Why do the Japanese kill whales?

Show all answers

take a look at this page:
on the bbc
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7153594.stm
this will probably answer your question about the research, and why the lethal method is used.

and NO, most Japanese people do not eat whale meat. Some fishing villages and towns are traditionally dependent on whale hunting yet their right to hunt was denied. Now depopulation of these areas is a serious problem in japan. (Compare this to Inuits. they are allowed to hunt some 'vulnerable' species, yet these Japanese villagers are not even allowed to hunt 'low risk' whales.)

the Japanese, like any other sovereign countries, don't like to be told what they can do and what they cannot do. And the japanese government simply cannot yield to the demand of anti-whaling countries, fearing that if japan gives this away, further imposition of the western value might follow. so the whaling issue itself is not that big deal. but what might follow scares the Japanese government. they cannot make such a diplomatic precedent.

the last point is why now? why are we seeing and getting so much information (despite the fact that some info are distorted) about this whaling issue now? let's just say that some organisations may be profiting from this anti-whaling campaign. some huge NGOs needs loads of money to operate... it is almost like a corporation. and they need donations. i suspect that shocking footages of dying whales and all that are surely useful to convince more people to donate. (note: green peace is not an anti-whaling organisation originally. they are supposed to be against issues of nuclear weapons and stuff.)

Fatsy Patsy

Why do the Americans kill turkeys?
Or cows?
Or chickens?
Or sheep?
Or pigs?

....because they taste good.

Joriental

The research is not about whales only but also our marine resources.
Researching how much and what kind of fishes do whales eat every year. The total sum of marine resources whales consume is 3-5 times of human being eat every year.

IWC doesn't ban whole whaling.
You can study the reason, before judging by your sentiment.
http://www.jfa.maff.go.jp/whale/document/whalebk.pdf

If it is too long, the points are;

21/178 (page 19)
If the present situation persists, there would be no fish left in the sea!?

30 / 178 (page 28)
“Save the Whales” destroys the ecosystem - Whales are eating the fish to depletion

52 / 178 (page 50)
Anti-whaling is NOT an international opinion

59 / 178 (page 57)
Goblins that manipulate the International Whaling Commission (IWC)

102 / 178 (page 100)
Anti-whaling nations hide hazardous factors watching

107 / 178 (page 105)
Table - CHANGES IN IWC MEMBERSHIP

109 / 178 (page 107)
Why Japan chooses to stay in the IWC for the time being

162 / 178 (page)
Anti-whaling fortitude getting disrupted
More countries support the cause for the pro-sustainable
use of whales

BTW, IWC know Japan's whaling and Japan also have to report ever time.
Read IWC regulation
http://www.iwcoffice.org/commission/convention.htm#convention

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE REGULATION OF WHALING

Article VIII

1. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Convention any Contracting Government may grant to any of its nationals a special permit authorizing that national to kill, take and treat whales for purposes of scientific research subject to such restrictions as to number and subject to such other conditions as the Contracting Government thinks fit, and the killing, taking, and treating of whales in accordance with the provisions of this Article shall be exempt from the operation of this Convention. Each Contracting Government shall report at once to the Commission all such authorizations which it has granted. Each Contracting Government may at any time revoke any such special permit which it has granted.

2. Any whales taken under these special permits shall so far as practicable be processed and the proceeds shall be dealt with in accordance with directions issued by the Government by which the permit was granted.

Japan follows this rule.

puffy

why not ...its their right...to chose...

daisk55aa

do u know american say "dont eat whales"
but american kill and eat blue whales at every year.
most of japanese whaling is minke whales.

Bowhead whale people is 8000.
minke whale peopleis 761,000.

australian media propaganda an infomation be distorted.
do you know whale is killed a few minutes.
but, GreenPeace and australian propaganda "japanese whaling is killed an hour".
it is time as long as Norway whaling.
australian government cheat innocent citizen.

http://jimaku.in/w/W8hJTrSG7sg/VjQG__0TZZU
http://jimaku.in/w/y1p0hqOp6Dg/sDhiVJUqfyC

see this URL,it is admited for IWC.
http://www.whaling.jp/english/qa.html
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=ojZ-tRNbTSk

japanese want to hunt minke whaling,whatever blue whale.
if australian says "dont stop whaling blue whales",japanese will stop hunt blue whales.
but, japanese want you admit hunt minke whales.

perhaps,australian government will ask to delete.
if delete this comment, australian government dont want to see at australian citizen.

