Whaling ship to be refitted for another decade's service

And the money needed for this 'major overhaul' is coming from where? Certainly not profits from the sale of whale meat. Most likely from our soon to be raised taxes!

The Asahi said the idea of there being no hunt this year had met with opposition from politicians, afraid a disruption for even one year would make Japan look “weak-kneed”.

I don't see the word "research" in this sentence, just "hunt"? The only thing that makes Japan look weak-kneed is their lack of concern for the environment and opinions of a large majority of planet Earth. I wonder exactly how much TAX money they are going to waste refitting this rusting piece of junk; it wasn't mentioned in the article?

Some of the money raised for the Tohoku reconstruction is being diverted into whaling along with others like training prison inmates and nuclear research.

And the money needed for this 'major overhaul' is coming from where? Certainly not profits from the sale of whale meat. Most likely from our soon to be raised taxes!

According to a report by NHK, some of the money raised for the Tohoku reconstruction is being diverted into whaling and others.

Moderator: That is an old story and not relevant to this particular discussion.

would make Japan look “weak-kneed”

Japan is weak-kneed. Politicians and their constituents who continue to blindly support a program that costs billions and benefits few are truly weak-kneed.

Government crying poor over not enough money and having to raise taxes as a result and this is how the idiots waste it again. Take that Australia and the rest of ther world , this is how much we care about your opinion....Oh btw, before you get too pissed off - can we have your understanding and support on the Senkaku issue? and Dokdo....and..

Japan is weak-kneed. Politicians and their constituents who continue to blindly support a program that costs billions and benefits few are truly weak-kneed.

Indeed, people who are obstinate and stubborn are deep-down, really weak. It's because they can't choose any other action.

Apart from whaling, there are so many deeper issues here.

Where's the money coming from for starters? Increased tax?

The news that the ship is being refitted isn't the real news here; it's an indirect way to say "Japan give up on whaling. We will continue to waste money for another decade while the economy slows down and your(residents) taxes rise. National pride is at stake and we need to butcher whales to put the meat in school lunches. Whaling is our culture...blah, blah".

If one reason thinks about it, is whaling profitable in times of economic hardship? Put all pride aside and the answer is no.

National pride and the "ganbaro" attitude rule all.

Makes you wonder how Japan became such an econimc power...oh, then the bubble burst.

Japanese government has failed again. A completely new research mothership is needed.

However, as fugitive Paul Watson is on the run, I hope this year research can be completed successfully.

Japanese government has failed again. A completely new research mothership is needed. However, as fugitive Paul Watson is on the run, I hope this year research can be completed successfully.

Why you care so much about the government using tax payers money for whaling is beyond me.

If one reason thinks about it, is whaling profitable in times of economic hardship? Put all pride aside and the answer is no. National pride and the "ganbaro" attitude rule all.

The Japanese were never good at making a rational, sensible decision. This is purely an emotional issue for the nation.

"We want to continue whaling because, well, I dunno? We just do."

I wonder if they will send a coastguard ship this year. It seems they are fully occupied chasing Chinese ships around the Senkakus. Sending the "coastguard" to Antarctica may allow the Chinese to occupy the Senkakus, which would serve them right.

As research whaling is important

My response to this statement would quickly be deleted by the moderators. This report is quite different to the international one. The report I read yesterday stated they didn't have the money to refit it. I guess the are not selling enough of their 'research' meat to cover it. Take this ship out to sea and let the Chinese use it for target practice! Meanwhile, there are still 100,000 people living in temporary housing in north-east Japan.

there are still 100,000 people living in temporary housing in north-east Japan.

there are still 350,000...

SS is already planning its new campaign with Watson at the helm.

The Asahi said the idea of there being no hunt this year had met with opposition from politicians, afraid a disruption for even one year would make Japan look “weak-kneed”.

Japan is doing this just to prove a point? There are always surplus unsold whale meat every year and the only reason Japan continues is to save face and not look like they were wrong?

Whales are caught by relatively nimble harpoon ships that bring their catch back to the larger Nisshin Maru, where the mammals are butchered and processed, before being chilled.

When is the research done? Japan used to claim they were checking the stomach contents, now they claim the research is to determine if killing enough whales reduces the population.

By putting the numbers on the take lower, the price goes up. I still buy it, but now have less money to donate to other people like in Tohoko. SS should be banned from international waters.

Sea Shepherd is reporting that the whaling fleet is still being prepared to travel to the southern ocean sanctuary and that they are readying for a campain despite the government reports. Hopefully they are wrong or the government changes it's mind: it's sad to see Japan continue to alienate itself from the rest of the world.

30 million a year for another 10 years ?!? Someone tell the polititions they made their point a fortune ago, the world won't see them as being week kneed but of sound mind. Hopefully the general public and specifically the youth of Japan will make a stand and demand the end of invading the southern ocean sanctuary, (although it hasn't been much of a sanctuary yet) and one day the end of killing cetaceans altogether.

Japangal,

Are you planning to donate enough to cover the shortfall created by the annual 1.2 billion yen or so of direct taxpayer funded subsidies, plus the 'aid' money paid to recruit neutral countries into the IWC to vote for Japan, plus the cost of refurbishment of the ship, which most certainly will run into the tens of millions of dollars? These funds would be most welcome in the rebuilding of the Tohoku area, I'm sure. If so, thanks! If not, quit whinging about the price, every taxpayer in Japan is forced to subsidise your 'right' to murder cetaceans on the other side of the world. Oh, and if you think it's the Sea Shepherd that's forcing up the prices, there are about 2000tonnes of unsold and unwanted whale meat in frozen storage in Japan. Maybe you should have a word to your local retailer about the laws of supply and demand. You're right about one thing though, whaling is getting quite expensive, whether you plan on eating the meat or not.

