Japan sets whaling catch limit for 2021 at 383, same as 2020

Japan resumed commercial whaling within its territorial waters and exclusive economic zone on July 1, 2019, after formally withdrawing from the International Whaling Commission the day before.

What exactly is an exclusive economic zone?

The Japanese demonstrating zero respect for the environment and living things, as usual...

They'll keep fishing until there is nothing left.

An Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is a concept adopted at the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (1982), whereby a coastal State assumes jurisdiction over the exploration and exploitation of marine resources in its adjacent section of the continental shelf, taken to be a band extending 200 miles from the shore.

https://stats.oecd.org/glossary/detail.asp?ID=884

Thank you P.Smith.

Avoiding the ethical question (be in no doubt I find the hunt of these creatures repugnant)...just how much of my tax YEN is this going to cost me this year???

These annual hunts are massively subsidized by the Japan Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries - 5.1 billion YEN in 2019. Couldn't I get a subsidy to buy a new car instead?

An Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is [...] a band extending 200 miles from the shore

There's no wales in a 200 radio from Japan.

How many people would 383 whales feed?

Their country, their culture, their right. Many here would not appreciate it if Japanese citizens made judgement on what the citizens of their country did.

How many people would 383 whales feed?

383 whales are not enough for market. It still seems a domestic scientific research.

What does the govt need 51 whales for ?

Research, probably?

Although the anti-whaling crowd never got it or brought themselves to accept it, the Japanese side was always consistent in its stance that informative biological information can be gained from whales. Even the IWC's scientific committee acknowledged that the information has the potential to be used to reduce the uncertainties about whale stocks, and through that reduced uncertainty enable the setting of higher catch limits without increasing the risk to the whale stocks.

This whole debate is nicely made moot now since the Japanese rightly gave the finger to the IWC, which failed to fulfill its own stated objectives. It's all just sustainable whaling now.

383 whales are not enough for market. It still seems a domestic scientific research.

The catch quotas are set in accordance with what is biologically sustainable, nothing to do with how much whale would be eaten. How much ultimately gets eaten depends on the supply and the price. The catch quotas put an upper bound only on the supply.

Their country, their EEZ, their rules. The government of every nation has the right to fund the catch of food for their citizens, and the Japanese govt is doing just that. Japan does not criticize others for their dietary habits.

383 whales are not enough for market. It still seems a domestic scientific research.

Wrong. The research is officially completed.

The research is officially completed.

What are the key findings?

@ascissor

https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20227136-100-why-japans-whaling-activities-are-not-research/

If 383 isn't enough to feed a bunch of people, why still do it? I've heard whale meat isn't very palatable.

In these difficult economic times, the Japanese govt should be applauded for catching whales to provide food for their citizens. Other governments should be also providing for their people.

Can't wait to stand in line to trade in a whale meat coupon for my government sponsored weekly whale meat ration.

383 is not sustainable.

So what happens when whales go extinct on Japan's territorial water? Go back to Antarctica and North Pacific again?

383 is not sustainable.

383 is very conservative, if you consider the basis for it, which I imagine no one commenting here at JT would have actually done.

383 is not sustainable

It IS sustainable, and will all sell and provide food for the public. It is one of EVERY responsible governments roles to supply food for their citizens, and set prices are which are fair, which is what the Japanese govt is doing. Good for them.

supply food for their citizens

Whaling is too expensive to be sustainable. That's why JGov is subsidizing it with billions every year. Whales are more of a fetish than a source of food.

100% of Japanese people love to eat whales. I guess. Because why would you keep killing whales for Japan if they don't eat the beautiful animals?

It is one of EVERY responsible governments roles to supply food for their citizens, and set prices are which are fair,

No!

The government has no business in setting prices, only the sustainable quota limits.

Whaling is too expensive to be sustainable. 

No! Costs have nothing to do with sustainability.

Sustainability of whaling is concerned with how many whales can be caught without depleting whale numbers so much that the population can not provide a plentiful supply of whale based products to the market (or be an in an even worse condition).

If sustainability is assured, then costs can optimally be handled, but costs do not predetermine how many whales may be caught sustainably.

It IS sustainable, and will all sell and provide food for the public. It is one of EVERY responsible governments roles to supply food for their citizens, and set prices are which are fair, which is what the Japanese govt is doing. Good for them.

You can have my share of the government supplied whale meat then. I would go vegan before willingly eating whale meat.

No!

The government has no business in setting prices, only the sustainable quota limits.

@ fxgai - It seems you believe the govt has no business in funding whaling? That they should only set quotas? That appears to be an anti-Japanese stance, my friend.

The Government MUST be funding and facilitating the hunt for this this important, traditional national resource. They are obligated to do this for the public, in uncertain economic times.

