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Japan says it has caught 195 whales in northwest Pacific

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Just cut it out. Everyone knows it total b.s.

4 ( +8 / -4 )

Oh, I guess the Ol' Sea Shepherd couldn't keep up with them this year. I do love the controversy.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

From previous posts on Japan Today only 12.5 percent of the mammal is consumed, what do you do with the rest of this creature? Killing them for research, research into what? Has the research improved knowledge in regards to medical breakthroughs,marine life sustainability, or any other cause that will benifit our planet?

3 ( +5 / -2 )

I wonder that the Sea Shepherd did not go to the Northwest Pacific. No money? or US Coast Guards are watching SS actions? It seems that the Northwest Pacific is a free World for Japan.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

This should be in the Crime section.

5 ( +10 / -5 )

Japan = a country that sees all aquatic animals as food. You go to an aquarium and you constantly hear "oishisoo!!"...ridiculous!

10 ( +13 / -3 )

RESEARCH!!!!! Yeh right!! and Japan,s gonna win the Rugby World cup.....

3 ( +7 / -4 )

I say it too Mirai-san

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Can't the same amount of 'research' be done on one whale. How can they justify this large catch every year for research?! Not very efficient research, i must say.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Japan says it has caught 195 whales

"caught" is a misleading term, implying the mammals had maybe done some crime. It should read "were hunted down and massacred in cold blood, in front of their families".

-3 ( +5 / -8 )

Japan says it has caught 195 whales in the Pacific Ocean this season under a research program opposed by activists who call it commercial whaling in disguise

They are researching how whale tastes, so that makes everything okay.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

"caught" is a misleading term, implying the mammals had maybe done some crime.

People "catch" fish too, do they not? To grab something that is trying to get away from you is to "catch" it. I see no problem with the English here.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

What are the results on this research and where is it being done ?? What are they researching ??

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Whales aren't fish. Also they were probably not trying to "get away".

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

Show me what you've found during your researches and maybe I'll believe you...

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Adagao@

Hey, for once we agree on something! This is disputable what they are doing in the name research. And shame on Norway, Iceland and any other who claims culture as an excuse to kill mammals.

Oh, Europe and the US aren't innocent either. They hunted the whales to near extinction, an for what? Lamp oil??? Money? I wonder if they will check tthise whales fir radiation, a few months ago they "caught" ehemm (cough, cough) some of them an found strontium in them. I'm not makin this up.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Japan is submitting a lot of research data to the IWC and other organizations related to whale science every year. People are able to see the websites. Japan can hunt as they offer the research data. That is so called loophole.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Keep up the good work Edano.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

All good points, but we have all rehashed this one a dozen times. Whales are mammals, not fish, agreed?

Hunting whales (and dolphins) is not the same as raising mammals domestically. Go ahead and eat your domestically raised meat. This is a separate controversy, agreed?

Now, whales are wild mammals, never to be domesticated. They are part of the huge decimation of the seas that homo sapiens is completing blithely even as we sit and type. Every bite taken from this failing web is a bite taken from a future for us on this planet. On that, I wish everyone would agree.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

No Kwatt,

That research data Japan submits is of no scientific value whatsoever. In fact if you look at documentaries and investigative reports into it, they've examined the number of "studies" Japan has conducted and scientists were saying their value is negligible and pretty much nil. It's so bad it's a scandal. The only useful bit of info we've learnt is that some whales were found in April or may with strontium. And they only tested 5 of 8! They sold the rest to stores!

1 ( +4 / -3 )

beangry,

I know that some scientists say Japan's research is good and also some say this is not good. The IWC accepts Japan hunts whales for the legal research, so the US Coast Guards never catch the Japan whalers in Northwest Pacific.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

So where are the results of this very important research? What have they discovered from it all? - Whale meat goes well with wasabi, rice & shochu?

Research what a Joke - The government may treat it's citizens like children, but they are not fooling the foreign community.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

There is no way "caught" should be used- flinging an explosive charge into the head of a mammal, is not "caught" Science?.. Got to admit there is a history here, vivisection, etc on humans, guess the international community are just happy this "science" is limited to mammals. Personally not happy my tax dollars prop up this profitless "science".

