Every year, Japanese whaling provokes international outrage, resulting in huge damage to the country’s image. So why does it keep doing it?
‘It’s Gojira versus the whalers,’ the headline screamed. Welcome to the latest instalment of the whale wars, where truth has long been a casualty.
As Japan’s whaling fleet set sail this week for its latest expedition to the Southern Ocean, anti-whaling militants Sea Shepherd Conservation Society had already struck a propaganda blow by naming their interceptor vessel after the feared icon of their enemy. While the Japanese movie monster better known as Godzilla has fought many battles throughout his career, it’s fair to say that his creators would never have envisaged him combating his own country’s whalers.
‘This vessel is going to play a huge part in shutting down the Japanese whaling fleet for the entire summer,’Sea Shepherd’s Jeff Hansen told reporters in Fremantle, Australia, where it was registered with the backing of the city’s mayor. The group launched from Hobart its largest ever contingent of three vessels and a helicopter against the Japanese whaling fleet, which in 2009/10 comprised a factory ship, three harpoon ships, a supply ship and two security patrol vessels.
Meanwhile, the whalers were reportedly planning to put armed Japan Coast Guard ranks aboard their vessels to deter illegal activity. On the diplomatic front, Japan flagged its intention to set up a new pro-whaling organisation rivalling the divided International Whaling Commission (IWC), while the Australian government continued to pursue its case against Japan’s research whaling at the International Court of Justice.
It all adds up to yet another looming showdown between the warring parties, both at sea and diplomatically. Yet, rather than another ‘Gojira’ episode, will it end up being ‘Groundhog Day’ all over again this season for the main protagonists?
Ahead of the annual whale hunt, The Diplomat canvassed the views of experts both within and outside Japan on the rationale and future of the nation’s whaling industry, viewed by its supporters as a traditional cultural practice, but by its critics as ‘Japan’s diplomatic scarlet letter. ’While few could see signs of compromise, none favoured the continuation of the current stand-off.
‘The Japanese have been eating whale meat and utilising whalebones, blubber and oil for more than 9000 years,’ says Glenn Inwood, a spokesperson for Japan’s Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR).
Established in 1987 and under the auspices of the Fisheries Agency, the ICR is responsible for Japan’s whale research programmes in the Antarctic and western North Pacific, which are officially conducted under Article VIII of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW).
According to Inwood, the ICR’s whaling company Kyodo Senpaku plans to catch around 850 minke and 50 fin whales in the upcoming 2010/11 season, ‘scientifically calculated as the minimum sample size required to obtain statistically useful information.’
Photo Credit: Uniphoto Press
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Elexys
I just say that we should propose a regulation for whaling to Japan as weel as Norweigh. Just regulate the amount they can hunt.
Dont get me wrong, I am against the whole thing but there are valid points to their arguments and we can not impose on thier lifestyle.
I am sure there are many things they dont agree with, that we (americans) do.
I feel that regulation is the safest thing. It helps sustain their life style and it ensures that there wont be over killing.
Like Jon Soeder said, Japan is not hunting species that are on the brink of extinction. There are multiple species.
Major Lowen Gil Marquez, Phil Army
The Japan whaling activity should be stop, Japan has a undesirable pride if they have their pride not be touch, it is advisable to them to catch Whale in their own territorial water so that they can monitor their own demand and supply,
we must protect the whale for mother earth and for the future generation, this problem should be discuss to the united nation so that Japan may going to think twice for their personal cultural activities that affecting the world natural environment. .
Symone
We have enough problems with the environment and the earth to come in the future… leave the whales alone. The “heritage” claim is like a child not sharing his toys. The world is for everyone.. listen to the other children that live in that world and respect nature as it is a fragile beauty.
Hail the Sea Shepherd!!
divya
very nice detail about the japanese whaling and international outrage thanx for the detail.
melissa
I’m not racist or ever have been, but Japans pride and ego are making me ill. They don’t want to be told what to do. Nobody does but everyone else conforms to the times. It is even worse because it is over helpless animals they don’t even need to kill that they are so willing to show their stupid pride over! Now we have to go over there and help them with the tsunami and earth quake, but they feel we are raciest. Give me a break! That is just a convenient excuse to justify their pride.
Daniel A.
Melissa: Mother Nature has spoken on the whales behalf.
LCA
okay, it’s fine to have your opinion, but stop with the nonsense “mother nature has spoken on the whale’s behalf”, mother nature is not a person and has no conscience, she has not done anything on the whale’s behalf. Further Sea Shepherd are nothing more than domestic terrorists that put HUMAN lives in jeopardy, get off your pedestals and stop judging a culture for what they have done for thousands of years, if the hunt is indeed controlled then that is the key to conserving the whale’s numbers.
JB
The hunt is illegal, simple! Sea Shepherd stops it, simple! Japan is using a shitty loophole that politicians are to weak to close, simple!
