Green | November 14, 2008 | 32 comments

Japan will not hunt humpback whales this year

source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/3456101/Japan-will-not-hunt-humpack-whales-this-ye...

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jefftego
The whaling fleet is scheduled to put to sea in a matter of days and has set a target of 850 minke whales and 50 fin whales, according to Shigeki Takaya, a spokesman for the Ministry of Agriculture's Far Seas Fisheries Division.

Last year, Tokyo announced that it would also take 50 humpbacks for the first time since the sixties, provoking outrage from anti-whaling nations. That plan was dropped and plans to hunt the species this year have again been cancelled.

"We received a lot of pressure from around the world, but particularly Australia and New Zealand, so we will not be catching humpbacks as part of the research programme," said Mr. Takaya.

Japan exploits a loophole in the rules of the International Whaling Commission that permits "lethal research." Critics say Tokyo's programme is little more than disguised commercial whaling as the meat ends up in supermarkets and restaurants in Japan.

Mr. Takuya would not reveal the exact date when the whaling fleet will put to sea out of concerns for the safety of their crews.

The radical environmental group Sea Shepherd disrupted last year's hunt and has been widely criticised for threatening the safety of the whalers. On one occasion, environmentalists hurled packages of rancid butter onto the deck of the Nisshin Maru; the Japanese retaliated with flash grenades.

This year, Sea Shepherd has unveiled a new weapon the war against the whalers, with Hollywood mermaid Daryl Hannah - star of the 1984 film "Splash" - scheduled to be aboard the group's flagship, the MV Steve Irwin.
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32 comments // Japan will not hunt humpback whales this year

  • SDLN
    • 0
      SDLN  

    • Although I'm not a big believer in animal equality, I'm definitely a believer in the "humane as possible" mantra, and also in moderation, or suspension, to avoid extinction. Anything that crosses those bounds, whether for cost, culture, etc., I'm against.

    • 3 years ago
  • uroborus8
  • DrownedFlyingWhales
  • nessie00
    • 0
      nessie00  

    • This is world breaking news because Greenpeace and other organizations have finally been heard loud and clear. Kudos to Greenpeace and Kudos to Japan!

    • 3 years ago
  • Trypnotik
  • Armageddon_Now
  • justright
  • Kepano
    • 0
      Kepano  

    • Cultural or not whales have been here prior to the arrival of humans, and we have over the centuries killed off millions of marine life, including whales, seals, walruses, polar bears and other endangered species, the cultures around the world need to respect these due to the fact that these are living creatures and they have feeling and may be part of someone’s heritage or culture, as a Native Hawaiian, and as other Polynesian peoples have great respect of the Ocean and its’ being, especially whales, and other large creatures that have long histories with the Marine Life. The problem has never been with the aboriginals from other parts of the world. It has been a issue because of countries like Japan who claim that it these injustices are for research purposes and not for the food that ends up on a Sushi Dish or similar dish that the Japanese crave. What kind of research is being done? What is so important that they need to kill 50 Humpbacks? People get real stop killing for personal desires, not like their cows, or pigs, that can be replenished over a short period of time. America has always been a country looking for the best interest of themselves and not about the people and wildlife surronding them.

    • 3 years ago
  • idealist
  • pressrecord
  • pressrecord
    • 0
      pressrecord  
    • Image

    • if you are all so adamantly against killing whales and have gone to stretch a cultural imposition on arctic people to stop eating their meat even if they are controlled hunts, what will you do about the real culprit for the DEFINITE DECIMATION of ALL marine mammal life?? (the US military use of sonar is killing more whales of ANY species all over the world and the US Supreme Court legalized it).

      some of you seem to think it's okay to demonize the japanese (ignoring that iceland and other scandinavian countries also eat whale) for their tradition but haven't had the wits to confront or publicize the US endangerment of whales (energy that would be better spent rather than pin-holing the japanese and inciting more racism against them).

      arcticspirit??