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

The key word is "caught" not killed. You see folks, these whales will be transferred to large holding facility and eventually be put on large water bed treadmills, be fitted with electrodes to monitor their condition during the research. I'm quite sure they will be released back into the wild once the research has completed. I am anxiously awaiting the results of the research to learn about what makes these creatures tick.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Oh Kwatt I know Japanese can do good research, but I'm saying the topics they're studying are insignificant and definately do not require 100's of whales to be killed. In fact, the report I'm referring to only found like 2 or 3 of dozens and dozens of research topics to even be worth studying. And even then there were nonlethal alternatives. Japan just uses culture and research as an excuse to enrich a few businessmen and serve some awful tasting meat to people.

When I read nature and other scientific journals, they're are noticeablly devoid of these important "research studies". If we just take the amount of serious respected contributions Japan has made with their "research" we'd find that for the thousands of whales killed, there'd be a ratio of something less than 1% for research of any value. There're not "discovering" anything new. We don't do this research on any other creature (maybe mice & guinea pigs but there is a clear scientific rationale for it), why whales? Greed and money.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Christina O'Neill - Killing them for research, research into what?

The so-called 'research' is used to produce population numbers (declining ones) and they also release small amounts of info about toxins in the whale meat, all of which can be obtained through non-lethal methods. They then state that they also research the whale's diet to support lethal research and come up with the argument that whales eat too many fish.

And, just yesterday, we had this week's Japanese Prime Minister on the news telling China how they should behave in a more globally responsible manner.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

There is no demands for whales in Japan except for the greedy fishing companies...

But now that Fukushima food are poisoned maybe Japan has no option but to continuing whaling..

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Still waiting for an explanation on how a non-lethal, non-invasive method can sample meat that is under alteast a 30-50cm fat layer and most likely deep for good muscle tissue. Takes quiet a bit of force to drive a sampling needle that deep into a body. Ditto for stomach and other internal organ contents.

Researched the topic and found not one method that can do it.

As for explosive tipped Harpoons that been the preferred method for 140+yrs(could be called a traditional hunting method by now). ;)

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

But "it's me"@,

Why do they need to study those particular parts of the whale? Examining those tissues revelas nothing new. It doesn't cure diseases, create vaccines or anything. They only choose difficult to reach parts to justify killing the whale. It's pure nonsense. Mokgohan and disillusioned are right. The Japanese will say anyhing to get their meat. Again, how many important scientific finds have they made? Only one comes to mind: that strontium fro fukushima is in some whale meat, which in itself is reason to ban all hunting.

Diseases cured? 0 Vaccines created? 0 And the lie that whales eat too many fish is ridiculous. It's the Japanese who eat too many fish, about 1/3rd of all fish goes to them. That is an imbalance and theft of the world's resources.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Critics say the expeditions are a cover for commercial whaling because meat from the harvest is sold for domestic consumption.

From previous posts on Japan Today only 12.5 percent of the mammal is consumed, what do you do with the rest of this creature?

Mixed in dog food, sold and mixed into industrial grade basic commodities as aid and supplementary materials for the catering industry, whale oil is sold for the cosmetic makers, sold as falsely labeled end products in the form of minced meat (mixed in the falsely labeled cesium contaminated beef) mostly for smaller cheap restaurants. The rest is sold to metallurgical plants where they can extract the lead in furnaces. If a little amount of meat is still left it will be disposed to children in school lunch boxes.

Japan also hunts hundreds of whales in the Antarctic Ocean as part of its research program,

It's just gorgeous, they not only researching how many whales can safely be killed before they come to endangered or extinct, (it's the official explanation of their research program) but they can also conduct research on how much contaminated whale meat can be consumed before humans come to extinct.

How practical.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Christina O'Neill,

From previous posts on Japan Today only 12.5 percent of the mammal is consumed

You've got your wires crossed. That 12.5 figure was the percentage of the population that has "deep interest" in eating whales. Overall only around 40% or so had absolutely no interest at all in eating whales.

