International call for Japan to halt Antarctic whaling

Wake up Japan. The rest of the world detests your so-called scientific research.

I'd have a lot more respect for them if they just said " we eat whales so go buzz off".

Perhaps some think it's wrong to kill a a mike whale because they can write poetry and do equations and stuff, but it isn't endangered at all. Leave the humpbacks and right whales alone, but not much harm is done taking a few hundred minke whales.

I'd have a lot more respect for them if they just said " we eat whales so go buzz off".

Except they don't eat whales. I was once at a seminar with about 45 people in the room, and the subject of whaling came up. The speaker asked the room who had ever tried whale in their life. I was the only one to raise a hand (I've tried a bite).

Every once in a while, my local supermarket sticks some whale or dophin on the shelf. It sits there unsold for days, gets marked down, and then tossed out. Nobody eats this stuff, outside of areas where they do whaling and have had the stuff forced into kids kyūshoku. Most people I know who've even tried it say they don't like it.

We jointly express... opposition to Japan’s continued so-called 'scientific' whaling in the Southern Ocean," the EU and its allies said in a statement.

Yet the EU is about ready to sign a FTA with Japan.

The main opponents, New Zealand and Australia, are still in the TPP with NZ being the only country besides Japan to ratify the TPP.

No one seemed to have a problem with Japan whaling when these trade deals were under way.

Its time for the international community to put its money where its mouth is. Pull out of the trade deals in protest or just stop protesting alltogether.

They just look silly and toothless.

An unnecessary government subsidized kill. Give the money to the people that need it like the survivor's of fukashima.

Only 12 nations out of two hundreds in the world.  Collect more than 100 country support and complain.

Only 12 nations out of two hundreds in the world.  

Read the article before you embarrass yourself again. It's 12 nations plus the 28 countries of the EU.

Might as whale

ead the article before you embarrass yourself again. It's 12 nations plus the 28 countries of the EU.

12+28=40, still only a small fraction of total number of countries

This is the longest "scientific research" on the planet !!! Plus, I read about another scientific medical research conducted in the Nazi camps but I don't think it lasted more than three or four years. So, the Japanese researchers must be the dumbest because this has been going for more than thirty years !!! I wish the news folks would publish the photos of these researchers so we can go and ask them some questions...

12+28=40, still only a small fraction of total number of countries

and i'm sure if you queried the eu countries separately, perhaps 1/3 at most would actually give a rat's arse that japan is hunting nonendangered whales. but yes, this truly is an "international" disaster. puh-lease.

This is the longest "scientific research" on the planet !!

And it could be ended, if the commission would agree upon the proper research as outlined in the Moratorium, which was supposed to happen in 1990, but has been blocked by anti-whaling nations out of fear that it may turn out that stocks have recovered.

I agree, save the whales.  Or at least let's not needlessly kill them.  I do note, however, that the term "slaughter" is always used in the context of reporting this story.  Unconscious bias perhaps?

@Seth M - 12+28=40, still only a small fraction of total number of countries

There are 194 recognised countries in the world and, of that number around 30% of them have no coastline, which brings the number down to around 100 countries who would/should have an opinion on oceanic management. This would also mean the total of 40 countries objecting to Japan's farcical whaling is quite significant.

However, the grounds on which they are objecting are quite well founded. The points of numbers, migration patterns and biology do not require lethal research. The only things in their 'research' that requires lethal techniques are examining stomach contents and fertility rates although, fertility rates can also be determined by non-lethal methods through accurate counting of populations. However, these two points do not require killing several hundred whales every year to be determined. Maybe it would be best if Japan did leave the IWC and start their own commercial whaling. At least they would keep lying to the international community about their intentions. However, they would be considered poachers if they did and they are too gutless to do that. They prefer to cower under the shadow of the IWC and continue their farce by exploiting the IWC agreement to satisfy their meager market for whale meat and fly their tradition flag in the face of the international community.

Southern countries don't appreciate these "reaseach" vessels sailing into albeit a sanctuary not recognised by Japan for obviously reasons. EU countries who have a more humane outlook also see these actions by Japan as senseless. Japanese people have to wake up! Tax props up this industry because it can't make a profit much less break even with out massive Government money....tax payers money. Then there are the huge freezers storing all this unwanted waist...payed again by Tax payers. Then the international view of Japan as a backward barbaric nation. I fail to see the upside for this "reaseach"

Cricky right on you said it better than me.

If the Japanese government genuinely considers this is scientific research (which is highly unlikely) - the least they could do is set up a breeding/farming program and make sure they restock the ocean with younger whales, that number should obviously be higher than the number of older whales they take for "scientific research".

You take from Mother Nature, you give back to Mother Nature.

Nice to hear the quotas have risen, Minkes are proven to be one of the least endangered whales species and quotas could in theory rise 100x and Minkes would be safe for about 50,000 years.

There is no issue whatsoever with Japan's whaling program. If these EU countries really cared for whales, they would take aim at Norway, who barbarically slaughters thousands of whales a year, in Europe. It's actually suspicious that the EU overlooks this in their backyard yet takes aim at Japan half the world away. This makes their argument invalid

DisillusionedToday 10:17 am JST

There are 194 recognised countries in the world and, of that number around 30% of them have no coastline, which brings the number down to around 100 countries who would/should have an opinion on oceanic management.

