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© 2016 AFPSea Shepherd struggling to find Japan's whaling fleet
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Yubaru
And if the actions of the Sea Shepard cause anyone in the Japanese fleet, or their own for that matter, to become a casualty does that then make both these countries accomplices?
While I am totally against the Japanese whaling, the Sea Shepard and it's actions are the same as terrorists, they are out to kill the killers of the whales.
Two wrongs do not make a right here.
OssanAmerica
Watson is still carrying out his circus act, This after he's been sued by both Peter Bethune and Ady Gil.
cleo
>they are out to kill the killers of the whales.
Utter rubbish. The only ones out there with killing as their purpose are the ones with the harpoons.
Australia has really fallen down on this one. They may not want to work with SS, but they should be out there themselves seeing to it that the court order they won is upheld. Otherwise their time at the ICJ was nothing but a pose, and a waste of the court's valuable time.
glasshouse
What cant find them oh too bad..Lets call the government to get the coordinates yeah sure..I can see a really good episode of Southpark on this one..Last one was gold..
5SpeedRacer5
SeaShepherd flunky 1: Wow. What are we going to do? We have to get some publicity, but we keep getting sued, we don't want confrontation, and people are wise to the fact that we just make stuff up. What can we do?
SeaShepherd flunky 2: I don't know. Get lost.
SeaShepherd flunky 1: Brilliant! We'll get our best people on it!
CrazyJoe
The only research being accomplished by Japan is how much money can line the pockets of the whaling industry executives. All whaling worldwide needs to be stopped before it's too late and these magnificent creatures are no longer with us.
Louis Amsel
“The Japanese whaling fleet has greatly expanded their area of illegal operations in the Southern Ocean. This makes finding them very difficult,” said Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson.
which means the whales are not endangered as he claims to be. he should go back to his country and see what he can do about the seal clubbing which his country is well known for. until then, have fun on your yacht, you hypocrite scum.
sfjp330
Strategic considerations are all that matters and the country's defense far surpasses such minor scuffs that have been running for years. In any case, Japan's hunt this year is a record low compared to past years and well on the way of being over in a few years.
nakanoguy01
and waste millions of taxpayer dollars on a witch hunt that has very little chance of succeeding? it's like trying to find a needle in the ocean. no, it actually is trying to find a needle in the ocean. wouldn' that money be better served helping PEOPLE in australia?
ClippetyClop
@nakanoguy01, wouldn't that hundreds of millions in taxpayer funded subsidies be better served helping PEOPLE in Japan? Very few of who actually want to eat whale meat. Which witch hunt are we talking about here?
gogogo
See you in court Japan, you have been ordered not to do this, yet you seem to not give a crap.
OssanAmerica
The ICJ ordered Japan to cease the Jarpa II program. This is now Jarpa III which has never been challenged.
Christopher Glen
Perhaps because Sea Shepherd has only sent one ship this year. In the past it's been 3. They seem a bit stretched at the moment. And yes, the Australian government should be doing more
nakanoguy01
she was talking about australia, not japan. and i couldn't agree more with you, so what's your point? and i'm clueless as to how japan or the whalers are on a witch hunt. you do know what that means right?
cleo
There is no difference. They are still conducting unnecessary 'scientific research' which is nothing but a very lame and very transparent excuse for commercial hunting. Any differences between Jarpa 2 and Jarpa 3 (officially titled Newrep-A) are entirely cosmetic (of the smearing-lipstick-on-a-pig variety), and do nothing to address the issues raised by the ICJ. Following the ICJ ruling the IWC adopted a resolution specifying that proposals for 'scientific research' permits be evaluated by the Scientific Committee and reviewed by the IWC for consistency with the ICJ ruling before a permit can be issued. Jarpa 3 ignores this and therefore cannot be considered to come under the IWC rules for the taking of whales for scientific research.
http://fpcj.jp/wp/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/3-Resolution-2014-5.pdf
ClippetyClop
@nakanoguy I'm aware of the meaning of witch hunt, unlike you who actually said it. A search for something that is difficult or impossible to find is not a witch hunt. It's more like a wild goose chase. And no its not ACTUALLY trying to find a needle in the ocean. They aren't looking for sewing equipment. Get in touch if you need more grammar lessons.
