A Sadder Breed of Fail Whale

What to do with beached whales who can't be guided back out to sea, and so perish on the sand? In parts of New Zealand where the indigenous Maori hold sway, this has become quite the conundrum. The trust that oversees Maori fisheries recently proposed harvesting such unfortunate cetaceans for meat—arguably a more humane option than traditional whaling, though perhaps lacking a certain ceremonial oomph. But that suggestion may conflict with a Maori custom that calls for dead whales to be...