Interesting logic. I'm pretty sure that the major oceans where these animals live is not owned by any specific country though.

Every country should have an opinion on something that relates to the continued existance of a species on our shared planet.

whale, isn't this a site for sore eyes. If the same countries only expressed this much concern when another rogue country flies missiles and make threats but continues its war making nukes, then will Japan stop.

Japan cancelled its 2014-15 hunt, only to resume it the following year under a new programme -- saying the fresh plan had genuine scientific value.

So the previous plan didn't have any scientific value? Hmm..

Over 300 kills needed to study their behavior and biology? Lmao.

Are any scientific results been published so far?

So the previous plan didn't have any scientific value? Hmm..

I was thinking the same thing.

Stop wasting my bloody taxes on this nonsense.

12+28=40, still only a small fraction of total number of countries not a small fraction when you consider the economic trading power of those combined countries, and considering Japan has FTA with the EU Australia. if you pee of your customers long enough theyll look at you as arrogant and buy their stuff someplace else.

they would take aim at Norway, who barbarically slaughters thousands of whales a year, **in Europe. ** but they doing it in their waters, nothing what Japan does in Antarctica is part of Japanese culture

the whole aim is for Japan to get commercial whaling back into play, the problem with this is if that does happen and a market if found for whale meat/oil etc, whats stopping countries like China, Koreas, Taiwan sending their own factory ships down to Antarctica to catch wahels also. Japan is having this exact same problem with eel , fish, coral etc in their own waters. Japan states they should take the biggest quota because theyeat the most, China/Korea/ Taiwan all disagree, if theres money to be made its every man for himself, and thats where conservation comes under threat, happened before happening now, will happen again.

dcog9065Today: There is no issue whatsoever with Japan's whaling program. If these EU countries really cared for whales, they would take aim at Norway, who barbarically slaughters thousands of whales a year, in Europe. It's actually suspicious that the EU overlooks this in their backyard yet takes aim at Japan half the world away. This makes their argument invalid.

As others have mentioned, the problem isn't Japan eating whale, it's Japan's sending its factory-ship, large scale commercial whaling program half way around the world to prop up an industry that is non-existent in all but a handful of coastal fishing villages and with a complete lack of domestic demand for the product. They would do much better to just put the money towards other jobs in these remote places rather than continue this farce. But, then the Japanese would lose face, and that just can't happen.

" not a small fraction when you consider the economic trading power of those combined countries, and considering Japan has FTA with the EU Australia. "

nice "my country's opinion matters more because we are more important", your hypocrisy is showing

"buy their stuff someplace else."

not like they aren't already, so?

An unnecessary government subsidized kill. Give the money to the people that need it like the survivor's of fukashima.

Tohoku recovery money was spent on whaling. Abe is from Yamaguchi. Whaling is from Yamaguchi. No connection.

As others have mentioned, the problem isn't Japan eating whale,

well before you can eat an animal, you have to kill it, right? and that in essence is the main issue.

to prop up an industry that is non-existent in all but a handful of coastal fishing villages and with a complete lack of domestic demand for the product.

i hate it when people throw out this phrase. yes, the younger generation isn't interested in eating whale meat, but the older generation still like eating whale. just go to my local izakaya on any given day and they will sell out of whale sashimi. they don't eat it as often but it is still popular.

hey would do much better to just put the money towards other jobs in these remote places rather than continue this farce.

the problem with this is that there are few jobs to be created in fishing villages. do you think toyota is going to build a new plant there? i don't think it's so black and white. like any bureacracy, once a program is started, it's almost impossible to kill it. so you'll have to wait another generation until funding for whaling dries up or is discontinued.

Nah, keep whaling Japan. There is no issue whatsoever. This comically cyclical "anger" comes up once every 6 months or so, same old stuff over and over

nakanoguy01Dec. 19  02:47 pm JST

well before you can eat an animal, you have to kill it, right? and that in essence is the main issue.

i hate it when people throw out this phrase. yes, the younger generation isn't interested in eating whale meat, but the older generation still like eating whale. just go to my local izakaya on any given day and they will sell out of whale sashimi. they don't eat it as often but it is still popular.

the problem with this is that there are few jobs to be created in fishing villages. do you think toyota is going to build a new plant there? i don't think it's so black and white. like any bureacracy, once a program is started, it's almost impossible to kill it. so you'll have to wait another generation until funding for whaling dries up or is discontinued.

Nakanoguy, I didn't think it possible for you to completely miss the point of my response, but there you go. :/

As I said at the beginning of my post I stated that I had NO problem with killing whales for food. I've eaten whale several times so I know. I support Canada and Norway who allow traditional hunts. And I support local Japanese villages to hunt in their waters for local consumption.

But the issue isn't killing whales to support a bunch of old oyaji at the local watering hole who reminisce fondly about when whale was a regular staple when food was scarce 70 years ago. There are more than enough whales around the Japanese archipelago to supply that amount of demand. It's the problem of factory-fishing in the Antarctic, about as far away as you can get from "Japanese cultural traditions" where more whale meat is collected each year, packaged up and kept frozen for no other reason than to prop up what is a dead industry. Hell, I'd rather they just give the fishermen 2 million yen a year each to just sit at home. Or direct parking cars at the supermarket, which would be way more beneficial to the country.