Shigure
Good ... Hope the Terrorist never find them... Maybe people need to read my Facebook Page on Whale meat.. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100011289189392 I am a Aussie, born and bred and eat whale, so does my 1 year 5 month old son. Japanese School sever whale, and there are restaurants every where selling it, so these LIES that claim Japanese no longer eat whale is just BS
CrucialS
Any time I go to Osaka I enjoy getting whale meat at a great sushi joint in Shin Osaka and have battled the long wait to get into Tako Ume Nihon in Umeda to try all their whale specialities. I enjoy the flavor and judging by the amount of people I saw eating it so do a lot of other people. They have a right to eat it so leave them alone and let them enjoy it.
arrestpaul
Australia and Japan seem to be more interested in submarines and mutual defense. Neither Australia or New Zealand have any obligation to send ships to intercept foreign fleets in international waters. It's the violence of the eco-terrorists that is not welcome or wanted.
ClippetyClop
@arrestpaul When people talk about the violence of the Eco terrorists I can never be sure if they are talking about the people who throw butter at ships or the people who harpoon thousands of mammals
glasshouse
@ClippetyClop not to mention the ramming the throwing of flares..also the acts of sabotage they have committed...so I don't know which SS your thinking about..Not that I am for the whaling but I am definitely against the way Sea Shepard goes about its business putting peoples lives in danger on the high seas.
ClippetyClop
@glasshouse Point taken. I was deliberately being facetious I'm aware that the SS has used forceful methods. However, the ramming claim is very questionable! My point was that it's ironic that supporters of a practice that seeks to slaughter thousands of mammals using savage & violent methods has the gumption to accuse people who try to stop them as being 'eco terrorists'. There's only one group here aiming to kill. It would be funny if it wasn't so shameful. It's like screaming 'police brutality!!' every time a traffic light turns red.
arrestpaul
Butter? The eco-terrorist SS are throwing glass bottles of butyric acid at the whalers. The eco-terrorists claim it smells like spoiled butter.
It's was the U.S. FBI who first identified the eco-terrorist SS as "eco-terrorists".
Besides ramming whalers and throwing glass bottles of acid at sailors, the eco-terrorist SS proudly list the names of the ten (10) vessels that they claim to have sunk.
Sierra, Isba I, Isba II, Hvalur 6, Hvalur 7, Nybraena, Senet, Morild
and two more that I can't remember. The eco-terrorist SS should also list the Ady Gil due to the fact that the Ady Gil was damaged after it accelerated into path of a Japanese whaler and later sunk after Watson cut the tow loose somewhere in Antarctic waters.
Mike O'Brien
And that is exactly what it was. They pressed the case merely to keep a small but vocal group of voters happy.
Most whale species are either growing or stable. None of the species hunted by Japan are in decline.
What court is that? The ICJ DID NOT order them to not hunt whales, it ordered them not to do so under the JARPAII plan. And the Australian court admitted they have no power to back up their ruling. Meanwhile US courts have ordered the SSCS to pay out millions of dollars to the whalers and Ady Gil.
To bad IWC resolutions have no power or authority they merely ask members to follow them, amendments are required to make or change existing IWC regulations. Article VIII still is the only authority and it gives the power to approve scientific permits to the member governments not the IWC. So sorry but Jarpa 3 does come under the IWC rules for taking whales for scientific research.
No not really. The show Whale Wars clearly broadcast footage of Paul Watson himself turning his vessel into one of the whaling vessels and holding the helm hard over keeping his vessel jammed against the whaler. No question that they rammed the whaler.
Shigure
Mmm Do not know what part of Japan you live in but living here for 15 years and from Hokkaido to Osaka, I have seen whale meat in almost all shops.
ClippetyClop
@arrestpaul I appreciate the info, I did some quick research and it seems some of what you say is right. I was actually unaware that the Eco-terrorists SS had caused so much mayhem to the Eco-rapists (whalers). I usually don't condone violence, but I might do this time on behalf of the thousands of dead whales held in freezers because not enough people want to eat them. I hear that whaling ships are an endangered species, but it's necessary to sink large numbers of them to research their sustainability.