When I was a student at a university in Tokyo nearly half a century ago, I regularly enjoyed 鯨定食, which was both cheap and delicious...If whales are as intelligent as is claimed and do not die instantly when they are speared, then I might be in favour of ending hogei. I must say, however, that the fanaticism or near fanaticism of many Occidentals in regard to the issue inclines me to cynicism. Indeed, I suspect that there are not a few who are far more concerned about opportunities for Japan-bashing than about the whales...I'd be willing to join a "Save the Whales" demonstration, if my fellow demonstrators agreed to participate in the pro-life movement--and I'm talking about human life, both before and after birth.

I would go vegan before willingly eating whale meat.

Interesting, I would go whale-only for meat before going vegan, but that’s me.

@ fxgai - It seems you believe the govt has no business in funding whaling? That they should only set quotas?

You read that right!

That appears to be an anti-Japanese stance, my friend.

Haha, well that is pro-freedom and liberty, and anti-big government in my mind.

The Government MUST be funding and facilitating the hunt for this this important, traditional national resource.

The Japanese government does have a penchant for subsidies for a range of industries including tourism these days.

As for whaling operations, I have sympathy for those involved who were for many years treated unfairly due to the limp way that the government responded to international dysfunction at the IWC. It took far too long for the government to grow a pair and take measures to facilitate sustainable whaling.

But subsidies per se have nothing to do with Japanese culture nor eating whales; subsidies are a bad policy and should be phased out, across all industries.

Government should be but a referee, not a player, in pure business matters. (Research activities are of a different nature, but ideally ought be funded by revenues from the industry.)

Whale meat is delicious, the color looks a little odd but sautéd with ginger is amazing.

Enjoy and embrace Japanese culture!

"...in line with calculations...."

（⌒▽⌒）

Sure they quit the IWC political circus, but that doesn’t preclude them from calculating sustainable catch quotas using scientific methods adopted by the IWC, from the outside.

It just shows how responsibly Japan is acting here, when they are no longer under any obligation to the rotten IWC.

Their country, their EEZ, their rules.

The problem with that point of view is that whales migrate great distances each year,many thousands of kilometers, from their birthing grounds to their feeding grounds. They will not live their entire life within any nation's EEZ. So Japan's predation of whales within it's EEZ has effects across a great many other EEZs. Reduction in whales alters the natural balance of the oceans and deprives a growing whale watching industry of the very object their customers wish to see. Some would argue whale watching is a better way to employ those who now hunt them. Hunting whales can also be highly detrimental to species survival.

The claim of scientific research is laughable. Complete and utter nonsense. Whales do not need to be killed to conduct research on them. Most useful research requires live whales behaving in their usual ways as researchers want to know as much about their life cycles as possible. A dead whale reveals very little about their life cycle. In any event enough dead whales wash up on the worlds beaches to supply researchers with specimens to examine. There is no need to kill additional whales for this purpose.

Many here would not appreciate it if Japanese citizens made judgement on what the citizens of their country did.

Every nation in the world gleefully criticizes every aspect of live and government in America. America is continuously under the microscope and nit picked for every perceived transgression and the very second anyone in America complains a new tidal wave of criticism rolls across the blogisphere. I don't see a good reason for Japan or any other nation to be exempt from a reasoned critique. To me eating whales and dolphins is about as barbaric as eating dogs. These are intelligent sentient creatures but then mankind is not that many years divorced from cannibalism and at least one place I worked may still have pockets that practice it ................

whales migrate great distances each year

this is a good observation and indeed it’s why an international organization like the IWC would be useful, if it weren’t bogged down in cultural politics as it was, before japan finally quit.

As it happens the quota calculation method isn’t based on EEZ anyway, but on total removals from the population including bycatch as noted.

Reduction in whales alters the natural balance of the oceans

That goes for any natural resource, and such ecosystem considerations could at times thus call for more whaling, to restore a “natural” balance. For instance there was a theory that Antarctic Blue whales might be able to recover faster with a reduction in minke whales, which may have increased in response to the reduction of their larger blue competitors.

and deprives a growing whale watching industry of the very object their customers wish to see.

No. Catching a conservative number of whales by definition leaves plenty in the ocean, and whale watching coexists in whaling nations just fine.

Some would argue whale watching is a better way to employ those who now hunt them.

Some would argue that individuals be free to choose for themselves rather than told how to live by those with authoritarian, central planning inclinations.

Hunting whales can also be highly detrimental to species survival.

hunting too many is, but sustainable whaling is not and indeed by definition can make for a sustainable industry and livelihoods. There is no good reason for people to be deprived of this choice.