Japan seeks to arrest anti-whaling activists

Monday 18th August, 04:41 PM JST

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Latest 15 of 101 Total Comments Show All

ihope2eatwhales at 03:28 PM JST - 20th August

It is true there are some crazy Japanese as well.

I thank you for recognising our rights to desire and eat whale meat. I feel there is decreasing opposition in Japan, thanks to the crazy people of Sea Shepherd, whaling has much support. People do not understand why it is "right to eat cows and wrong to eat whales".

Opposition to us is decreasing, really, in and out of Japan. We have good friends in many places in the world, and as we see in our whale restaurants, more foreigners are enjoying whale with us than ever. Many foreigners are now learning that the whales we eat are not endangered. This is the important fact.
Altria at 03:36 PM JST - 20th August

ihope2eatwhales: You might like to refrain from labeling anyone who disagrees with your point of view "crazy". It lowers the level of discussion and only makes you look childish.
ihope2eatwhales at 03:59 PM JST - 20th August

It is crazy things to disturb the other vessel in the middle of the cold south ocean. If Sea Shepherd do not like to be called crazy, they should stop behaving like such. To complain of this makes one seem like "the most cowardly dog that howls the loudest".
cooeecobber at 05:07 PM JST - 20th August

ihope2eatwhales - opposition to whaling is decreasing? Really! I don't know what planet you live on, but you are clearly not conversant with the relevant facts. I am afraid that I cannot continue this dialogue with you, as you clearly are unable to conduct yourself in a civil manner.....crazy Japanese, crazy Australians, crazy westerners, crazy Japanese. You should re-read your posts, it sounds as if the whole world is crazy, but you! I wish you well in your pursuits.
cooeecobber at 05:07 PM JST - 20th August

ihope2eatwhales - opposition to whaling is decreasing? Really! I don't know what planet you live on, but you are clearly not conversant with the relevant facts. I am afraid that I cannot continue this dialogue with you, as you clearly are unable to conduct yourself in a civil manner.....crazy Japanese, crazy Australians, crazy westerners, crazy Japanese. You should re-read your posts, it sounds as if the whole world is crazy, but you! I wish you well in your pursuits.
dontpanic at 05:22 PM JST - 20th August

ihope2eatwhales - "crazy this, crazy that, cowardly dog". In some ways you represent yourself well, making your point clear. Unfortunately as soon as insults entered the debate you lost credibility.

Oh and youre wrong. There may be some increasing support for　Japans position from small nations bought with ODA but youre fooling yourself if you believe this represents a change of heart by the people.
dontpanic at 06:55 PM JST - 20th August

Or perhaps the paranoic who believes everyone but he is crazy?

As has been said already, in reasoned argument you may win the day. But I dont think you will win this one.
theneworder666 at 11:15 PM JST - 20th August

Japan is like China, trying to punish demonstrators. It has no right to arrest the anti whalers, especially when they are illegally dealing in whales caught for food, pretending it is for science. The world can see how facist you are Japan.
OssanULTRA at 03:21 AM JST - 21st August

"Japan is like China, trying to punish demonstrators. It has no right to arrest the anti whalers, especially when they are illegally dealing in whales caught for food, pretending it is for science. The world can see how facist you are Japan."

No, Japan does not have Demonstration Parks to protest which require permits but applying for a permit can get you arrested. So it's not like China at all. And Japan isn't illegally whaling at all. They are doing it legally and within the IWC's rules. That's why the anti-whalers call it a loophole. Whether they're caught for food, for science or to become massive paperweights is irrelevant if they're caught legally.
KitsuneYoukai at 06:01 AM JST - 21st August

This is kind of funny!!!Go at them! Demonstrators should demonstrate not damage property, when they damage property they are now criminals.

VoXman at 10:51 AM JST - 21st August

Ossan,

  I think you’ve just posted an example of what is truly the problem in this dispute. IWC says that Whale hunting can only be performed for the strict purpose of scientific research. Japan says they are sending a huge whale meat processing ship to the Antarctic for the purpose of studying whales. They try to catch 1000 whales if possible entangling a few whale calves with mothers as well. Then they manage to do god only knows what with the captured now frozen whales enroute back to Japan. But when the ship arrives in port Japan the crew carts off 100’s of pounds each in pre-processed boxes of Guess what? Whale meat as gifts. Later the police report the increase of whale meat being served on restaurant menus and how strange it’s sudden appearance. Must be from China, they say. Months and months go by and no scientific papers from the study of these captured whales of any significance that any scientific or academic body would recognize as meaningful is produced. Smelling foul play demonstrators will protest and world governments object. Meanwhile Japan, rather than proving they are following the rules of the IWC by producing evidence of their scientific studies, says it doesn’t matter what they use the whales for its their right to hunt them and eat them. Thereby proving how historically, Japan has never really wanted to comply with the wishes of the rest of the world. Japan can justifiably say, they have a right to eat Whales, but they don’t have the right to eat all of them. And historically speaking, left to their own devices they will hunt a species to death. Hence the problem with finding any whales around Japan.

MissWorldTravel at 12:40 PM JST - 21st August

well said Voxman
ProudKoreanGuy at 01:34 AM JST - 22nd August

It never ceases to amuse me how many people care more about animal rights than human rights, in the West and in particularly USA.
tattit742 at 01:51 AM JST - 22nd August

"It never ceases to amuse me how many people care more about animal rights than human rights, in the West and in particularly USA." by PKG I completely agree, its great they want to do something for animal rights but why don't we concentrate on human rights first? for example the genocide we are causing for this 'beneficial', 'necessary' war in Iraq; or should I say bullshit war started for money and power? i do respect their movement for animal rights but I think 1,000 whales being killed is a rather small problem compared to killing hundreds and thousands of people in Iraq and U.S Soldiers.
OssanULTRA at 04:44 AM JST - 22nd August

Unless the IWC rules which permit hunting whales for scientific research also state that the whales taken for this purpose must not be sold or consumed (ie; left to rot) I don't see Japan breaking any rules. Japan is really silly in even remaining in the IWC and making the effort to comply with the IWC moratorium. They should leave and do what Norway and Iceland, just ignore the IWC and do what they want.

"According to IWC figures, Japanese ships killed 866 whales in the 2006-2007 season, a haul that included minke, fin, sei, and sperm whales—the most of any nation. Norway placed second with a total catch of 545 whales."