Whales! + Japan! = 'TROVERSY!
So there was this page-long exposé on Japan and whaling in the Japan Times.
And then, in an ironic twinge of fate, the next day a whaling...ahem, research vessel got hit by some conservationists' ship up north. (Again?! But I don't condone the throwing of acid.)
Taking a look at the arguments presented in the article and elsewhere...
"Yanks hunted whales in our waters, depleated our catch, said stop, then said 'Yes! Eat whale!' but THEN ordered us to stop out of their own interest...and that stupid 'endangered species' list!" - I wonder, is there a significant number of Yankee whaling/research vessels in the world right now? Nnn... If there is, then consider me pointing fingers, too. If there isn't, well, are we to repeat the sins of our fathers? Guess we all must go without, huh?
"It's tradition." - I am a huge fan of tradition, or at least routine. It's also so cool that they have ceremonies for whales. I hate seeing someone forced to stop what's been going on for centuries. But the truth is that whalemeat...ain't as popular as it used to be. Not once has someone said "try some whale meat!" to me. Does it even have a full shelf in the Supa? There are SO many other varieties of food available from all over the world to the consumer now. Denying the existance of supply and demand doesn't seem like much of an argument. And, let's face it: Japan's done it's share of wiping out someone else's traditions...including whaling.
"The idea of thinning out some stocks exists with all other kinds of animals, ranging from deer to kangaroos." - But...are they...a couple thousand short of exiting in this world? Reminds me of a friend who was having this discussion with coworkers. She mentioned the endangered thing, they turned around to formulate their ultimate retort, and replied with "Well, YOU eat COWS!" ~___~
"For many children, it is the first time they have eaten whalemeat. They all say it is tasty." - We KNOW that's a lie, simply because 1) ALL children do not like ANYTHING, and 2) school lunch is RARELY tasty! Additionally, children often don't even know/hardly even care what they're eating in school lunch. They just trust that it won't kill them. That's why they announce it over the PA. :b Let's NOT kid ourselves...
But at the same time, I am wondering if Japan (with the help of Iceland and Norway) would actually whale to the point of extinction. I think this would depend on whether or not whalers and lobbyists would continue to deny dwindling demand (dunno about the other countries' public) But then again, someone wants to get paid. How long could this farce continue? Revitalization movement...? Or is it really a symbolic victory we should give them? I have nothing against eating whales (or dogs, or monkeys), and I echo the sentiments of Morishita, who said "It is lucky it is just Japan, Iceland and Norway. We have no guarantee that other countries will engage in self-controled, self-restrained fishing."
Thoughts? Stories?
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20070211x1.html
http://luna.pos.to/whale/jwa_trad.html
http://www.japan.org.au/pdf/Whaling.pdf
And then, in an ironic twinge of fate, the next day a whaling...ahem, research vessel got hit by some conservationists' ship up north. (Again?! But I don't condone the throwing of acid.)
Taking a look at the arguments presented in the article and elsewhere...
"Yanks hunted whales in our waters, depleated our catch, said stop, then said 'Yes! Eat whale!' but THEN ordered us to stop out of their own interest...and that stupid 'endangered species' list!" - I wonder, is there a significant number of Yankee whaling/research vessels in the world right now? Nnn... If there is, then consider me pointing fingers, too. If there isn't, well, are we to repeat the sins of our fathers? Guess we all must go without, huh?
"It's tradition." - I am a huge fan of tradition, or at least routine. It's also so cool that they have ceremonies for whales. I hate seeing someone forced to stop what's been going on for centuries. But the truth is that whalemeat...ain't as popular as it used to be. Not once has someone said "try some whale meat!" to me. Does it even have a full shelf in the Supa? There are SO many other varieties of food available from all over the world to the consumer now. Denying the existance of supply and demand doesn't seem like much of an argument. And, let's face it: Japan's done it's share of wiping out someone else's traditions...including whaling.
"The idea of thinning out some stocks exists with all other kinds of animals, ranging from deer to kangaroos." - But...are they...a couple thousand short of exiting in this world? Reminds me of a friend who was having this discussion with coworkers. She mentioned the endangered thing, they turned around to formulate their ultimate retort, and replied with "Well, YOU eat COWS!" ~___~
"For many children, it is the first time they have eaten whalemeat. They all say it is tasty." - We KNOW that's a lie, simply because 1) ALL children do not like ANYTHING, and 2) school lunch is RARELY tasty! Additionally, children often don't even know/hardly even care what they're eating in school lunch. They just trust that it won't kill them. That's why they announce it over the PA. :b Let's NOT kid ourselves...
But at the same time, I am wondering if Japan (with the help of Iceland and Norway) would actually whale to the point of extinction. I think this would depend on whether or not whalers and lobbyists would continue to deny dwindling demand (dunno about the other countries' public) But then again, someone wants to get paid. How long could this farce continue? Revitalization movement...? Or is it really a symbolic victory we should give them? I have nothing against eating whales (or dogs, or monkeys), and I echo the sentiments of Morishita, who said "It is lucky it is just Japan, Iceland and Norway. We have no guarantee that other countries will engage in self-controled, self-restrained fishing."
Thoughts? Stories?
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20070211x1.html
http://luna.pos.to/whale/jwa_trad.html
http://www.japan.org.au/pdf/Whaling.pdf