Whale Meat Glut a Problem for Japan

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Boycott!!! Boycot!!! Boycott!!! Anything produced in Japan. Rick.

 

 

 

 

Whale Meat Glut a Problem for Japan

By HIROKO TABUCHI, Associated Press Writer Thu Feb 9, 3:00 PM ET

 

 

TOKYO - Japan has enticed children with whale burger school lunches, sung the

praises of the red meat in colorful pamphlets, and declared whale hunting " a

national heritage. "

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But Tokyo has a dilemma: by rapidly expanding its whale hunt, Japan now kills

more of the giant mammals than its consumers care to eat.

The result is an unprecedented glut of whale meat. Prices — once about $15 a

pound — are plunging, inventories are bursting, and promoters are scrambling to

get Japanese to eat more whale.

It's a tough sell.

" To put it simply, whale meat tastes horrible, " said 30-year-old Kosuke

Nakamura, one of the diners at a Hana No Mai restaurant in Tokyo who turned

their noses up at whale meat.

Young people are put off by the tough, pungent meat, Nakamura said, while

older Japanese are reminded of the lean years after the country's defeat in

World War II.

And while few Japanese voice environmental concerns over hunting whales, some

younger people say it has brought the country unfavorable publicity.

" Whaling's so bad for Japan's image. I don't know why we still hunt, " Nakamura

said.

Some 1,035 tons of whale meat hit the market in Japan last year, a 65 percent

increase from 1995, the Fisheries Agency says. And sluggish demand means

inventories have almost doubled in five years to 2,704 tons in 2004.

In the same period, the average price of whale fell almost 30 percent, to just

over $10 a pound in 2004. That's more than the average price for beef — about $9

a pound — and far higher than for chicken or pork.

But the glut of whale meat hasn't stopped the harpoon guns. Tokyo plans to

kill — under a research program — some 1,070 minke whales in 2006, over 400 more

than last year. Japan will also hunt 10 fin whales, and a total of 160 Bryde's,

sei and sperm whales, fisheries official Kenji Masuda said.

The [input] [input] [input] International Whaling Commission

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' name=c3> International Whaling Commission banned commercial whaling in 1986,

approving limited hunts for research purposes a year later. Opponents have

called Japan's hunts merely a way for it to dodge the whaling ban.

Tokyo says its program is needed to establish reliable information on whale

populations and habits — data Japan says can only be gleaned by killing the

animals.

The government, which distributes the meat and uses profits to fund research,

is working to promote whale meat and secure new distribution channels.

" Is it OK to eat whale meat? Of course it is, " reads a pamphlet titled

" Delicious Whales " that is distributed by the government-affiliated Japan

Whaling Association.

" Even if we capture 2,000 whales a year for 100 years, it's OK because whale

numbers are growing, " the pamphlet says.

The association acknowledges whale is a hard sell. The meat was considered a

rich source of protein in the lean years after World War II, but people moved on

to other meats — notably beef — as they became more affluent.

Some local governments have begun offering whale meat in school lunches.

Wakayama, a prefecture with a whale-hunting tradition 280 miles southwest of

Tokyo, has been aggressive in getting youngsters to eat whale, introducing whale

meals at 270 public schools in 2005. Nutritionists have even developed

child-friendly whale dishes, including whale meatballs, hamburgers and whale

spaghetti bolognese, said Tetsuji Sawada of Wakayama's education board.

Chimney Co., which runs the Hana No Mai eateries, acknowledges customers are

wary of new whale dishes. Still, Hana No Mai will keep selling whale meat. And

a trader at one of Tsukiji market's biggest wholesalers, Daito Gyorui Co., was

equally optimistic. " The fall in prices is a good thing because it will make

whale meat more accessible, " Yoshiaki Kochi said. " Japanese will never forget

the taste of whale. It's part of our culture. It's in our DNA. "

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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