Killing them for research, research into what?

Biological studies help inform us about optimal and sustainable management of these resources, which the recent poll showed approximately 60% of the Japanese population has some interest in consuming.

But if you aren't one of the 60% with some interest in eating whales, the research is not relevant to you. And if you are not only not interested in eating whales yourself, but keen to suppress the rights of others who choose differently, then you're quite possibly inclined to disparage the research as you push that particular agenda.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

beangry,

I'm saying the topics they're studying are insignificant and definately do not require 100's of whales to be killed.

They are saying otherwise, and I think they know more about what they are studying than you do.

the report I'm referring to only found like 2 or 3 of dozens and dozens of research topics to even be worth studying.

"Worth" depends on your objectives. I think you'll find the scientist involved in the paper you are referring to is actually has no interest in utilising whales consumptively on a sustainable basis. No surprise that he doesn't think the research is worthwhile...

even then there were nonlethal alternatives.

If your objective is to utilise whales on a consumptively on a sustainable basis, then who really gives a hoot about non-lethal "alternatives"?

2 ( +5 / -3 )

If they would just come clean on the food thing all would be fine. Food is food. Who cares if it's a mammal or fish?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

optimal and sustainable management of these resources

translation = how many whales can safely be killed before they become endangered or extinct

And let's not forget they're also doing 'important' research into things like trying to fertilise cows' eggs with whale sperm and other equally 'cutting edge' stuff involving sheep and pigs and eggs described by the head of Australia's scientific delegation to the IWC as 'really bizarre and strange'.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

beangry,

We don't do this research on any other creature (maybe mice & guinea pigs but there is a clear scientific rationale for it), why whales?

I'm not clear that you are very aware of the research that they are doing if you primary information came from an anti-whaling scientist from Australia, but this is just fisheries research. Fisheries research is not about "discovering" stuff and finding cures for exotic diseases. The goal of fisheries research, including Japan's whale research, is to provide scientific knowledge that can facilitate good management decisions regarding these fisheries resources.

Greed and money.

Well, that's just what makes human society outside North Korea work.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

T_rexmaxy,

There is no demands for whales in Japan except for the greedy fishing companies...

LOL! "There is no demand", except for from the businesses that sell the products to consumers...

E.g. - there is demand.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

cleo,

optimal and sustainable management of these resources

translation = how many whales can safely be killed before they become endangered or extinct

An almost perfect translation, although sustainable management does not result in the resource becoming endangered or extinct.

No one supports harvesting whales to the point of endangerment or extinction - only sustainable harvests.

But one can't determine such optimal and sustainable harvest levels without research.

Those who are against the objective needn't bother to complain about the science that seeks to enable it.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Actually David inTokyo,

I didn't accuse the sciencists in the studies as being biased. I'm not alleging a conspiracy theory, and you're making assumptions and insinuating things I do not imply.

Second, scientists usually do their research at facilities with directors and budgets. They are given tasks and are told what work to produce. The findings may reveal somethig new or nothing new, but he fact remains that it is not totally independent. There is some of that, certainty, but I'm not questioning that here. Simply put I'm saying these studies have not contributed anh groundbreaking research, and with such a high mortality rate among the whales, it is so inefficient that continued research clearly had nothing to do advancing scientific knowledge.

Yes they DO claim otherwise, but those are mostly politicians and businessmen talking about Japanese culture. Sustainability is important and so is consumption, and researching those is not a bad thing. However, this is nothing more than business under science, and as a scientist I have problem with that. Btw, before saying they know more about this than I do, you're making an assumption that im ignorant on this topics. Don't assume.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

I'm guessing Sea Shepherd wanted to avoid the radiation.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Everyone know that how many of 195 whales went to lab and how many went to restaurants..... I think Japan should low down this number as early as possible to save this endangered species. Else the day is not too far when we will only see whales in pictures.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

I'd be willing to bet ALL 195 were processed for food! Japan's claim of research whaling is total bullsh$t and only the Japanese people are daft enough to believe it; the rest of the world can see the lies! I hope Sea Shepherd gives them hell this winter and ends it once and for all!

