Japanese schools are serving whaleburgers and whale nuggets dipped in sweet and sour sauce. Some schools take children on field trips to view whale slaughtering. Although whale meat can have toxic levels of mercury and many believe whaling is inhumane, the Japanese government contends that it is part of their culinary cultural tradition.
An International Whaling Commission’s moratorium on commercial whaling has in place since 1986, but has not stopped this practice. The Japanese government states that thousands of whales are hunted each year for scientific research, totaling 23,000 dolphins and small whales.
Many environmental groups believe it isn’t necessary to kill the whales to obtain scientific data. “There is no need to kill whales to study them. ‘Research’ whaling is just commercial whaling under another name,” said John Hocevar, oceans specialist for Greenpeace.
Meanwhile, the majority of whale meat finds its way to supermarkets, restaurants and even school lunches. The health risks are very high as this meat can have up to 16 times the mercury levels advised by the health ministry.
People across the globe are outraged and communicating this to the Japanese government (click for an email form). Is this a mere clash of cultures or an inhumane massacre?
“There is no need to kill whales to study them.”
Ugh, I can hardly know where to begin. Some research will require killing animals, just like advances in medical science has not eliminated the need for cadavers in medical research and education. You can say that “YOU” have no need to kill whales, but then again, you’re not a marine biologist, or cetologist, you work for Greenpeace. Every time you think Greenpeace isn’t full of idiots, they turn around and prove it with statements like this.
True preservationists understand the need to capture and study specimens of endangered species to understand how they are fairing, and how to increase their chances for survival.
Japanese whaling is wrong and should be controlled, and their cetacean research is specious at best, but statements like these are false, ignorant, and only serve to destroy credibility and incite division.
My response is that I will boycott everything made in Japan until they officially stop killing Dolphins. I like many things that are made in Japan and in the past 10 years I spent $40K on Japanese stuff, but now I will not. Europe and USA do manufacture the same things and this is my choice now. If hundred thousand people start avoiding Japanese products then it will matter. This is the only proven and real way to make people’s opinion heard in societies driven by money and profits.
The Dolphins are born with the right to live and be free.