The years International Whaling Commission meeting ended in disarray when Japan and its allies succeeded in killing a proposal to protect whales in the southern Atlantic with the most basic of procedural maneuvers: by walking out. A move criticized by many. Read More...
After World War II food was scarce in Japan and whales meat, a cheap source of protein, became a staple in the Japanese post-war diet. In many whaling nations, the discovery of petroleum products that could replace the industrially important parts of whales, such as the oil, resulted in a decline in the importance and levels of whaling. This was not the case in Japan where whale meat was an important food source and where the whaling industry was a source of pride.
The Japanese government pathetically justifies killing whales by saying that this type of scientific whaling provides insight into the dietary habits of whales. I say if shows more about the dietary habits of a few ignorant Japanese. The Japanese Government say that analysis of stomach contents and analysis of actual tissue is the only way to ascertain the age of a whale as well as the degree of interbreeding in the population which provides insight into whale population distribution. What in fact happens is the harpooned whale is dragged onboard, weighed and measured briefly before being processed by the butchers.
In 2005, the JARPA scientific research program was replaced by the JARPA-II program, which increases the quota of minke whales to 900, and unbelievably, adds fin whales to the program. This move has sparked a great deal of anger among anti whaling nations, in particular because fin whales are listed as endangered under the Convention on International Trade on Endangered Species. It is widely agreed, amongst humans who care about this planet we live in, that it is abhorrent and the height of arrogance and ignorance to make a species Extinct. Starting in 2007, Japan plans to harvest up to 50 humpback whales and 50 fin whales annually. Japan confines it’s killing of whales to two areas; the North Pacific and the Southern Hemisphere. Neither the International Whaling Commission nor its scientific committee have requested any research by Japan, and both have repeatedly criticized Japanese whaling, and called for it to cease.
The research is conducted under the auspices of the Institute of Cetacean Research. The "Institute" receives its funding from the whaling company Kyodo Senpaku and from government subsidies. Kyodo Senpaku was formed in 1987 and conducts the collection, processing and selling wholesale of the whale specimens on behalf of the research institute. It sells roughly US$60 million worth of whale products each year. Conveniently for the Japanese whale killing government it is a requirement of International Whaling Commission membership to sell any meat taken from research catches. It is ironic that if a legislation existed for sharks that required the whole animal to be used it would help end the hideous practice of shark finning. Conversely if a whale killed for scientific research could not be landed and the meat could not be used the Japanese Government would most likely lose interest in the scientific studies and therefore might stop killing whales.
Japan continues killing whales today exploiting the scientific research whale killing permit. Japan's scientific whaling program is killing whales in much larger numbers required by any genuine scientific test, they have never stopped whaling and they never will stop whaling unless a total ban is put in force to save the whale. It is transparently obvious that Japan is killing whales in the name of science to provide whale meat for Japanese restaurants and supermarkets. However, it was reported recently that the Japanese peoples appetite for whale meat has diminished to such a degree that whale meat is now stockpiled and is being used in pet food manufacture. An opinion poll in Japan carried out in June 2006 by the Gallup affiliate, the Nippon Research Centre, showed that 95% of Japanese never or rarely eat whale meat and more than 70 percent of Japanese do NOT support whaling in the Southern Ocean. It is the Japanese Government who wants the return of commercial whaling not it’s people. Like a petulant child the Japanese Government will not be told what it can or cannot do and Japan, like a petulant child, will do any thing to get it’s own way.
To make things worse the Japanese Fisheries Agency has carried out a program of "vote-buying" by offering aid to poorer countries on the condition that they join the International Whaling Commission and supporting Japanese positions on whaling. Specifically, Japan has given $320m in overseas aid to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Guinea, Morocco, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St Kitts and Nevis and the Solomon Islands. These countries have voted with Japan in each International Whaling Commission vote since 2001 to end the moratorium and to return to commercial whaling. Every year, when the International Whaling Commission meets, the Japanese delegation puts forward a motion to allow a return to commercial whaling. Over the moratorium years the balance of support on this issue has changed from a big majority in favour of keeping the ban to a very near win for the whale killers in June 2006. International Whaling Commission rules say that such a change could only be brought about with a 75% majority in favour. New Zealand and Australia had to put pressure on some of the small South Pacific nations not to vote with Japan on the reintroduction of commercial whaling.
Scientific Whaling- a ABC Documentary
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The Humane Society International Inc (“HSI”) has commenced proceedings in the Federal Court of Australia against Kyodo Senpaku Kaisha Ltd (“Kyodo”) for illegally whaling within the Australia Whale Sanctuary adjacent to Antarctica. HSI seeks a declaration and injunction under section 475 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) (“EPBC Act”) against Kyodo for contravening sections 229-230 of the EPBC Act. These sections prohibit the killing, taking, interfering with, treating or possessing whales within the Australian Whale Sanctuary.
The evidence presented in the case is that Kyodo has killed approximately 3000+ whales within the Australian Whale Sanctuary since the Sanctuary was declared on 16 July 2000 and that Kyodo intends to continue to whale there.
HSI must initially seek leave from the Federal Court to serve the originating process on Kyodo before proceeding in the litigation. In Humane Society International Inc v Kyodo Senpaku Kaisha Ltd [2004] FCA 1510, Justice Allsop delivered a preliminary judgement but adjourned making the order sought pending the Australian Government being given the opportunity to make submissions on the case.
Not only has Japan broken the Australian Territory law, but has also broken the Antarctic Treaty. The Treaty is made up of 45 nations, (including Japan) and yet Japan has spat in the faces of all the other 44 nations. The Treaty strictly stats Antarctica is a place of research and sanctuary for animals.
Also the Treaty stats no armed forces are allowed in the treaty zone and no mid-sea refuellings, yet Japan has broken these too.The Japanese Coast Guard has admitted that there is an armed Japanese Coast Guard team on board the vessel Fukuyoshi Maru No. 68 in the Southern Oceans.
Japan's Government needs to wake up and see that its not only breaking Australian laws, but also breaking the international law and the Antarctic Treaty which they are part of.
Whaling Nations 
