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Japan Decides not to hunt humpbacks, for now

December 22, 2007
By Ken Worsley


The media reports have been widely inconsistent with this story, but the Japanese government announced yesterday that the whaling fleet set to begin its annual hunt in the Southern Ocean’s whaling sanctuary will not be bringing back the 50 humpback whales it had intended to.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura was quoted as saying, “The government has decided to suspend hunts of humpback whales while talks to normalize IWC is taking place…But there will be no changes to our stance on our research whaling itself.” Machimura then said that the suspension could last a year or two.

Why the decision now? The Mainichi tells us, “The move defuses for now a high-profile row with Australia, though Japanese officials deny they were influenced by Canberra’s anti-whaling position.”

Japan News Net, however, quotes Machimura as saying, “It is true that Australia expressed quite a strong opinion to Japan on this. As a result, I hope this will lead to better relations with Australia.”

In all likelihood, the whalers will say they have made a huge concession and continue their risible arguments for “research whaling.” Machimura himself seemed to guarantee this with his first quote.

Economically, we see no point in the whaling programme. It’s clearly a subsidized, sunset industry that wastes untold barrels of oil to head thousands of kilometers in order to bring home meat that won’t sell. It would be wise for the government to put that money to use towards training programs that can help people in such regions find work that would actually contribute to the economy rather than wasting taxpayer money.

One thing we do see is Japan’s leadership finally getting the message that declaring a hunting season on humpback whales simply goes too far, and that good relations and good PR actually matter in the international arena.

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Comments

11 Responses to “Japan Decides not to hunt humpbacks, for now”

  1. John s on December 22nd, 2007 4:48 am

    But what if they’re right and some degree of whaling is sustainable? The tuna stocks are in trouble. Humans already eat mammals. The current system is BS - calling it ‘research’ is silly - but they might have a point. Meat is meat. I just don’t see the objection to it.

  2. pn on December 23rd, 2007 7:18 am

    Any foreign criticism of Japan’s actions is always racist, plain and simple. They do not care about the whales, they only care about being anti-whaling because it allows them to continue to be racist against Japanese people in an acceptable fashion.

  3. J on December 23rd, 2007 1:09 pm

    pn is full of crap, talking out of your bunghole.

  4. nokimo on December 24th, 2007 1:41 am

    What depths we are plummeting to in discussing the whaling issue! I think what is happening here is that the leadership of Japan has taken up a position on whaling, fought for it and cannot back down from it without losing face. Nobody in Japan really cares about whaling except the few whalers left, a few die-hard politicions and some extreme nationalists. If nobody in other countries cared about whales then the whaling would stop from lack of interest altogether. But the more opposition there is, the more the Japanese government will fight back just for the sake of fighting back. At this point the debate has little to do with the actual animals at the center of it all!

    A quote in the Japan Times today really caught my attention. Nobutaka Machimura said, “Australians must think the humpbacks are very cute, but I am not sure I can understand that feeling.” What a pompous, shortsighted, windbag he is! The chief cabinet secretary of Japan knows nothing of Austalia’s position or feeling on the matter but thinks he is qualified to evaluate them on the basis of his own country’s standards!?! To the Japanese apparently CUTE = VALUABLE and worth saving. And conversly not cute means we should get rid of it. This from a man whose country values solid gold shit. (pardon my language but that’s what it is!)

  5. Ken Worsley on December 24th, 2007 2:59 am

    Nokimo, I think your comment is pretty on here. I hold that anti-whaling is pro-Japan, especially from an economic point of view. The ‘nationalists’ who are for it are actually struggling against what would be good for their country - social and economic progress as well as better international relations. Those who support it seem to want to drag Japan down by perpetuating negative stereotypes about the country. They certainly do not seem to understand the value of positive PR and international leadership.

  6. Garrett on December 24th, 2007 3:39 pm

    Exactly, Ken, whaling is an entirely artificial industry - the government subsidizes whaling, then subsidizes the purchase of the meat and the bogus research that is either not done at all or is in no way scientifically motivated.

    Nokimo, I think you hit the nail on the head - a large part of the pro-whaling camp is merely being defensive.

    Being for whaling is absolutely and always placing one’s own desire to fight above what’s actually good for the country.

  7. Wg on December 25th, 2007 2:22 am

    What is the goal of this research? I’d love to see any links. I don’t remember ever learning anything about whales that came from research done by commercial whalers.

  8. J on December 25th, 2007 1:59 pm

    pn bunghole isn’t around anymore, anyway, the whaling is one thing but the dolphins is more f-ed up. I am surprised nobody has mentioned that one.

    The research has been proven to be BS. They just bring the whale to a lab and then divy up the meat to the few places that still serve it. One place in Tokyo still serves it as their main attraction.

  9. pn on December 28th, 2007 4:00 am

    Those who oppose Japanese whaling seem to have no trouble with Norweigan, Iceland or Eskimo whaling. They only speak out against Japan. That is racism. Opposition to Japanese whaling is racist by nature.

  10. Doug on January 5th, 2008 11:52 pm

    pn, sorry to disappoint you but I have just as much problem with whaling by countries such as Norway and Iceland, It just happens that my reference point is in the southern hemisphere and the other countries aren’t breaking international law and killing whales in the antarctic protected zone. I would be just as pleased for a Norwegian whaling ship to be scuttled if they were.

  11. Doug on January 5th, 2008 11:59 pm

    pm, some people dont care about nationalistic issues that much. I’m sorry to disappoint you but I have just as much problem with whaling by countries such as Norway and Iceland, It just happens that my reference point is in the southern hemisphere and of course focus comes onto countries which are in contradiction to international law and killing whales in the antarctic protected zone.

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