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

beangry,

The issue of independent science is why we need an International Whaling organization to review the research from individual nations.

The IWC's scientific committee fills that role.

The conclusions are that there are whale stocks that can support commercial harvests of whales, and Japan's research has contributed to that in no trivial part.

Simply put I'm saying these studies have not contributed anh groundbreaking research

I disagree, as someone who supports the objective of sustainable and optimal utilisation of whales on a consumptive basis, and as someone who has followed the research over the years (e.g. by reading the actual research on the IWC homepage, as opposed to watching a TV show about an Aussie scientist that doesn't like whaling).

and with such a high mortality rate among the whales,

It's not high at all...

It's not blue whales they are catching.

Yes they DO claim otherwise, but those are mostly politicians and businessmen talking about Japanese culture.

Yeah, and people like me too though...

3 ( +5 / -2 )

I very well know they're not hunting blue whales, but the mortality rate is extremely high for the sort of research they're doing. They don't need to kill nearly as many for heir studies. If you're really serious about it you'll concede that they don't even conduct these expirements on every whale, ie the ones back round April they found with strontium. I recall it was 5 of 8 or something ike that which were even looked at. And why is it that only Japan does this? Why do other nations not see the need for hunting whales for research?

Be they minke or otherwise there is little to be gained from the research they conduct. In fact, the only reason why Japan does this so called research is because of he loophole clause in the treaty. You may think the IWC has its house in order, but it doesn't, and with the voting scandals of Japan trying to buy pacific island votes, that raises questions. I'm not satisfied with the iwc's work, and I'm not convinced there's a need for consumption of this meat. Consumption has nothing to do with research save studies on heavy metals or something like that, but eating shark or tuna could cause the same problem.

It would be nice if the IWC were independent, but sadly they are heavily influenced by respective member states, which is to be expected, though it does do some good work. The proposal to allow small whale catches is not an example of independent scientists or good work.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

under a research program opposed by activists who call it commercial whaling in disguise.

Same old story, same old lies.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

cleoSep. 16, 2011 - 12:22PM JST

And let's not forget they're also doing 'important' research into things like trying to fertilise cows' eggs with whale sperm

Are you serious? What's happening, could you say a bit more about it?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

am i partaking in the study if i ate whale sushi last week? Actually it wasn't that good. I just wanted to try it. Now all I have to do is try dolphin. japan should release some of this so called study to the world..maybe that would shed some light.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Hey Kwatt..... show us the websites and we all will have a look.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

The issue is not sustainability with fishing. some oppose hunting of whales and dolphins in principle. It's nit just about endangered species, it's also about morality. I wouldnt support the hunt if we were at 1850 levels of whale stocks. I see it as wrong, and the research behind it negligible a best.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

beangry.

Do you also oppose other species being driven into extinction, may the they be insects, or the top-predator of the seas?

Can't name them as it would be off-topic. But other species are closer to extinction but are ignored because they are not mammal, considered intelligent, etc.

And their removal already is having a greater impact than hunting the current whales, dolphins, etc already.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

cleoSep. 16, 2011 - 05:10PM JST

Jesus Christ ! Thanks for the link.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Diseases cured? 0 Vaccines created? 0 And the lie that whales eat too many fish is ridiculous. It's the Japanese who eat too many fish, about 1/3rd of all fish goes to them. That is an imbalance and theft of the world's resources.

This statement is nothing but truth, my country takes too much from the sea world resources and not many people complain? Then, when the fish is not sold, they throw it away in the trash. When the sea runs dry someday... Only Japan will be primarily responsible for it! Greed and money is the fuel of a corrupted shameless government that does nothing to protect the wild life. when is it gonna be enough?

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

davidattokyo

I'm not clear that you are very aware of the research that they are doing if you primary information came from an anti-whaling scientist from Australia, but this is just fisheries research. Fisheries research is not about "discovering" stuff and finding cures for exotic diseases. The goal of fisheries research, including Japan's whale research, is to provide scientific knowledge that can facilitate good management decisions regarding these fisheries resources.

