Japanese fleet to hunt for humpbacks!!

[DevilDiver]

**Entire article found at - Japan fleet sets off to hunt humpbacks - World environment - MSNBC.com

Japanese fleet heads off to hunt for humpbacks

Activists vow to disrupt first hunt for protected whales in decades


updated 3:33 a.m. CT, Mon., Nov. 19, 2007

SHIMONOSEKI, Japan - A Japanese whaling fleet sailing toward waters off Antarctica to kill protected humpback whales was itself the target of a hunt Monday by environmental activists who vowed to disrupt the expedition.

Greenpeace said its protest ship Esperanza was searching for the fleet south of Japanese territorial waters and would shadow the ships to the South Pacific to try to reduce their catch.
“It’s a large ocean, but we’re going to track them down,” expedition member Dave Walsh told The Associated Press by telephone Monday.

The Japanese fleet was embarking on the country’s largest whaling expedition, targeting protected humpbacks for the first time since the 1960s. In a farewell ceremony Sunday for the four-ship expedition, officials told a crowd at the southern Japanese port of Shimonoseki that Japan should preserve its whale-eating culture.

Families waved little flags emblazoned with smiling whales and the crew raised a toast with cans of beer, while a brass band played “Popeye the Sailor Man.”

The whalers plan to kill up to 50 humpbacks in what is believed to be the first large-scale hunt for the once nearly extinct species since a 1963 moratorium in the Southern Pacific put the giant marine mammals under international protection.
The mission also aims to take as many as 935 minke whales and up to 50 fin whales in what Japan’s Fisheries Agency says is its largest-ever scientific whale hunt. The expedition lasts through April.

[redneckdiver52]

That sucks. I live in Japan so I will have to keep up with this story. If I hear anything I will try to update this page.

[DivingsInMyBlood]

Its sad when people cant even open their eyes to see that theres not many of them left out there.

[Mtrewyn]

I thought they were a protected animal?

I would think there would be something NATO could do about it..

I'll admit I'm pretty dumb on the whole political thing but still hunting anything to extinction is stupid.

[Daved]

I have never been a Greenpeace fan--but I hope they secede in interrupting the hunt.
In a 100 years when man looks back at us we will be ashamed for allowing such barbaric hunts to transpire.

[DevilDiver]

This is ubsured...

I can not see how this could be justified as a "research project".

The Japanese obviously have issues with importing food and materials. Small island, Limited resources and lots of people.

IMO they should focus their resources on sustainable supplies instead of depleting what's left of their traditional "cultural" sources.

With their traditional "Dolphin Hunts" and now this blatant disregard for Whales it is obvious that the Japanese are not the honorable civilized people the world was led to believe.......... Very disapointing!!

[Soonerwink]

The global community needs to get together and close the loop hole Japan uses to hunt whales and dolphins. They claim it is for scientific research, thats a bunch of bull. Most of the meat ends up getting sold at seafood markets. This being an election year you would think at least one of our presidential hopefuls would jump at a chance to get some free press by coming out against this travesty.

[BuzzF117]

Ok im not against hunting whales I just think the hunters should be in small boats that they have to row and then tow the whale back to port with same boat at least give the whales a fighting chance its like fishing with dynamite when they use the exploding harpoon

[Soonerwink]

I hope they at least don't get the albino whale I saw pictures of a while back.

[ianr33]

I was in Cayman last week. My wife was looking at Pearls. Salesperson said they were the finest pearls from Japan. My wife replied that in that case she was not interested in them.

If a few miilion more people refused to buy Japanese goods maybe,just maybe that would have an affect ??

I may be cynical (well O.K I am cynical! ) but IMHO the best way to stop Japanese whaling is to make it cost them too much.