    • 3 years ago
  • krush_productions
    • 0
      krush_productions  
    • pressrecord:

      I have a problem with all COMMERCIAL whaling. All the natives of the arctic circle area only take 50-85 whales a year combined. That's about 2 per tribe, there is nothing wrong with this. The Japanese fleet alone takes 1200+ the Norwegians are no better and they're fucking seal killers too.

    • 3 years ago
  • pressrecord
  • csmonut
    • 0
      csmonut  
    • pressrecord:

      I seen where the court recently ruled that the US military (Navy) can go ahead and use their sonar arrays.
      Even though it was proven that the sonar interferes with whales and other mammals that use sonar as navigation.

    • 3 years ago
  • kinghd818
  • Cuddlebones
  • Cuddlebones
  • arcticspirit
  • arcticspirit
    • 0
      arcticspirit  
    • Image

    • Be sure and check this article:
      Whale sushi: expensive, tastes good and in demand! Whales are Japan's cows ...
      When I reported this, it was too close to the elections, so may have been overlooked.

    • 3 years ago
  • arcticspirit
    • +1
      arcticspirit  

    • Exactly. This isn't research, this is free commercial whaling in protected whale sanctuaries. And the meat is then sold at high prices as sushi to the wealthy in Japan.

      Whales=Japan's Cow.

    • 3 years ago
  • onechance
  • daledrops
    • 0
      daledrops  

    • such a tiny country should not have such a major impact on the global whale population. With tens of thousands of whales caught in the name of research- this little country packs a mighty punch. Its about time they give it a rest.

    • 3 years ago
  • skyla
  • Lazybones
  • jefftego
    • 0
      jefftego  

    • There is more good news being reported in http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24652727-2703,00.html

      - Japan is not sending a coast guard ship to protect the whaling fleet

      - It looks like support within Japan for the whaling industry is fading. According to the article:

      And there appears to be increasing pressure in Japan on the Y6billion ($94 million) budget for scientific whaling, which includes aY500 million direct public subsidy.

      It has been reported that the JFA has cut the planned take of minke whales this summer from 850 animals to 700, although the agency refuses to confirm it.

      The government-owned whaling contractor, Kyodo Senpaku, is understood to have cancelled the Southern Ocean fleet's farewell ceremony this year and to have stopped port calls in Japan to promote "whale culture".

      Kyodo Senpaku is understood to have decided to close its loss-making Yushin whale restaurant in the next 18 months, the commercial fishing companies have abandoned shares in the company under threat of foreign customer boycotts, and there is a slowly mounting stockpile of frozen whalemeat: 4209tonnes at the end of September.

      There appears to be diminishing popular sympathy in Japan for the pro-whaling case, although the Government continues to promote it as part of the nation's cultural heritage.

    • 3 years ago
  • dragon1984
    • 0
      dragon1984  

    • Maybe they should try whale farming in a remote area of the ocean. If that produces too slow, then oh-fuckin' well. Stop killing the defenseless animals for the greed of others.

    • 3 years ago
  • krush_productions
    • 0
      krush_productions  

    • Sea Shepard is already on its way to intercept the Japanese whaling fleet. Sadly Greenpeace bailed after raising several hundred thousand for the cause...wonder what they're going to do with it?

      Really wish i could use one of those harpoon guns on a stupid whaler...

    • 3 years ago
  • jefftego
  • peter_doerrie
    • 0
      peter_doerrie  
    • krush_productions:

      I dont like SeeS. They use violent methods to reach their goals (it wasn't rancid butter they used, but butter acid) and that never really helps. I like the GreenPeace approach much more. They don't put anybody in danger except themselves to protect the whales. And they are very succesfull. And concerning the money: It was always the strategy of Greenpeace to get money through some really good publicity stunts and then distribute it to every topic that needs attention.

    • 3 years ago
  • krush_productions
  • jefftego
    • 0
      jefftego  

    • They won't touch humpbacks. They know that if they do they risk major pressure from Australia, the International Whaling Commission, and international groups. Unfortunately, not enough pressure is being put on Japan to stop hunting other types of whales and their fleet is leaving for antarctica any day.

    • 3 years ago
  • phillyharper
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