Japanese Whaling

[scubasdaniel]

I think its time the Japanese stopped the illegal practice of whaling. Perhaps the point would be made if all of us divers would discontinue purchasing Japanese made products and boycotted companies like TUSA,Citizen,Sea and Sea,Toyota,Nissan and etc.

[Zyxistal]

I don't know that boycotting Japanese products will change this practice. Just my opinion.

[Znaught]

A more effective tactic would be to educate the Japanese public about how destructive and unethical whaling is. If the Japanese public won't eat whale meat or consume other whale products, then the whaling industry will be forced to shut down. There is already little interest in eating whale meat in Japan. I don't think it would take much to force the market for it to collapse.

Another strategy would be to vote for politicians that promise to exert political pressure on the Japanese government to stop whaling. Polite diplomatic requests to end whaling are always ignored, but if trade tariffs or other economic sanctions were brought up, Japan would change its tune in a heart beat. However, considering the corrupt nature of politics, I think an educational campaign in Japan is a better bet than trusting politicians to keep their promises.

[terrillja]

Just don't eat whale meat, I mean it already has high levels of mercury

Oh, and even in Japan they don't eat very much of it, they have a huge stockpile.

[diversteve]

I doubt it would work as boycotting them is boycotting us. Just ask the 23,389 American Toyota employees in this country. Or the people who made 950,000 cars/trucks at the Nissan plants in Tennessee and Mississippi last year - I have no idea how many people that is but it's a bunch.

A better alternative - donate to these people - Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. They're the ones who've shut down the Japanese Whaling fleet operations as of today.

Or Greenpeace - who've driven the Nisshin Maru (factory ship) from the whaling grounds. Greenpeace | Greenpeace USA

btw, I support both - morally and financially.

And as immoral and distasteful as whaling may be, technically it's not illegal - at least under Japanese law. There's even a loophole in the International Whaling Treaty ban that allows for it for "research" purposes. It's been discussed here previously.

[Znaught]

btw, I support both - morally and financially.

That's really cool diversteve, good on you! I'm planning on donating and picking up one of those spiffy Jolly Roger beanies as well. Damn fine people those sea shepherds!

[DevilDiver]

Japanese eco-terrorists take marine patrol officers hostage

Powered by CDNN - CYBER DIVER News Network
by EVAN T. ALLARD - CDNN Eco News Editor

ANTARCTICA (15 Jan 2008) — Japanese eco-terrorists caught poaching in the Southern Ocean Sanctuary have taken two marine patrol officers hostage.
Japanese whalers assaulted marine sanctuary patrol officers Benjamin Potts, 28, from Australia, and Giles Lane, 35, from Britain, as they attempted to board the pirate whaling vessel and serve its captain with an arrest warrant for illegally killing marine mammals in the Australia-Antarctica Sanctuary some 4,000 kilometers south of Fremantle.
Witnesses said the Japanese poachers attempted to throw Officer Potts overboard and later tied both men to railings of the Yushin Maru No. 2, a commercial whaling vessel equipped with a powerful bow harpoon that fires exploding grenades into the backs of whales.
Captain Paul Watson aboard the Antarctica marine patrol vessel "Steve Irwin" confirmed that Japanese eco-terrorists had deliberately endangered the lives of his officers.
"They assaulted them, they tied them to the rails and actually at one point those rails went under water up to their waists," Captain Watson said.

Court orders Japan to end hunt
Earlier today, a federal court in Sydney ordered Japan to end this year's kill of almost 1,000 whales, ruling that the hunt is illegal because it is being conducted in Australia's exclusive economic zone.
Japan said it would ignore the court decision.
Meanwhile, officials representing the marine patrol officers who were taken captive said the Japanese captain and crew of the Yushin Maru No. 2 will be charged with kidnapping.

[FishFood]

NTARCTICA (15 Jan 2008) — Japanese eco-terrorists caught poaching in the Southern Ocean Sanctuary have taken two marine patrol officers hostage.
Japanese whalers assaulted marine sanctuary patrol officers Benjamin Potts, 28, from Australia, and Giles Lane, 35, from Britain, as they attempted to board the pirate whaling vessel and serve its captain with an arrest warrant for illegally killing marine mammals in the Australia-Antarctica Sanctuary some 4,000 kilometers south of Fremantle.
Witnesses said the Japanese poachers attempted to throw Officer Potts overboard and later tied both men to railings of the Yushin Maru No. 2, a commercial whaling vessel equipped with a powerful bow harpoon that fires exploding grenades into the backs of whales.
Captain Paul Watson aboard the Antarctica marine patrol vessel "Steve Irwin" confirmed that Japanese eco-terrorists had deliberately endangered the lives of his officers.
"They assaulted them, they tied them to the rails and actually at one point those rails went under water up to their waists," Captain Watson said.

The truth to this article is the two "hostages" & "marine patrol officers" are actually activists from the Sea Shepard. They had no right to board the boat. Goodluck to them...

[Osprey]

Actually, many Japanese people don't like the act of whaling or the mass dolphin slaughter. Right now, cetacean meat is being forced on the kids at school in their lunches. A vast majority of them are complaining about how gross and fatty it is. I read a news report saying Japanese whalers were doing it as backlash to America from the war, stating we forced them to do it so now they will do as they like. I have a hard time believing all of that, and really it isn't hurting America... it's hurting the whole ocean :/

Just my .02

[whse56]

I don't agree with Japanese whaling practices but short of blowing their ships out of the water I don't know how anyone will stop them.