(USA) Japanese Losing Their Appetite for Whale Hunt

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http://news.pacificnews.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=f8a4b8a76bd34dbd64\

afc8a6c6b7dd11

News Feature/Commentary, Christopher Reed,

New America Media, Jan 24, 2006

 

Editor's Note: Japan may use science or tradition to defend its whaling, but

whale meat is almost never on the menu in the nation.

 

TOKYO, Japan--Environmental opponents of Japanese whaling in Antarctica, where

recent ocean confrontations have become dangerous, are increasingly reminded of

Oscar Wilde's famous dismissal of the tally-ho types who went fox hunting in

Britain: " The unspeakable in pursuit of the uneatable. "

 

Hostility to Japan reached a new level on Jan. 19, when Greenpeace activists

dumped a 20-ton, 56-foot fin whale corpse outside the Japanese embassy in

Berlin. They were making the point that cadavers like this mammal that had died

naturally in the Baltic are available for " scientific research " -- Japan's

rationale for its current four-month, southern-sea hunt for the warm-blooded

ocean titans.

 

Although Norway and Iceland have also done some whaling, Japan earns

conservationists' extra wrath because of what, say activists, is the dubious

nature of another of its claims (rather than racism, which some Japanese have

suggested). Japanese like to eat whale flesh, the argument from Tokyo goes, and

have done so for more than 1,000 years. Unfortunately for its dwindling

enthusiasts, these arguments are easily disproved.

 

These days, almost no Japanese under the age of 60 eats whale meat; it was only

consumed on a large scale during shortages after the end of the Pacific War in

1945. Where it is available today, customers are almost entirely elitist

gourmets with plenty of money -- or misguided nationalists.

 

McDonald's in Japan, where fish hamburgers are popular, need fear no competition

in taste from the flesh of Balaenopterae. But an element of nationalism can

creep in. Some Japanese, encouraged by the government and its Institute of

Cetacean Research (ICR) in Tokyo, which is also the pro-whaling public relations

office, regard opponents as foreign bullies.

 

Comments

Eric Stanoreslas on Jan 25, 2006 07:22:14, said:

It is true that most Japanese do not eat whale meat or blubber, but it must be

said that in some regions such as Taiji (Wakayama prefecture), Ayukawa (Miyagi

prefecture) or on the island of Kyushu, there is still a strong demand for these

products for cultural reasons. Unfortunately, the whaling moratorium prevents

the peoples in these regions to hunt some baleen whales. Instead, they can get

some whale meat for cheaper prices (compared to the prices in some restaurants

in Tokyo or Osaka) from the ICR..

Jennifer Bunch on Jan 25, 2006 06:55:06, said:

Thank You so much for exposing this absolute senseless horror.

The bottom line for killing cetaceans is money. Period. They can call it

research all they want.

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Thank you for posting this!!

 

Have there been any recent articles about the drive fisheries and

consumption of dolphin meat?

 

All updates appreciated!

~Kim

voices4animals.com

 

 

aapn , " Le Petit Chien " <perro10@x...> wrote:

>

> Post a Comment

> http://news.pacificnews.org/news/view_article.html?

article_id=f8a4b8a76bd34dbd64afc8a6c6b7dd11

> News Feature/Commentary, Christopher Reed,

> New America Media, Jan 24, 2006

>

> Editor's Note: Japan may use science or tradition to defend its

whaling, but whale meat is almost never on the menu in the nation.

>

> TOKYO, Japan--Environmental opponents of Japanese whaling in

Antarctica, where recent ocean confrontations have become dangerous,

are increasingly reminded of Oscar Wilde's famous dismissal of the

tally-ho types who went fox hunting in Britain: " The unspeakable in

pursuit of the uneatable. "

>

> Hostility to Japan reached a new level on Jan. 19, when Greenpeace

activists dumped a 20-ton, 56-foot fin whale corpse outside the

Japanese embassy in Berlin. They were making the point that cadavers

like this mammal that had died naturally in the Baltic are available

for " scientific research " -- Japan's rationale for its current four-

month, southern-sea hunt for the warm-blooded ocean titans.

>

> Although Norway and Iceland have also done some whaling, Japan

earns conservationists' extra wrath because of what, say activists,

is the dubious nature of another of its claims (rather than racism,

which some Japanese have suggested). Japanese like to eat whale

flesh, the argument from Tokyo goes, and have done so for more than

1,000 years. Unfortunately for its dwindling enthusiasts, these

arguments are easily disproved.

>

> These days, almost no Japanese under the age of 60 eats whale

meat; it was only consumed on a large scale during shortages after

the end of the Pacific War in 1945. Where it is available today,

customers are almost entirely elitist gourmets with plenty of money -

- or misguided nationalists.

>

> McDonald's in Japan, where fish hamburgers are popular, need fear

no competition in taste from the flesh of Balaenopterae. But an

element of nationalism can creep in. Some Japanese, encouraged by

the government and its Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR) in

Tokyo, which is also the pro-whaling public relations office, regard

opponents as foreign bullies.

>

> Comments

> Eric Stanoreslas on Jan 25, 2006 07:22:14, said:

> It is true that most Japanese do not eat whale meat or blubber,

but it must be said that in some regions such as Taiji (Wakayama

prefecture), Ayukawa (Miyagi prefecture) or on the island of Kyushu,

there is still a strong demand for these products for cultural

reasons. Unfortunately, the whaling moratorium prevents the peoples

in these regions to hunt some baleen whales. Instead, they can get

some whale meat for cheaper prices (compared to the prices in some

restaurants in Tokyo or Osaka) from the ICR..

> Jennifer Bunch on Jan 25, 2006 06:55:06, said:

> Thank You so much for exposing this absolute senseless horror.

> The bottom line for killing cetaceans is money. Period. They can

call it research all they want.

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Kim,

 

You might find EIA's report below interesting.

 

www.eia-international.orgnews276-1.pdf

 

Japanfs Dallfs porpoise hunt: A quarter of a century

as the largest cetacean kill in the world

 

Also I have a pdf copy of Endo's study in 2005

mentioned here (Reference 12) if you want a copy.

 

Cheers,

Masako

 

--- voices4animals <voices4animals wrote:

 

> Thank you for posting this!!

>

> Have there been any recent articles about the drive

> fisheries and

> consumption of dolphin meat?

>

> All updates appreciated!

> ~Kim

> voices4animals.com