Cosmos

Until the world says that all the hunters stop killing deers and other wild animals for FUN, no one would listen to anti-whaling protesters. I don't understand why no one says anything about pleasure hunting is worse than whale hunting. I have never seen Green peace chasing deer hunters out from the woods. What do you think? Why do people care so much about Japanese hunting whales and eating it, using it for everything they could, but not caring about people hunting, killing and taking deer head for a prize? Japanese never kill whales for fun, but to sustain all kinds of human lives. Have you thought of that? I think it is wrong to kill other animals for fun or for money, just because they are not intelligent enough.

Akamich Aota

The population of the world keeps increasing.　Then, Japan isn't suitable for the dairy farming because it is a small country.　How will Japan have to secure national food if a food crisis comes?　As for researching the substance of the marine resources, then it is an important subject to hold the means which gets marine resources.　This is not an emotional problem.　Japanese catches a whale because we are necessary such as cow and pig. There is a person who says that cow　and pig is different from the whale whose intelligence is high.　But, I think such arrogant thought to be terrible.　Can we judge the value of the animal's life? Are we god? I know the man who said "We can judge other racial value because we are excellent". 　His name is　Adolf Hitler. We are not God, or Hitler. Therefore, we must keep catching a necessary animal.　We are the sinful existence which can't live without taking life of other animals. We shouldn't become the hypocrites who escape from the sin by discriminating an animal.

xxxhappy_starxxx

Because it's our food culture.
I know some people can't understand why Japanese kill whales and they try to make us stop it.
It's really rude to intervene with another country's culture.
And I feel their ego.
How about Alaska,Norway,Iceland?

Kendlies

Why do we kill fish?
Cattle?
Chicken?
Sheep?

...

I don't give a **** what they do, because if they take away the rights of killing whales they take away the rights of killing chickens.
And I love chicken flesh.
And chicken abortion.
Actually I had poached chicken abortions on toast for dinner tonight.
:)

(..And yes they do eat them, I think.)

the talking chair

Following a campaign by Greenpeace in the early 1980's the US withdrew Japanese fishing rights from US controlled waters. This was against an agreement that had been agreed between the two. The Japanese felt doublecrossed and ever since then they hunted whale under the banner of science.

If Japan was allowed fishing rights again - they might stop whaling.

ray ray

They are a delicacy in Japan.. whether we agree with it or not

jdinesh05

actually , japanese love whale meat . whale blubber (fat) is useful too.

Carl_the_Truth

Gee, this has been mentioned here only about 3,000 times. A better question would be why do we still bash in the heads of cute little baby harp seals ! The Japanese eat these whales. And don't waste an ounce of it.

Onetwothree D

from a japanese
whale meat recalls when japanese used to be poor country after ww2. in those day ,it is a precious protein for japanese.
I think this issue is chinese government　maneuvering　after Japan-Australia Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation.
chinese government use korea doing anti japan in USA and
Australia doing ant japan in Australia.chinese government
dosent wish Australia, japan and USA cooperate each other.
Australia will be had an effect on chinese.

akia a

(´・ω・｀)バーカｗｗｗｗ

homosexualjewishfather

We just have to accept that people are always going to be killing off other things, for whatever reason it may be.

martinthurn

They don't NEED whales for food, they WANT whales for food. It's delicious! You should try it! "Research" is just an excuse, like a legal loophole, to stop some foreigners from complaining about it.

martha jones

tradition

gmod

research (food)

Dearka.E

Because they can.

Flowerlady

Because of the ambergris used for making those costly perfumes that you wear.

It is, pound for pound, more expensive than gold.

Mr. P

It still is a big market over there.
I don't see why governments don't stop it. It is now a cutural thing, so opposition to stopping is strong in Japan.
But this is a world issue.

nicegal_oz

they are evil...

mateo696996

THEY use the fat for oil burning and eat the meat its a delicacy

samira_04

cuz they cant kill humans, they kill fishes hahahaha

the gr8t one

They get bored over there!!

Enter Your Message or Comment

User Name:
User Email:
Post a comment: