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Do you support the tactics of environmental activists such as Sea Shepherd?

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The Australian government should send the navy instead. A great tradition of whaling? Never before in the Antarctic Ocean. So why start now??

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They should buy an old WW2 submarine and torpedo the whaling fleet.

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Either Japan should say, "Yes, we are hunting whales," or Japan should stop the kabuki. Research doesn't end up in restaurants or on diner tables. Either stand by your guns (harpoons?), or stop it.

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While it would be nice if Japan respected world opinion and shut down its domestic whaling industry once and for all, their whaling fleet has the right to protect itself on the high seas and has every right to use whatever force necessary to protect its vessels, crew and operations from attacks.

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Yes, I Sea Shepherd, because when they are around, the whaling stops. Hand-wringing and wailing by bloggers, politicians and journalists does little to stop the killing. But I would like to see a poll question about the morality of hunting endangered species, or of the quality of the so-called research, or of the millions in wasted tax-payers money!

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Yuki_51,

Before making such statements you ought to educate yourself about the scientific use of various biological samples from dead whales.

Some parts of the whale are of much more interest than others - do some reading about biology and learn how population dynamics is modelled.

It is not the case that research involves examining every ounce of meat on the whale. There is plenty of perfectly good meat left that ought to be put to use, once the data collection is complete, and so it is to finance the programmes.

VOR,

"World opinion" has never said anything about whaling. Only a bunch of westernized nations that think they are the only ones that count. No more arrogance please, more tolerance thanks.

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No more arrogance please, more tolerance thanks.

Please tolerate us blowing holes in whales' bodies, letting them take anything from an average of two minutes to an agonising hour to bleed to death. Tolerate us stringing wounded whales up by the tail so that they can't lift their heads out of the water, and drown. Tolerate us killing baby whales. Tolerate us taking taxpayers' money to finance the outdated culinary habits of a handful of old men.

It's the height of arrogance to think it's OK to subject any creature to torture to satisfy the jaded palates of a few rich old men, and to justify it by calling it 'tradition' or saying there are lots more left in the water.

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just trying to put the whaling situation in perspective. glad to hear you are equally unforgiving & i feel people like yourself should speak up. speaking out is what i feel helps control these situations. i disagree with the way activists , such as sea shepherd go about their protests though. they should speak up & take action, just that they should find a better & safer way for all concerned.

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davidattokyo- Glad to read your unbiased as usual posts.

I support the ending of this barbaric practice.

Tradition means nothing.

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Isn't there a way to educate the whalers and consumers on the declining whale population. I am sure the whales are equally worried about their demography. Eat something else please.

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some of their narrow minded friends in the news today. different cause but same only one way of thinking mentality: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7795558.stm

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cleo, killing animals is not torture. That sort of comment is just inflammatory and trollish.

Thenewfront, my bias is strongly in favour of sustainable whaling - and why shouldn't it be?

555Book, whale populations are increasing, generally. You should confirm that it's not yourself who needs education, no?

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Humane killing is not torture. Firing a harpoon at a moving target from a moving ship on the open seas cannot be done humanely. Many whales die slowly, in great pain. That's torture, and anyone who equates the suffering whales are routinely put through with the instantaneous death the law says animals must receive in an abattoir is simply ignoring the inconvenient truth, or couldn't give a damn either way so long as at the end of the day they get what they want on their plate, regardless of the cost.

If whaling were regulated by the same laws that govern abattoirs (and granted, even there the law is all too often broken - but the law is in place, and violations can be and are prosecuted) the whaling ships would be unable to leave port.

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cleo, the whaling methods employed by major whaling nations today are humane. If you have a problem you should take it up with the Americans first.

Whaling is not torture.

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Sorry young david, but you simply illustrate my point that people like you who want to eat whalemeat at any cost ignore the truth of how the whales are killed, or simply don't give a damn either way so long as you get what you want.

Just stick your chopsticks in your ears and sing (lalalalala, I can't hear you...)

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Respecting diversity is one thing. Tolerating the intolerable is something else.

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davidattokyo, whale population increased due to the careful preservation effort done over the years, you are not about to support turning that around aren't you?

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The Australian government should send the navy instead. A great >tradition of whaling? Never before in the Antarctic Ocean. So why start >now??

The hunting of Whales (and Seals) by European nations in the Antarctic Ocean started in the 1800s.

"Up until 1935, England and Norway was responsible for about 90% of the catch. After 1937, Japan began to dominate the southern whaling industry, with the Soviet Union entering the scene in 1951."

http://www.antarcticaonline.com/antarctica/history/history.htm

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the counter group "Save The Plankton" needs to weigh in on the debate.

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European nations in the Antarctic

Thanks for that fact. But I insist, Japan has no history of whaling there. So why start now??? European nations (most anyway) gave away the practise of killing whales because the numbers are decreasing. There is plenty of other food out there for Japanese. They do not need to kill these animals.

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But I insist, Japan has no history of whaling there. So why start now???

2008-1935= 73 years.

European nations (most anyway) gave away the practise of killing whales >because the numbers are decreasing.

They are the ones who brought the whales to the edge of extinction. Which is why the IWC exists, to monitor populations and control the number taken.

There is plenty of other food out there for Japanese. They do not need >to kill these animals.

It's inherently wrong to tell other cultures what they can eat or not eat. That's imposing one's own culture on another, a form of imperialism. Please explain why you believe you have the right to do so.

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the whaling methods employed by major whaling nations today are humane. If you have a problem you should take it up with the Americans first.

We already are. Stop trying to distract, it only makes you look like a lobbyist.

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It's inherently wrong to tell other cultures what they can eat or not eat. That's imposing one's own culture on another, a form of imperialism. Please explain why you believe you have the right to do so.

Because I'm bigger, I'm stronger, and I'm right. Always.

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I always thought bullfighting was worse. How come the Spaniards get away with calling it a sport?

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