Disillusioned
And, there folks is the farce! Using a ruling from the anti-commercial whaling organisation to kill whales to prove the can be commercially hunted. Australia, New Zealand and many other countries, including the US will never allow Japan to resume commercial whaling. The sooner they realise this and stop wasting billions of tax payer's money on these frivolous hunts the sooner the rest of the 'modern' world might have some respect for Japan again. The facts are, there is no market for whale meat to sustain hunting as a commercial entity in Japan. They intend to return to years of old when whale meat was force-fed to elementary and junior high school kids as a cheap and some-what disgusting protein supplement. If Japan is so deadset on proving commercial whaling is viable they should be made to prove there is a viable market for the meat. Just proving there are enough to kill is ridiculous! There are already thousands of tons of whale meat scattered all over the country that they cannot give away. If Japan can prove there is an earnest need for the whale meat they might have a case, but hunting them just because they are there is ludicrous! This year is 2016, not 1916!
I would not be surprised if the Australian government does help SS find the poaching fleet. However, I'm sure it will be done on the hush, hush!
cleo
No you haven't, unless you frequent only the two or three shops you've found that stock whalemeat. I've been in Japan longer probably than you've been alive, and the number of times I've seen whalemeat for sale in a supermarket could be counted on the fingers of one hand with enough fingers left over to make a rude gesture (not that I would...). And those few times were long, long ago. None of my local supermarkets stock it. None of the local restaurants serve it, apart from one ramshackle hut I noticed about an hour's drive away, with くじらdaubed on the side in paint. I would hesitate to call it a greasy spoon, never mind a restaurant.
nath
Shigure.
I am with Cleo been living here for 18yrs and seen little whale meat, but I have seen quiet a few whale meat restaurants close due to lack of customers.
There are still a few places that still have whale bacon or similar on the menu but it is not cheap.
Noticed Mitsukoshi still sells canned whale meat occasionally via Tv-Shopping.
At my sons primary school they once served whale 95% of the kids refused to eat it. School kids these days can pretty much refuse any food they don't like.
Same way that Maguro is very expensive now and for most Families it is more of a special occasion food.
Shigure
Mmm trust me I have been in a few wars that the United States of A--holes has started, so I am very old ... I have seen whale meat for sale in a lot of places, see I am not some closed mined 'Gaijin' ... I enjoy eating it and most places stock it, you only need to ask and they will give it to you ...
Nessie
"Jarpa Third Time's the Charm"?
I see it in the supermarket here in Hokkaido. Usually marked 半額 because no-one wants it.
Triring
Auuuugh, whale meat can be bought at three out of four local supermarket near my place. They are sold in the fish corner including Whale bacon but they don't always carry it.
CH3CHO
cleoFEB. 16, 2016 - 12:28PM JST
Then, IWC should agree on the quota of sustainable commercial whaling.
We all know Australia is against new quota because of the pretext that "not enough scientific data is collected." If Australia goes by that argument, it has no right to protest against collecting of scientific data.
Australia actually knows that there are enough whales for sustainable whaling. It should admit the fact and agree to the setting of new quota. Moratorium of commercial whaling started because of the doubt that the whales are endangered, which was proven to be not the case. It is ridiculous that the moratorium is still going on after the reason for it has gone.
WilliB
Yubaru:
Where did yo get the idea from that they are trying to kill whalers? I thought the worst they do is throw buteric acid, which has never killed anyone. On the other hand, I thought the whale... err "scientists" have rammed SS boats, which on high seas can certainly end deadly.
Heda_Madness
And, there folks is the farce! Using a ruling from the anti-commercial whaling organisation to kill whales to prove the can be commercially hunted. Australia, New Zealand and many other countries, including the US will never allow Japan to resume commercial whaling.
The IWC was set up to ensure that the whaling industry could be sustained. Japan could leave the IWC and commence commercial whaling. Not in the Southern ocean but certainly in the coastal waters around Japan and if they did then there's nothing that Australia, new zealand or any other country could do about it.
WilliB
arrespaul:
Got to love the spin artistry... yes, there has been ramming, but iwas the whalers who used the big steel ship to ram the dinky little plastic contraptions of SS. And yes "acid" sounds dramatic, doesn´t it? Except this was butylic acid, which you can bathe in if you want. The only thing it does is smell like dirty socks.
Firstly, not by "ramming" which you imply, but by sabotage. Seconding, can you identify any Japanese vessels among them? Err....
Got to give it you though, a nice demonstration of misleading for the casual reader!
Disillusioned
When I first came to Japan I saw whale meat on a mate I in an izakaya, I think it may have been Tengu. My then-wife explained that it was probably dolphin meat and not whale at all because it was cheaper to buy. She then went on to explain that whale and dolphin meat are only distinguished by price and usually labelled the same. This is quite alarming considering dolphin meat is virtually poisoned with heavy metals and pesticides. I had seen whale meat in some supermarkets from time to time, but not so much in recent years. It is true that the demand for whale meat has dwindled considerably and many stores do not not stock it anymore because there is no demand. This puts even more bizarreness on Japan's desire to resume commercial whaling.
OssanAmerica
I have eaten dolphin meat (just to try) and it is a lighter color; pinkish. It is also more watery and even people who like whale meat. which is much more red and beef-like do not like "dolphin meat". Sounds like whoever told you they are "indistinguishable" was talking out their rear end.
The huge risk in challenging JARPA II at the ICJ was that even if the Court found in Plaintiff's favor, they would outline what changes would be needed to meet the standards to pass as "research whaling". Didn't take much time for the defendant to declare their intent to start a new program that meets those demands. We haven't heard of Austr or NZ even thinking about going t the ICJ again have we?
Mike O'Brien
Actually the investigation by New Zealand, who are decidedly not friends of the whalers, found that the SSCS boat accelerated in front of the Japanese vessel.
And the Whale Wars TV show had footage that clearly showed Paul Watson ramming his vessel into a whaling vessel and holding the helm hard over to keep his bow pressed against the whaler. Of course he did more damage to his own ship, but the SSCS clearly rammed the whaler.
Also Butyric acid isn't just stinky. It is a hazardous chemical;
NIOSH
Skin exposure signs: Pain, Redness, Blisters, Skin burns. Protection; Protective gloves, Protective clothing. First Aid; Remove contaminated clothes, Rinse skin with plenty of water or shower, Refer for medical attention.
Fisher Scientific MSDS
Hazard Statements Causes severe skin burns and eye damage Harmful if swallowed
Precautionary Statements Wear protective gloves/ protective clothing/ eye protection/ face protection IF IN EYES: Rinse cautiously with water for several minutes. Remove contact lenses, if present and easy to do. Continue rinsing Immediately call a POISON CENTER or doctor/ physician IF SWALLOWED: Rinse mouth. Do NOT induce vomiting IF ON SKIN (or hair): Remove/ Take off immediately all contaminated clothing. Rinse skin with water/shower
Description of first aid measures Eye Contact Immediate medical attention is required. Rinse immediately with plenty of water, also under the eyelids, for at least 15 minutes. Keep eye wide open while rinsing. Skin Contact Wash off immediately with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes. Remove and wash contaminated clothing before re-use. Call a physician immediately.
I also think throwing glass bottles (even if they were empty) at people is pretty dangerous all by itself. And don't forget firing flares and causing fires in the netting. All documented on the SSCS's own TV show, no spin artistry required.
glasshouse
@WilliB http://www.icrwhale.org/eng/history.pdf just for thought....
cleo
I imagine it depends which bit you eat. Or what kind of dolphin? According to this bloke - http://www.page.sannet.ne.jp/ikenoue/type1/iruka/iruka.html - stuff labelled 'dolphin' that he bought in the supermarket (knocked down to half price, the stuff doesn't sell well) was very dark and tasted a bit like liver.
http://uk.whales.org/issues/japanese-dolphin-hunts
more than one quarter of the samples identified using DNA techniques were mislabelled - i.e. they contained the DNA of species other than, or in addition to, the one advertised. 75% of these mis-advertised products contained at least one pollutant type at a level above regulatory limits set for human food by national and international authorities. Nearly all the mislabelled samples contained tissues from dolphins......In a separate study, the government also identified a problem with the mislabelling of whale meat.
