Japan approves resumption of whale meat imports from Norway

Sunday 01st March, 05:30 AM JST

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

› Login to comment

Latest 15 of 27 Total Comments Show All

OssanAmerica at 09:53 AM JST - 2nd March

OssanAmerica: I regard eating them as horrid,supply and demand you see >dear. So i do think the few Japanese that eat whales are horrid and >terribly beastly.

Oh I see, but you don't consider the Noregians who actually went out and shot the whales, butchered them and processed them for export are horrid. Not too biased are you.
ChrisBiggins at 12:53 PM JST - 2nd March

I thinks both Norway and Japan are terribly horrid and beastly. Both catch whales in a barbaric manner, and to import this product, some of which has already has been shown unfit to eat, is pure idiocy.
davidattokyo at 01:08 PM JST - 2nd March

cleo, Aussieooo,

The trade is legal. Japan and Norway have legal objections to the listing of non-endangered whale species in accordance with CITES procedures. You make not like the law, but that's different from something being legal or not. Don't be confused about that.

ChrisBiggins,

Non Japanese people eat whales too, FYI.

cadmium,

Wow, that sounds like a really smart idea. Imagine the laughing stock that anti-whaling people will become when that sort of childish behaviour is caught on security cameras and released to television networks.
TrappedNTokyo at 03:47 PM JST - 2nd March

I hope they sink the Sea Sheppard!!
Thenewfront at 03:47 PM JST - 2nd March

bebert: Bet none of them take up to 30 minutes to die. Norway and Japan obviously don't care about animal welfare. This whale meat should be destroyed, it is a disgrace taht japan would wish to import this ill gotten product.

Decent people abhor whaling, quite rightly , as it is stone age style killing of animals, DISGUSTING!!!
davidattokyo at 04:04 PM JST - 2nd March

Thenewfront,

... so I'm not a decent person. You came right out and said it. I trust you feel much better about yourself now having got it off your chest. Also ignore the reality that American whale killing methods are far less efficient than those employed by Norway and Japan. If you were to go down these paths you're destined for hell, just like me. Now go forth and enjoy the rest of your day, you blessed fellow!

Moderator: Readers, please focus your comments on the topic, not at or about each other.
Thenewfront at 04:33 PM JST - 2nd March

davidattokyo: I stand by my post 100%.

The resumption of imports is just Japan pathetically sticking 2 fingers up to the rest of the world in their typical arrogant manner. Whaling and sale of whale products need to be banned pronto!
davidattokyo at 04:56 PM JST - 2nd March

Indeed, even the Americans are killing whales, so it's all the more so.

Moderator: All readers, please stay on topic. The subject is Japan importing whale meat. Please do not rehash the same old arguments about whaling or make references to beef. This is a business discussion.
Thenewfront at 05:25 PM JST - 2nd March

davidintokyo: The world majority are against whaling, not the Japanese or Norwegian populations only. I stand by all my statements and my　beliefs that ths slaughter is a relic of a bygone age best left in the past. Japan doesn'T need whalemeat, it had tonnes frozen in storage, many foy years due to lack of demand.
davidattokyo at 05:50 PM JST - 2nd March

Thenewfront,

I've never seen a survey of the world population with respect to whaling, and I doubt one exists. But the Japanese and Norwegian populations are the ones that count with respect to trade between... the sovereign states of Japan and Norway. This is not the EU we are talking about.

Whale meat is in storage because there IS demand, not because there isn't. Without any inventory, the market would collapse (and Norwegian whalers would have no incentive to supply meat).
davidattokyo at 07:00 PM JST - 2nd March

It does seem some people get off on being against whale meat and whaling etc. Japan Today serves a useful purpose as a place for them to vent their frustrations (as if anyone who matters is listening!)
Aussieooo at 10:13 PM JST - 2nd March

david tokoyo

"Whale meat is in storage because there IS demand, not because there isn't. Without any inventory, the market would collapse (and Norwegian whalers would have no incentive to supply meat). "

It might help your argument to lnow what your own countrymen are saying.

They admit the population who consume whale meat in japan is currantly less than 1%, and while they would like it to be higher , it isnt.

You are supporting an industry that has no valid argument.

Japanese tax payers support whaling, the industry is unviable on its own. Less than 1% of the population eat whale, even less have ever tried it.

There is no humane way to kill a whale or dolphin at sea, so you are infact supporting the totally inhumane torture of mammals.

Japan has NO scientific evidence to show the population of whales can sustain a commercial hunt, yet they continue to push for it forcefully.

The CITES convention is there to protect animals, the clause to issue a reservation against the importation of endangered species product...was NEVER intended to santify a commercial hunt on endangered species.

The anti whaling nations need to form a solid International protection body, which has the powers to stricly enforce the protection of vunerable and endangered species from nations like japan canada and norway.

Shame Shame Shame.
jion999 at 09:43 PM JST - 5th March

I found this page is linked by Sea Shepherd News. They made an article “The Whale-Killing Axis of Evil Openly Engages in Illegal Wildlife Trafficking”. http://66.17.141.136/news-and-media/news-090303-3.html They are watching Japan Today. I understand why there are so many fanatic anti-whalers here.
uperjer at 10:14 PM JST - 5th March

sweet!
davidattokyo at 04:36 PM JST - 6th March

LOL, SS says that tests showed the meat contained high levels of mercury. Those guys are such unashamed liars :)