Japan may scale back Antarctic whaling
Posted
Whaling rethink? Japan's government could offer to scale back its Antarctic hunt (www.customs.gov.au)
Japanese media is reporting that the country's fisheries minister is considering scaling back its so-called research whaling in the Antarctic.
In exchange the Japanese want a resumption of commercial whaling in their own waters.
Japan's Asahi Shimbun newspaper is reporting that fisheries minister Hirotaka Akamatsu will outline his proposal at the meeting of the International Whaling Commission in Morocco in June.
The plan to scale back Antarctic whaling in exchange for the resumption of commercial hunts of minke whales off Japan's coast represents a major shift in policy.
Japan is reportedly already discussing the proposal with anti-whaling nations such as the United States and pro-whaling countries such as Norway.
Comments (40)
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Pete:
09 Feb 2010 1:40:14pm
Maybe the Sea Shepherds efforts are finally working?
no thanks whatso-ever to Peter Garrett and Keving Rudd, this issue is one of your biggest pre Election Lies.
Lets hope the voting public remembers this lie as well as all the other lies on Election day!Agree (1) Alert moderator
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presumption:
09 Feb 2010 1:52:16pm
A unfulfilled promise is not a lie, just because they were supposedly unable to fulfil a promise with a certain timeline doesnt mean it wont happen, sometimes the cost of the promise and context in which it must be enacted is probably too high and risky.
Sounds like excuses I am sure.Agree (0) Alert moderator
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Bock:
09 Feb 2010 2:22:06pm
Also, Pete forgets that there have been private talks between diplomats and Ministers, diplomacy between nations can work wonders at times...
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woof:
09 Feb 2010 2:27:03pm
This Rudd 'excuse' was a whale of a lie.
The man can't lie straight in bed.Agree (1) Alert moderator
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TonyY:
09 Feb 2010 2:31:58pm
However, "presumption", when there has now been over two years to DO something and all we have seen is talk, talk, ...more talk, ....spin,...hand wringing.......talk.....spin.........Don't you think that this pretty much equates to a broken promise ? The impression I and I think most Australians got during the last election, was that action on whaling was of prime importance.......there has been NO action.......in two years. Now that to me is a definite broken promise also.......therefore, logic tells me that Mr Rudd and Mr Garrett told lies during the election campaign, if what they meant was some hazy time in the second term of Labor.......Nope......tell it for what it really is: in my books, Rudd and Garret both lied to the Australian public.
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Ballena:
09 Feb 2010 1:41:45pm
Yea, but coastal whaling isn't any better. They're still killing whales needlessly and the populations of whales around japan's shores are much more endangered! Japan needs to quit killing whales regardless of where they want to hunt them!
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Chall:
09 Feb 2010 2:33:31pm
Are you aware that minky whales aren't actually endangered?
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Giuseppe:
09 Feb 2010 2:36:29pm
Why should Japan quit whaling?
Whales are natural resources. Some species are abundant enough to sustain a limited and controlled harvest. (Actually the species that is the most abundant lives in the Southern hemisphere. It's the Antarctic minke whale.)
I can understand that some people are opposed to whaling for cultural reasons, that is that they think whales are special animals, but those people don't have a right to impose their views on the Japanese or any other whaling people.
The thing is that the IWC (International Whaling Commission) is an international body that was created to manage whales stocks and whaling. If some member nations can't agree anymore with the killing of whales, they should quit this organization rather than try to hijack it as it has been the case for more than 20 years now.
Of course, non-whaling nations that have an interest in the conservation of whales and accept that whaling can be managed under international control should continue to participate to the IWC's discussions.
The problem in the whaling debate is that the anti-whaling side has nothing to win in accepting whaling but they may lose face in agreeing to allow commercial whaling because this activity has unduly been demonized over the years.Agree (0) Alert moderator
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Bill:
09 Feb 2010 1:43:46pm
What sort of deal would that be ? Monitoring of numbers of whales caught(Antarctica) would be needed ....no doubt they(Japan) will just offset that with increases in catches in own waters.
The least any agreement should contain is no taking of any whales at all in Antarctica.Agree (0) Alert moderator
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kapege:
09 Feb 2010 1:53:35pm
maybe seashepard should use crossbows against the whalers and see how they like it
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Jim:
09 Feb 2010 2:26:17pm
In which case any warship in the area would have the right to open fire on the protestors for piracy.
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TonyY:
09 Feb 2010 2:36:57pm
I think that's true Jim. And as we now know, Rudd will NOT do a single thing to prevent this horrific slaughter........except wring his hands and pontificate. What could be done however is "accidental ship damage".......and concentrate on the mother ship. If Japanese whalers can be so close as to "accidentally" tear a 90cm gash in the Sea Shepherd's hull, then I am sure the bows of the Sea Shepherd could "accidentally" damage the whale hoist area on the stern of the mother ship........Mind you, I do not advocate that at all......except by accident - just like the Japanese.