There are rumours in the media that this year's whale kill will be cancelled?

All Japanese nationalism and pride and little sustainable market for the meat. I was on a boat at Port Macquarie Aust yesterday at sunrise and had the pleasure of seeing a few dolphins and about fouR humpbacks swimming around. It was wonderful. Having said that, let's just turn off the tuna tap for Japan and see ihow far pride goes.

" Having said that, let's just turn off the tuna tap for Japan and see ihow far pride goes.:

Good idea. Australia is thebiggest exporter of Southern Bluefin to Japan.

Ever wandered where the processed but unconsumed whale meat is being stored?

USA has major silos of corn stored for national emergencies.

As good as our sciences and technologies may be, whale by-products are still used in low-tech to high-tech products because man still cannot duplicate them.

As good as our sciences and technologies may be, whale by-products are still used in low-tech to high-tech products because man still cannot duplicate them.

Citation needed.

Thomas Anderson、

The Japanese were never good at making a rational, sensible decision.

It is not rational, sensible, to try to deny people what food they may eat.

Just let Japanese catch the whales sustainably forever, as is desired.

gogogo,

When is the research done?

Ask foreign AFP news agency why they did not say when?

We who know about it need not have us told by anti-whaling foreign news agency.

I say user should pay - let all the whaling supporters here fork out for it..

unsold and unwanted whale meat

It's your imagination.

marcelito,

I say user should pay - let all the whaling supporters here fork out for it..

As I said before, if anti-whalers would allow commercial whaling, then whale meat would be paid for by people who buy it.

The truth is anti-whalers wish to deny the food, and make excuses to hide it. They themselves must understand their behavior is shameful.

It is not rational, sensible, to try to deny people what food they may eat.

I thought it was for "scientific research"

Thomas Anderson,

I thought it was for "scientific research"

Anti-whalers should know, it is they who said there was too little scientific research when they demanded for commercial whaling moratorium. It is why Japan started research whaling in exchange for accepting moratorium.

It is time to end the moratorium. It was the time many many years ago. Oddly, anti-whalers say it is whale eaters who are emotional. It seems anti-whalers have very big emotional attachment to "moratorium". Like big babies really.

You are not making any sense.

Like big babies really.

Yeah, like saying "People should be able to eat whatever they want, and if we can't then we're going to cry over it".

I hope2 , " if commercial whaling is allowed whale meat would be paid for by people who buy it "

But the thing is almost nobody is interested in buying it anyway...thats why there is so much surplus of it sitting around frozen in the warehouses. Apart from a few self proclaimed whale meat "gourmet lovers" and cash strapped boards of education who occasionally buy it for school lunches at dirt cheap prices , no one is really interested in it. Even for the school kids it is not popular - too tough to chew and has a too strong smell.

Chant: Ten more years, yeah! Ten more years, yeah!

marcelito,

But

But what? If it is commercial whaling, it does not require tax money, it means it is no longer your business.

I don't understand why you demand that what I eat is your business.

So it seems you enjoy meddling with others for your pleasure?

A surplus goes in the trash, it is not kept frozen in the warehouses.

10 more years at 30 million $ a year to prove some foolish point to anti-whalers ?! Best check in with the people who still don't have perminant housing to see if having whale meat is more important to them.

ihope2 - you are not making any sense and are just trying to divert focus somewhere else now.. I,m meddling with others for my pleaseure? - What kind of assumption is that? Grow up. I don,t give a toss about what you want to eat personally, but from an economic perspective I have a beef with taxpayer,s money ( including mine since i pay taxes in Japan ) is being wasted on inefficent industries ( not only whaling, there are countless other examples around ) that would not stand a chance of surviving the commercial reality without government support.

marcelito,

I,m meddling with others for my pleaseure? - What kind of assumption is that?

I can not imagine another reason why you would care if there is commercial whaling and people who eat meat pay for it themselves.

from an economic perspective I have a beef with taxpayer,s money ( including mine since i pay taxes in Japan ) is being wasted

So you should accept commercial whaling. We do not have to pay tax for commercial whaling. Only current scientific whaling, which Japan must do because anti-whalers made "moratorium", claiming there is no scientific information.

would not stand a chance of surviving the commercial reality without government support.

Let it be commercial whaling instead of government supported whaling, and we will see.

So you agree to end "moratorium" now?

If you do not intend to meddle in the business of others, you must. If you secretly enjoy supporting scientific whaling, you will not.

So you should accept commercial whaling. We do not have to pay tax for commercial whaling.

But you do want us to pay taxes for 'scientific research'? If the reason for the 'research' is to provide data to back up commercial whaling, surely that 'research' should be carried out by the private-sector interests that want to engage in commercial whaling. Anybody else wants to set up a business, they have to do their own market research. Why should the taxpayer have to subsidise a loss-making private-sector enterprise?

Yes, yes, more research is needed. Of course we never hear what they are researching, or the results of the research, but let's eat a few more whales and ponder the situation.

If the reason for the 'research' is to provide data to back up commercial whaling, surely that 'research' should be carried out by the private-sector interests that want to engage in commercial whaling.

It is impossible, because of "moratorium". It means the commercial whaling is not permitted. So only way to do research is by non-commercial arrangement, through the government.

This is why you should accept the "moratorium" be finished, unless you secretly like to pay tax for the whaling.

Anybody else wants to set up a business, they have to do their own market research.

There is no needless "moratorium" for such business. It is anti-whalers that make it different. We wish for commercial whaling.

zichi - SS is already planning its new campaign with Watson at the helm.

That's good to hear. Watson will then be much easier for police to find, detain and then extradited him to Costa Rica.