Poll: Environmental Issue: Japanese Whaling

[sonidraw]

Although I expect most people don't care about specific issues that seem irrelevant to their daily lives, I'm gonna go out on a limb here and start a poll/discussion about a very specific issue: Japanese whaling.

Many countries, specifically western countries, consider whaling to be illegal and arguments have been made for whales to be considered endangered. On the other hand, whaling has a long history in Japan and many Japanese believe whaling can be made sustainable for certain populations/species of whale. Right now, whaling is banned globally, but the Japanese still practice whaling anyways.

Some links for a brief summary of the issue:
Wikipedia's Summary [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whaling_in_Japan]
Q&A from a Japanese Perspective [http://www.whaling.jp/english/qa.html]
Greenpeace on Whaling [http://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/oceans/whaling]

My question is, if you had the authority to say 'yes' or 'no' to allowing Japanese whaling to continue (and the power to enforce your decision), what would be your decision?

 

[L33tsauce_Marty]

NO! Then my 100 candles that I import yearly will dwindle!

 

[sonidraw]

100 Candles - Humpback Whale [http://www.100candles.com/items/item_8906.htm]

It would be ironic if the candle celebrating the whale's resurgence was made from whale oil...

 

[ffxfriek]

no they dont need whale blubber anymore its the 21st century that was at least 200years ago. get with the program its no longer needed/required. when they're extinct what will they do next?

 

['Stache]

Yes. Are you going to destroy the livelihood of thousands of people, the vast majority of whom are not educated in any other profession, just to prevent harm to an animal?

 

[fix-the-spade]

Well, considering the entire purpose of their whaling is commercial and only continues on the vaguest pretext of research, it should be stopped.
An easy way to stop it would be to change what hunting for research hunting entails, if they were no longer allowed to sell the animals they caught but were obligated to destroy them entirely at sea, the Japanese whaling fleet would be ended at a stroke.

 

[messy]

I don't see any reason to continue it, I hate fish anyway.

whales are mammmals
I dont think it should continue, its not like japans economy particularly relies on it

 

[Beffudled Sheep]

Yes. Are you going to destroy the livelihood of thousands of people, the vast majority of whom are not educated in any other profession, just to prevent harm to an animal?

What if you don't like people?

 

[crypt-creature]

The sad part is, the Japanese have been doing this for years. Other countries are to blame too, some of which did more devastation to the whale populations than the Japanese.

no they dont need whale blubber anymore its the 21st century that was at least 200years ago. get with the program its no longer needed/required. when they're extinct what will they do next?

Animal fur is no longer required either, and people still kill animals for those things.

 

[sonidraw]

Yes. Are you going to destroy the livelihood of thousands of people, the vast majority of whom are not educated in any other profession, just to prevent harm to an animal?

This is a very good point that I think touches upon a large debate that exists in all sectors of the global economy: the preservation of existing jobs versus retraining out-of-work individuals for new jobs.

One thing I've noticed in my own community is that many folks who are losing their jobs or can't find work are going to school for more education, a certificate, or training in a new field. One guy I know is training to become a Pharmacist technician. Another is aiming for an Accounting certificate.

Can this sort of retraining be applied to Japanese whaling as well? Could a Japanese whaling crew receive training for a different job? Or are the demographic and financial limitations such that it would not sufficiently help them adapt to an economy without whaling? In my community, there are fishermen who can't fish their most prized fish anymore, but they're still fishermen, and will probably continue to be fishermen for a long time.

 

[shadowstriker86]

if you've never hunted a whale, you obviously have no idea how hard it is to do so. and im also guessing you have no idea what cultural history lies behind whale hunting either. at least the hunters are trying to stabilize the population and not just mass gorging. but then i dont belong in this time period so logical and rational arguments cant win in these issues

 

[Plauged1]

It would be wrong to stop it, but wrong to continue it... How about managing it, so it doesn't get out of hand? Yep that will work.

 

[sonidraw]

One of the major arguments supporting Japanese whaling is indeed the argument that the Japanese whalers are only hunting species of whales that can handle it. That is to say, the Japanese whalers are aiming for sustainable whaling (rather than whaling them to extinction). Of course, the main counterpoint to this argument is one of trust. Can everyone else trust the Japanese whalers to only practice sustainable whaling?

 

[PurpleRain]

Whales can't go unconcious. They actually cry in the water which attracts more whales. When they are cut into pieces on the boat, some live until their bodies crush itself, the same way it would die if beached.

It is cruel.

It is wrong.

God no they shouldn't harpoon whales! Human selfishness should take a step back! As for the starving and dying families, become vegetarian or get a new job. At least a grenade hasn't been launched into their backs.

 

[Sewblon]

Keep up the whaling! when the bomb goes off I will need candles, and when I lose my virginity I will need the blubber. Also, with the global economy in dire straits at the moment we shouldn't destroy jobs like that.

 

[Snikburz]

One thing I don't understand is why Japan's only country to be mentioned when it comes to whaling. I think Norway and Iceland also do it.

Anyhow, no whaling is cruel.

Yes, Norway is still whaling, although on a very small scale, and it is tightly regulated. Whaling is cruel with the methods we are currently using, even with the introduction of "hot harpoons", which use explosives. If whaling could be done in a more humane manner, I don't see it as more cruel than what we do to cows every day...

 

[742]

well, there is, of course, the idea that hunting an endangered species (especially a cute, comparatively smart one) because theyre tasty is horrific, and "weve been doing it for a long time" is absolutely not ever an excuse (ok theres probably some exception somewhere, but this definitely isnt it, in fact, hunting endangered species is perhaps the worst place to use this one), and then the cruel methods have been mentioned. on the other hand:

fuck whales.

 

[jad4400]

I belive that if it can be proven that the small scale hunting of a non endangered whale species (such as the minke whale) can be done without a putting them in danger of extinction and, all of the whale is used and put on the open market (like the "research" whale Japan hunts), then I think some small scale commercial whaling should be allowed to operate, abiet with strict quotas and government oversight.

(sorry for the run on sentence)