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Jim:
09 Feb 2010 2:43:58pm
There is a good reason Rudd is not sending the Navy to the area. That's because he has advisors who actually understand the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Any warship of any nation in the area would have an obligation to protect the whaling ships from inteference.
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longhairjnr:
09 Feb 2010 3:11:14pm
kapege
As they say two wrong's do NOT make a right. If you have watched any footage from the "Sea Shepperd" you would realise that the actions of this so called "Conservation Society" and the pirate that captains their vessels are not only highly dangerous but illegal. The latest spate of attacks on whaling ships has not only cost those who have donated to this sad excuse for a society but has brought shame to the names that their vessels bear.
It is time the Australian Government got involved but those who support the "Sea Shepperd" may get a surprise when their vessels get blown out of the water.
I do not in any way support whaling but I also do not support this poor excuse of a society.
Captain Paul Watson you should be locked up for your crimes, preferably with the heads of the Illegal whalers. As for the lies from the "Sea Shepherd" society, just wait your turn you will come unstuck.
Sorry for the rant but one thing that annoys me more than doing the wrong thing is doing it in the name of the right.Agree (0) Alert moderator
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TonyY:
09 Feb 2010 1:54:45pm
The only reason the Japanese may (I stress "may") be considering scaling back their abhorrent practice of whaling is that they are now being internationally damaged by the activities of the Sea Shepherd and the spotlight it has placed on this incredible, un-necessary and bloody slaughter. The whole world is now watching and the Japanese will not like that at all. Moreover, everybody is now getting more and more pictures of the horror of explosive harpooning, the ship collisions and the truth is now hitting headlines almost daily.
As for Rudd ? Talk, spin, talk, spin, talk, spin, talk, spin.......I think we have the idea. He did nothing and will continue to do that very effectively. Trust Rudd......well, yes, ....if you want talk and spin.Agree (0) Alert moderator
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ateday:
09 Feb 2010 2:42:47pm
The aim of Sea Shepherd is to make it too expensive for the whale killers to keep hunting.
In this they may be successful.Agree (0) Alert moderator
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Robert:
09 Feb 2010 1:57:29pm
The developed world should stop plundering the seas of whales, tuna, salmon and any other wildlife.
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az1:
09 Feb 2010 2:12:10pm
The japanase government are absolutely laughable.
So they don't want to have to sail all the way down to Australian Antartic Waters to hunt whales for commercial sale, they would rather just hunt them closer to home?
And that is some sort of positive deal?
They will still be hunting whales, both in the Antartic and closer to japan.
Is this just a ploy to try to split up the Sea Shepherd fleet?
Well done to the Sea Shepherd group for humiliating japan.
Hang your heads in collective shame japan!Agree (1) Alert moderator
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Jim:
09 Feb 2010 2:17:32pm
How about they resume limited coastal whaling (which, like it or not, is a traditional Japanese practice), in exchange for ceasing all activity in the Australian Antarctic Whale Sanctuary?
At present, traditional whaling villages are banned from whaling, while large-scale commercial hunts occur at the other end of the world.
Banning the Antarctic hunt, but allowing coastal whaling would be an ideal solution. Traditionalists in Japan would be happy, as whaling villages would be able to resume the limited coastal whaling they previously practised. Japanese who like whale meat would be able to buy it, albeit at a higher price, from the villages. And Australians would be happy, because the Japanese would no longer be poaching whales from our whale sanctuary.Agree (1) Alert moderator
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Nup:
09 Feb 2010 3:08:37pm
As much as I don't like the idea of any whales being hunted, hunting whales off their own coast is far, far better than hunting whales in what should be protected waters around the Antarctic.
However, a return to whaling close to Japan should be on the proviso that whaling be practiced only by those communities who traditionally hunted whales, and that it be limited in scale to sustainable levels.Agree (0) Alert moderator
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longhairjnr:
09 Feb 2010 3:12:42pm
This would be the logical decision, I for one would support this wholly but my little voice does not count for much.
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katie:
09 Feb 2010 2:19:38pm
Goodness did the Japanese fisheries minister just put his foot in his mouth??
I am having great difficulty understanding the link between decreasing SCIENTIFIC whaling in one area and increaseing COMMERCIAL whaling in another area.... unless of course there is no scientific purpose for Japans whaling efforts and they have just admitted this.Agree (1) Alert moderator
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Kimitake Hiraoka:
09 Feb 2010 2:20:16pm
This is yet another unnecessary compromise offered by Japan.
Interesting to see if Australia will be mature and offer a compromise too. Somehow, I doubt they will. They will continue to pontificate about the anti-whaling nonsense and pretend that they are not the world's worst polluters. And they will continue to allow the Sea Shepherd terrorists to use their ports to attack our ships.
What a disgrace.Agree (0) Alert moderator
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Bigpenguinfan:
09 Feb 2010 3:11:48pm
If Sea Shepherd were actually a terrorist organisation, then I wouldn't legally be able to donate to them. The fact that I can (and the fact that, in the US, donations to Sea Shephed are tax-deductible) shows that governments other than Japan consider Sea Shepherd to be a perfectly legitimate conservation organisation.