Greed and money.

Well, that's just what makes human society outside North Korea work.

Have you got no shame to be posting advocating the hunt and kill of a endangered species? Will you be happy when these animals are completely finished on earth? not even one left. How horrible and inhumane to just promote such barbaric practice.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

cleo thanks for the link, it seems if you want to know the truth about whale research you need to go to Australian News. Now I am informed I can only feel revulsion to the misuse of these creatures

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Then, when the fish is not sold, they throw it away in the trash.

Yes, sadly that is the truth. Fishing is an easy way to make money. No costly animal breeding, no need for fodder to feed, no need of costly vet care, stable, heating and hard working with the living stock, no need to sow just endless harvesting of lives on the possible cheapest cost of going there and taking it.

Whalers go out and get 20 tons of meet at each shots from the harpoon cannon. Little wonder they stick to it and want to make money out of whaling and fishing and they don't mind even wasting tons of it. It's free for them, the only cost is the harvesting of the see.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Stay on topic please. Fishing and animal breeding are not relevant to this discussion.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The IWC accepts Japan hunts whales for the legal research,

no, Kwatt, the only IWC members who accept anything done by the Japanese are the (mostly landlocked) ones who are scared of losing bribes, oops, sorry, financial aid, from Japan if they vote against them.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

beangry,

I very well know they're not hunting blue whales, but the mortality rate is extremely high for the sort of research they're doing.

That confuses me. Do you mean you think the "sample sizes" are too high?

For the sort of research they are doing mortality is pretty much required. It's very similar to research in other fisheries.

If you're really serious about it you'll concede that they don't even conduct these expirements on every whale, ie the ones back round April they found with strontium. I recall it was 5 of 8 or something ike that which were even looked at.

I think you need to consider the primary aims of the research, rather than criticise on the basis of opportunistic research that they are able to perform as a corollary to the primary research objectives.

And why is it that only Japan does this? Why do other nations not see the need for hunting whales for research?

Which other nations have an interest in harvesting whales in the western north pacific on an optimal and sustainable basis in future? (South Korea maybe, and interestingly enough they have talked about research whaling programmes themselves)

In fact, the only reason why Japan does this so called research is because of he loophole clause in the treaty.

A clause in a treaty by definition is not a loophole. You may not like that the clause does not exist, but if it does exist it is not a loophole.

You may think the IWC has its house in order, but it doesn't,

Oh I agree. I was talking about the scientific committee of the IWC, as I noted.

I'm not convinced there's a need for consumption of this meat.

That's besides the point. The research isn't being performed on the basis of your personal view about the need for consumption of whales or not.

The issue is not sustainability with fishing.

At least you accept that sustainability isn't an issue.

some oppose hunting of whales and dolphins in principle.

Yeah, it seems people in your camp think that way. But I don't understand how you can have a "principle" that says a specific type of animal is not for hunting. That's by definition not a principle, but just a special case, or a "double standard". (And there is no basis for it to the mind of many people.)

0 ( +2 / -2 )

BlueWitch,

Have you got no shame to be posting advocating the hunt and kill of a endangered species?

If you read my comments you will see that I am explicitly in favour of sustainable harvests, not harvests that cause over-depletion even let alone extinction. We noted above that it's not Blue whales that Japan is catching.

Will you be happy when these animals are completely finished on earth? not even one left. How horrible and inhumane to just promote such barbaric practice.

Calm down and assess what I have said in view of the facts please.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Japan says it has caught 195 whales in the Pacific Ocean this season under a research program ...

Ok, let's see some data/results from this research program

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Asagao - "caught" is a misleading term, implying the mammals had maybe done some crime. It should read "were hunted down and massacred in cold blood, in front of their families".

Hahahaha. That's funny. It might say that on some animal-rights site but most people understand what the headline - "Japan says it has caught 195 whales in northwest Pacific" means.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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