DNA tests uncover undocumented whale meat on sale in Japan

Sunday 29th June, 06:11 AM JST

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cleo at 02:03 AM JST - 30th June

Most whales are not endangered, particularly the smaller ones. There are species of whales that are endangered. The Blue whale is a good example, but the Fin is by no means threatened.

The fin is on the IUCN 'Red List', listed as Endangered.

It is included in Appendix 1 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

IFAW says that the worldwide population is 'unknown'.

The American Cetacean Society reckons that there's up to about 60,000 worldwide.

Does by no means threatened have a new meaning I'm not aware of?
Molenir at 05:36 AM JST - 30th June

What it means, is with that population level, people are nuts for calling it endangered. Compare that to the previously mentioned Blue Whale, or even more so the Right whale which are legitimately threatened with only a few thousand animals currently.

Don't get me wrong here, I'm not in favor of just outright lifting the ban on whaling, nor for indiscriminate slaughter. However neither am I in favor of listing animals on the endangered list when there are other species that really are in danger and which need a great deal more attention.
Farmboy at 07:02 AM JST - 30th June

Molenir,

I looked at a couple of lists and at Wikipedia. It's on the list. If you have a list of endangered species that doesn't show the fin whale, let's see it...
cleo at 09:53 AM JST - 30th June

Molenir -

By that logic, we shouldn't have the Blue whale (5,000~12,000) on the endangered list because there are more of them than there are eg baiji dolphins (close to 0 - last confirmed sighting in 2004).

And it's OK to hunt the cheetah (less than 15,000 in the wild) because there are even fewer tigers ( estimated 7,000 in the wild).

Doesn't compute.
ihope2eatwhales at 11:56 AM JST - 30th June

thundercat,

You can se Please see recent stranding and entanglement record, kept by Japan's ICR: http://icrwhale.org/stranding0709.htm

Item "M-1199" is for a fin whale ('nagasu kujira'). It was caught in Iwate, in a large trap net (大型定置網). In accordance with the ministerial ordinance, the DNA sample was taken by ICR, and the whale was sold. This whale was 10 meters, so it was just a baby it seems.

However, this whale was caught in December, so probably it can not account for the extra whales suggested by this study.

It is important for IFAW funded researcher to provide DNA information to authorities, so that it can be investigated.
ihope2eatwhales at 12:28 PM JST - 30th June

Please see the information of fin whale numbers at JWA homepage: http://www.whaling.jp/shigen.html Each summer there are 12,000 fin whales in JARPA research area, alone.

Also, ICR research suggests the numbers are increasing rapidly http://www.e-kujira.or.jp/iwc/2008santiago/data/images/big/016.jpg

In a few years time, once the crazy anti-whaling scientists start to do some research as well, even they will come to accept this. Japan is their teacher.
Notginger at 01:03 PM JST - 30th June

In future the whales will have to give their finprints at the port of embarkation. Only then will they be given the correct documentation.
Notginger at 01:04 PM JST - 30th June

sorry - diesmbarkation
cleo at 01:41 PM JST - 30th June

ihope2 -

According to that graph the numbers of fin whale have gone from 5,000 in 1996 to 10,000 in 2002 (but then down again in 2004). While it's good to see an increase, however small, those are not huge numbers.

I could say my savings have doubled in the last seven days. This time last week I had 100 yen in my piggy-bank. Yesterday I dropped in another 100 yen. I'm rich! Pathetic I know, but on a line with your 'the numbers are increasing rapidly' argument.
thundercat at 02:23 PM JST - 30th June

Molenir

Thats what a lot of people fail to understand. Most whales are not endangered, particularly the smaller ones. There are species of whales that are endangered. The Blue whale is a good example, but the Fin is by no means threatened.

Are you saying that Fin whales aren't endangered because they are not big?! The are the second largest animal in the world, after the Blue Whale. Do you even know what a Fin whale is?

ihope2,

Cherry picking random snipits from ICR is never ever going to be convincing. Their entire mandate is to promote whaling under the guise of research! Anyway, thanks for clearing up that mystery about the 'accidental' capturing of the 'baby' Fin whale. 10 meters is tiny compared to the adult size of over 25 meters. Catching one of those giants would be impossible if one was using a fishing net. Do the babies taste better than the adults?
ihope2eatwhales at 02:45 PM JST - 30th June

thundercat,

Many western people do not like to accept Japan's ICR data. It is the bias, but it matters not. The data is for us, whale eaters, not the crazy anti-whalers. Even with the data, the anti-whalers are against whaling. I feel sad for Greenland whalers. At the IWC　meeting of last week, Greenland whalers had support of IWC scientific committee to hunt humpback whales. Even so, European anti-whalers refused to allow the whaling. Very poor.

I did not have the chance to try the young fin whale, but I'm sure it was very scrumptious!
RepublicofTexas at 02:51 PM JST - 30th June

Japan should reduce her whaling quota, but still be allowed to hunt some whales.

Their entire mandate is to promote whaling under the guise of research

The ICR isn't the only organization w/ questionable motives. The IWC betrayed its original purpose of protecting whales to allow for sustainable exploitation in the future.

The pro-whaling nations accused the IWC of basing these decisions upon "political and emotional" factors, rather than upon scientific knowledge. These nations allege that the IWC prohibits all whaling, even though some in the scientific community have concluded that limited hunting of Minke Whales might be sustainable. They argue the IWC has swayed from its original purpose and is attempting, under the guise of conservation, to grant whales an entitlement to life, absolute protection from being killed by humans for commercial purposes.[28] Non- IWC whaling nations have expressed similar sentiments. Canada withdrew from the IWC after the vote to impose the moratorium, claiming that "[t]he ban was inconsistent with measures that had just been adopted by the IWC that were designed to allow harvests of stocks at safe levels."
thundercat at 03:28 PM JST - 30th June

RepublicofTexas,

I would never claim for one second that the ICR isn't the only group with a political agenda. If someone were to base all of their arguments on evidence presented by the Sea Shepherd organization I would also state, without hesitation, that their mandate is political and their motives are questionable as well.

I was simply pointing out to ihope2eatwhales that he/she is taking such an obviously biased stance by only ever quoting from ICR press releases that nothing they say can be taken at face value.

ihope2

"The data is for us, whale eaters, not the crazy anti-whalers." That you can't see the ridiculousness of a statement like this is beyond laughable. I don't think anyone is 'anti-whaler'(anti-whaling is perhaps what you ment?). If you maintain such a beligerant attitude I'm sure soon enough there will be a large 'anti- whale eaters' movement as well! I have long held the belief that whaling, done in a traditional way and in coastal waters is not necessarily a bad thing. The more garbage I hear from you the more I question whether even that should be allowed. Something to think about, eh?
RepublicofTexas at 09:46 PM JST - 30th June

thundercat,

Thank you and sorry, my statement wasn't so much a criticism of your statement, but rather an attempt to present an "unbiased" statement in favor of whaling.
ihope2eatwhales at 10:26 AM JST - 1st July

thundercat,

Whaling nations are now preparing to set up the new organization. We trust in the data and gathered by our scientists. We need not your permission to catch whales.