Greenpeace files complaint over alleged whale meat embezzlement

Friday 16th May, 07:14 AM JST

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cleo at 08:20 PM JST - 16th May

Those delivery men are pretty tough. People who lift heavy things for a living would chuck 23.5 kilos around like you or I would handle a 5-kilo dumbbell. The nokyo ojisan around here throw 30-kilo sacks of rice around like beanbags and don't even get a sweat up.

Whether the crew are stealing 20 kilos each or 200 kilos each, it doesn't change the fact that they're still stealing, and they're stealing from the taxpayer.

I see you're choosing not to consider the reason why the boxes were marked 'cardboard' instead of 'whalemeat' (Mmm, perhaps because the crew are not supposed to have huge amounts of whalemeat to send home?)and the fact that these boxes were in addition to the omiyage the crew are supposedly 'entitled' to.
ca1ic0cat at 08:55 PM JST - 16th May

I would say that there is plenty of guilt to go around for all involved. But I still have no idea why anybody from Greenpeace felt compelled to eat the whale meat. That one just boggles the mind.
cleo at 11:12 PM JST - 16th May

ca1ic0at

Boggle no more. No one from Greenpeace felt compelled to eat any whale meat. That claim is obviously bogus. The only report of it is a single photo on an anonymous blog. It has no credibility whatsoever.
Molenir at 04:37 AM JST - 17th May

Personally, I'm hoping that a criminal complaint is filed against Greenpeace for theft. Would be good if they have to formally apologize to the whalers over the defamation as well.
imacat at 09:18 AM JST - 17th May

Well done to Greenpeace for exposing the whalers' little racket.

Those whalers have been helping themselves to whale meat paid for by taxpayers! It's a mess for Kyodo Senpaku and the ICR. They have a lot of explaining to do and it does seem that there may have been theft committed. Some guy on the Nisshin Maru has claimed that he has been able to build a house on the proceeds of selling on illicit whale meat!

It's funny to see the venomous anti-Greenpeace comments from the (presumably) Japanese posters on this board. I guess they have no idea of the role of NGOs in a modern society. They just seem to be happy to accept any propaganda that the government feeds them, like good little citizens, and then get a pat on the head from the Fisheries Agency!

However, in other democracies we accept NGOs because they provide a welcome check and balance, they provide an alternative view which forces the government to do better and can expose government policies or actions which are having a potentially harmful effect on people, society, the environment, etc. You don't always have to agree with the NGOs but their role in society is very important. I guess because NGOs are only a relatively recent phenomenon in Japan, many Japanese don't understand them and just want to remain in the comfort zone of being fed information by the government and nobody else.
VoXman at 09:08 AM JST - 18th May

ihope2eatwhales

Selling of the whale meat goes against the the scientific purpose of the whaling mission, and the agreement amongst the International whaling committee. See the problem is that Japan has a historical issue with international agreements. In the past when they didn't like an agreement or felt it was unfair, rather than use diplomacy as a way of winning hearts and minds, they always chose force. Now the problem is Japan doesn't have significant force to make political change, so they use bribes and sulking.
ihope2eatwhales at 04:05 PM JST - 18th May

cleo, I will explain. The whaling crew have not been shown to have stolen any whale meat. Their company gives employees whale meat. Their company pays for the whale meat.

I see you're choosing not to consider the reason why the boxes were marked 'cardboard' instead of 'whalemeat'

I did not choose to not to consider this. You have made a simple misunderstanding. Seino's form has "danbooru" written on it. Danbooru means 'cardboard box'. I think it is not necessary to write the detailed contents of the cardboard box on the form for domestic shipment.

What do you think? Am I not being imaginative enough?

these boxes were in addition to the omiyage the crew are supposedly 'entitled' to.

I don't believe this is the case.

Are you sure Greenpeace did not admit to eating whale meat on TV, as the captured image shows?
ihope2eatwhales at 04:08 PM JST - 18th May

Molenir, I agree, but I also think that Mr. Hoshikawa from Greenpeace is obliged to resign and take responsibility for this incident. He said "I wish to apologise to Seino Transportation if we caused them trouble". This is insufficient. His group has shown itself to be an organized crime gang, effectively. If he wishes to save the last credibility of his organization, he must take responsibility. I recommend this YouTube video regarding Greenpeace's theft (Japanese language): http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=FnrcvHNPXwo
ihope2eatwhales at 04:12 PM JST - 18th May

imacat, I think Japanese people are glad to have NGO groups in society. Many NGO groups work for a range of worthy causes. But we can not tolerate criminal behavior. I do not think this is unique of Japanese society. I am sure such criminal behavior of NGO groups would result in prosecution in any other lawful nation anywhere in the world. Being an NGO does not give one the right to ignore the law.
ihope2eatwhales at 04:15 PM JST - 18th May

VoXman, selling whale meat is not a problem legally. Please learn the text of the international whaling convention. The important article is article VIII. Once you read this and understand it, I am sure you can see that Japan is doing nothing wrong at all by allowing meat to be sold.
GG2141 at 10:32 AM JST - 19th May

The master plan there is to make everyone involved in whaling as uncomfortable as possible.
cleo at 11:07 AM JST - 19th May

Their company gives employees whale meat. Their company pays for the whale meat.

According to the former employee who spoke to Greenpeace, the meat in question is in addition to the formally announced number of tons of whalemeat in which the 'gifted' meat is included. They're saying in effect that Japan is taking more whales than it's admitting to, if in fact more meat is being brought ashore than the records show was processed on board. There needs to be an investigation into how many whales they claim have been caught and 'researched' and how much meat was taken from each one, and tally that with the amount of meat officially put on the market. The difference is either the size of the embezzlement, or the size of the 'scientists'' record-taking incompetence.

I think it is not necessary to write the detailed contents of the cardboard box on the form for domestic shipment.

Strange, every time I take something in to the conbini to send by takuhai, they always - always - ask what's inside, and write it on the chit. They never - never, not once - have written the any-fool-can-see-at-a-glance 'cardboard box' or 'brown foolscap envelope' on the chit. 品名does not mean入れ物.
Papawhale at 02:28 AM JST - 20th May

If this so-called "scientific research" organization of whale slaughterers, supported by the Gov't and hence the Japanese taxpayers, would STOP WHALING, then the whole problem of "embezzlement" of whale meat would be moot. It's cruel, unnecessary and obviously corrupt and a drain on the taxpayers in perilous economic times. When will Japan join the worldwide community and cease the slaughter of these beautiful and ecologically necessary creatures of Nature?
ihope2eatwhales at 01:23 PM JST - 20th May

Papawhale, we hope to eat whales. It is necessary for this reason.
Damax6 at 11:10 PM JST - 20th May

i had whale meat.and by golly it was Gooooooooddddddddd. dont knock it until you try it...especially the tongue..now thats a taste you will never forget..oohhh what about cruelty on that VEAL stuff..putting the animals in small boxes or better yet..overstuffing the gooses liver... WHERE IS MY GREENPEACE?????....oohh, theyre out having foie au gras on a 180g slice of buttered veal with dijon mustard