I was just wondering how everyone feels about commercial Japanese whaling currently underway.
Let me start by saying I for one am totaly anti-PETA, and I think GreenPeace is a little over the top in many of the things they do. I am an avid hunter and fisherman. I believe conservation is very important. Especially the preservation of wildlife habitat and eco-systems, management of wildlife species by credible(uncorruptable)biologists, and the protection of threatened and endangered species. The natural wonders of this planet are disappearing way too fast due to human greed over exploiting natural resources and human over population. We have far exceeded our natural carrying capacity.
That being said, I think Japan is totaly wrong in their current whaling endeavors. There is currently an international ban on commercial whaling not recognized by Japan or Norway. The majority of Japans whale hunting is taking place in a protected southern seas whale recovery area near Antarctica. Obviously it's not very protected! They claim they are only doing it in the interest of science, but that is a blatant lie. The whales they take aren't weighed, measured, or scientifically studied in any way. I've seen pictures. The whales are hauled onto their vessels and efficiently butchered assembly line style strictly for their meat. After processing, the meat is then transferred to another ship for transport back to Japan to be sold commercially as an expensive delicasy.
Whales (as we all know) are some of the largest animals on earth. The blue whale is the largest animal that ever lived. The sperm whale is the largest carnivore on the planet. They reproduce very slowly due to their large size. Most whales have no natural predators at maturity, but calves and occasionally some adults of certain species are killed or attacked by killer whales. Many whale species are considered threatened due to extensive hunting in the past. Meat, blubber, ivory, ambergris(used in perfume), and most importantly their oil used in lamps for light and heat before electricity were the chief reasons for hunting. Numbers have been bouncing back slowly after the international ban on hunting was put in place(I believe this occured in the '70s, don't qoute me).
No one knows how intelligent whales are, but they surely rate close to the top in animal intelligence. Most whales share strong family bonds, whether it be between mother and calf, or members(usually related females and young) in a pod. Bulls are often solitary or form small groups. They also communicate through song. It has been learned that in some whales there are varied dialects of song varying from population to population of the same species from different geographic areas. Much like people and our different languages.
The main species being hunted are minke whales,(850, double the number from last year)sperm whales(not sure how many), and 50 humpback whales. I can't remember if the humpbacks were going to be killed this year or next.
I know eating whale meat is a cultural tradition in Japan, but it's not a staple food in their diet, and it is no longer necessary to consume. I could see taking maybe a few in Japanese waters to preserve tradition, but not harvesting of the current scale in international waters. Elk and deer hunting is a tradition in my family. But I would surely stop if they were threatened, or found to have the intelligence of the cetaceans. Yes I would miss the venison, but I still have beef
.
Most governments won't try to intercede or put any real economic pressure on Japan to stop whaling. Silence seems to be the prefered method of coping with the problem. Some countries might condemn it verbally, to the public and the world, but it's mostly lip service. Japan is much too involved in world economics to place any sanctions or high tariffs upon. That would hurt our own economies as well.
I for one am currently boycotting all Japanese products until the whaling stops. With Japanese corporations controlling so many international companies and manufacturing or designing many electronic components for items like computers this will be hard to do. But if I know it's made in Japan or owned by Japan, I don't buy. No Sony, Mitsubishi, Yamaha, fast and the furious cars, or Gorton's fish sticks. Gorton's parent company is Japanese and owns most of the whaling ships. The government also subsidizes some of the hunt.
If enough people band together and support a boycott, maybe we could make a difference. Money talks.
I have also wrote my congressman telling him my feelings on the situation(not that he probably cares!). Japan buys a lot of Montana beef
Sorry for the length of this post.
I'm sure most of you have heard about this, but it really flames me!
Wanted to know what other people thought.
No PS3 for me, guess I'll have to get an X-Box 360 unless things change..Peace
Let me start by saying I for one am totaly anti-PETA, and I think GreenPeace is a little over the top in many of the things they do. I am an avid hunter and fisherman. I believe conservation is very important. Especially the preservation of wildlife habitat and eco-systems, management of wildlife species by credible(uncorruptable)biologists, and the protection of threatened and endangered species. The natural wonders of this planet are disappearing way too fast due to human greed over exploiting natural resources and human over population. We have far exceeded our natural carrying capacity.
That being said, I think Japan is totaly wrong in their current whaling endeavors. There is currently an international ban on commercial whaling not recognized by Japan or Norway. The majority of Japans whale hunting is taking place in a protected southern seas whale recovery area near Antarctica. Obviously it's not very protected! They claim they are only doing it in the interest of science, but that is a blatant lie. The whales they take aren't weighed, measured, or scientifically studied in any way. I've seen pictures. The whales are hauled onto their vessels and efficiently butchered assembly line style strictly for their meat. After processing, the meat is then transferred to another ship for transport back to Japan to be sold commercially as an expensive delicasy.
Whales (as we all know) are some of the largest animals on earth. The blue whale is the largest animal that ever lived. The sperm whale is the largest carnivore on the planet. They reproduce very slowly due to their large size. Most whales have no natural predators at maturity, but calves and occasionally some adults of certain species are killed or attacked by killer whales. Many whale species are considered threatened due to extensive hunting in the past. Meat, blubber, ivory, ambergris(used in perfume), and most importantly their oil used in lamps for light and heat before electricity were the chief reasons for hunting. Numbers have been bouncing back slowly after the international ban on hunting was put in place(I believe this occured in the '70s, don't qoute me).
No one knows how intelligent whales are, but they surely rate close to the top in animal intelligence. Most whales share strong family bonds, whether it be between mother and calf, or members(usually related females and young) in a pod. Bulls are often solitary or form small groups. They also communicate through song. It has been learned that in some whales there are varied dialects of song varying from population to population of the same species from different geographic areas. Much like people and our different languages.
The main species being hunted are minke whales,(850, double the number from last year)sperm whales(not sure how many), and 50 humpback whales. I can't remember if the humpbacks were going to be killed this year or next.
I know eating whale meat is a cultural tradition in Japan, but it's not a staple food in their diet, and it is no longer necessary to consume. I could see taking maybe a few in Japanese waters to preserve tradition, but not harvesting of the current scale in international waters. Elk and deer hunting is a tradition in my family. But I would surely stop if they were threatened, or found to have the intelligence of the cetaceans. Yes I would miss the venison, but I still have beef
. Most governments won't try to intercede or put any real economic pressure on Japan to stop whaling. Silence seems to be the prefered method of coping with the problem. Some countries might condemn it verbally, to the public and the world, but it's mostly lip service. Japan is much too involved in world economics to place any sanctions or high tariffs upon. That would hurt our own economies as well.
I for one am currently boycotting all Japanese products until the whaling stops. With Japanese corporations controlling so many international companies and manufacturing or designing many electronic components for items like computers this will be hard to do. But if I know it's made in Japan or owned by Japan, I don't buy. No Sony, Mitsubishi, Yamaha, fast and the furious cars, or Gorton's fish sticks. Gorton's parent company is Japanese and owns most of the whaling ships. The government also subsidizes some of the hunt.
If enough people band together and support a boycott, maybe we could make a difference. Money talks.
I have also wrote my congressman telling him my feelings on the situation(not that he probably cares!). Japan buys a lot of Montana beef
Sorry for the length of this post.
I'm sure most of you have heard about this, but it really flames me! Wanted to know what other people thought.
No PS3 for me, guess I'll have to get an X-Box 360 unless things change
..Peace
