, people are unlikely to notice that you are not actually eating the steak. If anyone asks how you are enjoying your steak, you might say, “The meal is wonderful, thank you.”

Recommended reading:

Is environmentalism a moral issue?
The “Greening” of Institutional Christianity by John L. Allen Jr.