The Japanese should hunt whales in their own backyard. Australia should be sending its navy down to drive them back, but it takes courageous people form Sea Shepherd to do what governments should be doing
All power to Sea Shepherd taking on the whaling fleet and driving them back to Japan!
BTW, can anyone tell me what their years of ‘whale research’ have found. Or are trying to find?
Neil
The loophole is for research. If what Japan is doing is what they consider research then it is clear they are not up to date with current scientific methodology for the study of fragile ecosystems and their right to research in international waters should be revoked. But since what they are doing is obviously not for the sake of research based on their unwillingness to use their funding for non-controversial and better scientific research practices ($29 million recently spent to ensure the hunt continues rather than improve and modernize research methods), then any global citizen with the ability has the duty to enforce the laws that internationally recognized global governing bodies have ratified based on the spirit and purpose of the law rather than the technicality. Sea Sheperd is acting on this duty as all those that have the ability to prevent injustice should. The claim that their enforcement of the law should stop based on the risk to “innocent japanese fishermans” lives is tantamount to claiming that we should not arm African game wardens protecting the reserves of black rhino, or elephants’. Also we probably shouldn’t have any police or sherriffs as the law breakers are at risk if they attempt to run, lots of drug dealers, and thiefs sustain injury when attempting to avoid arrest. Though perhaps a international example… We should not have disrespected the rights of the nazi civilization to their beliefs, especially since the oppression of Jews and minorities has a long historical precedent in civilizations in that geographic area.
James38lon
If Japan is worried about its cultural traditions, then why are they complaining about not being about to use the Southern Santuary?
Japanese fishermen don’t use the Antarctic for fishing in!…it’s a rubbish excuse to slaughter whales, inside a santuary, on the other side of the planet. Especially when all the countries around it are completely opposed to it being done in their neighbourhood waters.
I think Japan should not be trying to impose it’s will on other cultures, namely those around the Southern Saunctary who completely oppose this pillaging of their surrounding oceans.
All the arguements about killing intelligent creatures is immaterial, they should hunt in their own waters, and if the problem is there are no whales around Japan, then there’s no traditional hunting grounds left..they’ve killed them all, and demonstrates they problem they are causing.
It doesn’t mean they get to kill and eat everyone elses whales.
Cleo
Why? As an excuse to keep Japanese boats in international waters. Didn’t the mass appeal Kate Beckinsale movie Whiteout show us how easy Antarctica would be to take? To hold, well, we’ll see.
whalingwall
Are those pro-whalers also fine with hunting pandas and rare bald eagles for food??? How about some other countries going into Japanese or Norwegian oceans to hunt their fish? Did the Japanese recently rammed a Chinese fisherman for fishing near disputed waters claimed by China and Japan? What about the sinking of a Taiwanese fishing boat in those same waters?
In the end, “david” and all the pro-whaling apologists shilling for the Japanese stance are hypocrites – Japan doesn’t practice what it preaches!
T.Toda
> Are those pro-whalers also fine with hunting pandas and rare bald eagles for food???
Some whale species are not endangered at all.
> Did the Japanese recently rammed a Chinese fisherman
No, Chinese rammed Japanese vessel. Twice. Check your self. It is on the YouTube.
> for fishing near disputed waters claimed by China and Japan?
What do you expect? Japan offer her territory if other nations claim it?Japan have bitter history of losting the control of some of her territory just after the WW2 because of the absence of the military. So, we are just want to prevent that from happening again. (Japan is massively shackled about the military even now.)
> What about the sinking of a Taiwanese fishing boat in those same waters?
It was an accident. And Japan gained nothing by it.
sing
No T.Toda Japanese warship get in front of the Chinese fishing vessel and got hit! Japan has no juridiction in that territories.
That Daiyoutai is not Japan’s territory; since the Sung Dynasty it is incorporated into the her territory. US have made a mistaken to include the chains of islands’ administrative rights and given to Japan.China at that time was silent because of the civil war. Same for Ruyuku Islands which by itself is an independent kingdom. Imperialised by Japan and Japanized. Japan’s sins in the WWII was not apologized. Always tried to use beautiful words to hide the urglyness. Sex slaves=Comfort women, invasion=going into, Nanking massacre have not happened (100,000 Chinese commit suicide?) still trying to honor the war criminals. Same as the whaling by using the word scientific research! Anti-whaling is racist? Full of hot air and crabs.
organicfarmer
Where are all these volumes of research papers that should have been published by now? Is the whale population increasing or decreasing in the Southern Ocean?
Human Beings have extincted numerous species in the last 1000 years, but extinction has been recorded long before humans were so numerous. Greed is a problem in this world today. Let’s deal with greed, selfishness, and irresponsible corporations first. I expect the animal world will take care of itself if we deal with the issues and not the symptoms. I don’t think that Paul Watson lives very high on the hog as others claim. It costs a small fortune to outfit his expeditions. If the Japanese whale industry is not even breaking even, what the hell is the point? Something here just doesn’t make any sense at all.