Onya, Captain Watson!Agree (0) Alert moderator
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PegLeg:
09 Feb 2010 2:20:22pm
Interesting that the antarctic whaling is for research, not for commercial interest, and yet they are happy to swap the 'research' whaling for legitimised commercial whaling.
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Nick:
09 Feb 2010 2:23:42pm
Sounds like just moving the catch area, hardly a cause to celebrate. Still Rudd and Garrett may be happy, not that they have been a factor. Garret, what a disappointment he's been, hot air and no substance.
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Geoff:
09 Feb 2010 2:26:10pm
Perhaps this is just talk aimed at stalling for time...
The antarctic whaling season is almost over...Agree (0) Alert moderator
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Oz Ocker:
09 Feb 2010 2:26:54pm
If this is correct its due to the efforts of Sea Shepherd and its courageous campaign. Its definitely NOT due to No-Core Kevin, who wimped out of his pledge to take Japan to court, and do-nothin Pete, who was afraid to say anything less the Japanese cancel his invite to cocktails and whale meat at their Embassy.
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Jim:
09 Feb 2010 2:45:17pm
The actions of Sea Shepherd are outrageous, not courageous. I do not support whaling but I cannot support the illegal private warfare being conducted by these extremists.
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longhairjnr:
09 Feb 2010 3:15:29pm
The Sea Shepherd soiciety may have encouraged this but if you think this is a victory then I hope your beloved society pay's the price for their own actions. It is about time the courts handed out a punishment that fits their crimes. As for your beloved captain, he should be rotting in a cell right besides the big bosses of the whalers.
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Woz:
09 Feb 2010 2:34:16pm
If the Japanese want to head-off the shameful publicity then "scaling back" their hunting is simply not enough - they will need to end the slaughter completely. Sea Shepherd deserves our praise for drawing attention to the brutality of the whaling industry and making it an international embarrassment for the Japanese.
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Leo:
09 Feb 2010 2:35:22pm
Why, did the research questions change? As a researcher, it strikes me as odd to all of a sudden change your study population; it makes it impossible to say anything about trends. Or does it not matter what whales the Japanese scientists in question 'study'?
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Wolfie Rankin:
09 Feb 2010 2:39:35pm
Well done Sea Shepherd, You're well worth the donations.
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longhairjnr:
09 Feb 2010 3:16:24pm
They are not worth the donations, they are criminals just like the whalers and as criminals should be punished.
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ateday:
09 Feb 2010 2:40:09pm
GO SEA SHEPHERD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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longhairjnr:
09 Feb 2010 3:18:12pm
Grrrr, Why are these criminals encouraged, they are a menace who should be removed from the water. Whaling is not right but nore is this society's actions. Work within the law, or what you are fighting for is a lost cause. Pirate Paul should be locked up along with the whalers.
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lilasuka:
09 Feb 2010 2:43:20pm
Today some declare it legal for a great country like Japan to kill a defenseless and great animal like a whale. 150 years ago is was legal in all southern states of the great country of the USA for a powerful white slave holder to kill a black man. These laws were changed after a war where many died. It took a fanatic willing to give up his wealth, reputation, and life to hurry along the war that brought about this change. "John Brown's body lies a mouldering in the grave!" Those species of whales not left extinct will eventually be protected just like the black men of the southern states were. Do not be surprised if the cost of that protection is a few brave and selfless anti whalers buried at sea along with a few Japanese, who were there seeking wealth at the expense to the detriment of the whales.
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steve:
09 Feb 2010 2:55:37pm
The Sea Shepherd are just a bunch of pirates, they are no better then the Japanese Whalers!
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rc:
09 Feb 2010 3:09:07pm
So the real purpose of Japanese so called whale 'research' is exposed by this cynical shift in policy.
I now look forward to the write up reports of the long years of killing whales (oh and eating them as well) -- what amazing new knowledge we are bound to discover!!! Perhpas things like ' they taste better with salt and honey soy'!
Will this new venture be commercial research or just serving dinner table sushi for the business class barbarians in Tokyo?Agree (0) Alert moderator
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gazza1:
09 Feb 2010 3:14:25pm
I'm just wondering what exactly are all the Labor critics expected them to do about Japan's so-called 'scientific' research!
Short of sending warships to sink the whalers there is very little that our government can do during peace time.
And the bad publicity that Japan (and other whaling nations like Norway) get from the graphic footage of the slaughter in the Southern Ocean seems to be taking effect.
Also, I understand that Australia's opposition to this phony 'scientific' data gathering methods, resulting in the slaughter of hundreds of whales, had been raised at the prime ministerial level.
If any of Labor's critics has a more positive, workable suggestion to offer, then by all means raise it with the appropriate government authorities. Otherwise, it is just another session of hot air going to waste.Agree (0) Alert moderator
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