https://eia-international.org/wp-content/uploads/EIA-Dangerous-Diet-FINAL.pdf
In each year EIA sampled cetacean products, average mercury concentrations exceeded the Government’s safe limit. The highest level found was 22.5ppm mercury in a product labelled as ‘whale’ purchased in 2001, more than 50 times higher than the provisional limit. DNA analysis confirmed the meat was actually bottlenose dolphin......Inadequate and incorrect labelling of cetacean products has long been recognised as a problem in Japan. Products often lack species information or have been found to be incorrectly labelled as whale when they actually comprise dolphin meat. This makes it difficult for consumers to make an informed choice about the products they are purchasing.....EIA surveys of three e-commerce sites in 2013 found 11 per cent of cetacean products were listed without any species information.
Sounds like the folk selling the stuff think the folk buying the stuff can't tell the difference. Also sounds like folk who think they're eating whale are actually eating dolphin at least some of the time.
To further add to the confusion, some cetaceans that are called whales (such as the pilot whale, ゴンドウくじらin Japanese) are actually dolphins.
OssanAmerica
Yes you'd have to imagine. Talk to me after you've eaten some dear.
Shigure
It"S ME, Cleo has no idea .....and because she is anti-whaling, she will make up any rubbish to support her cause ...
Gaijin that do not eat whale do not look for it so never see it, but Yac's in Ichihara sells it, 1 of the shops on the Tokyo Aqualine has a huge freezer with different cuts of whale meat, Daiei in both Kanazawa-ku and here in Kawasaki-shi sell whale meat, The little shop next to my place in Tama-ku stocks whale meat....Most places stock canned whale meat and also whale curry ... My son loves whale and he is only 1 year and 5 months old now, we eat it at least twice a month .... So for people to claim no one is eating whale in Japan is pure rubbish ... most of my friends eat whale also ... as for gaijin, most are here to make money and take off as soon as there is trouble, its one of the reason Japanese have now given them the name FLYJIN, so do not know if any eat whale because I keep away from them, as I am now naturalised Japanese.
arrestpaul
If you love spin artistry then you love the eco-terrorist SS and will continue to advocate for their violence acts. Glass bottles of butyric acid are glass bottles of butyric acid, not the "spoiled butter" that the eco-terrorist SS hope to convince it is.
The eco-terrorist SS has a history of ramming other vessels. The eco-terrorist SS have a history of sinking other vessels. The eco-terrorist SS have a history of abandoning and/or sinking their own ships. Their partners in crime, the Animal Planet network, like to take in advertising revenue by advocating for eco-terrorist SS violence.
The eco-terrorist SS have a long history of lying to the casual reader.
Even Greenpeace refuses to have any dealings with the eco-terrorist SS. If you remember, Greenpeace kicked Watson out of Greenpeace in 1977 because Watson was too violent.
cleo
You mean the same Greenpeace that now says clubbing seals and selling the skins for profit is OK so long as you're 'indigenous'? That wearing sealskin (banned in the EU) is a good thing if the seal was killed by someone 'indigenous'? Greenpeace has lost its cred, sorry. If Greenpeace is against SS, could be a sign that SS is the one doing things right.
http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/where-does-greenpeace-stand-on-seal-hunting/
JapaneseExperts
I have been living and working in here in Japan for over 16 years now. I have been told by Japanese nationals that they do not like, they do not eat, and they do not understand why Japan continues to kill whales. Some Japanese nationals say that they eat whale meat once a year or so but they do not really like it. Whale meat was first served to school children after world war II because food was scarce AT THE TIME.
Christopher Glen
Yes, yes. This is well-known, but the same people believe it's their "culture", and to criticise their "culture" is to be un-Japanese. So they would rather dolphin and whale hunting continues for the sake of national pride
Triring
JapaneseExperts
I lived here all of my adult life and have met and spent time with people who loves whale meat including myself. The Osaka people loves it and misses something if they can't find Saizuri, HariHari Nabe, and/or whale bacon. I prefer Onomi which is like horse meat.
Just because you don't have friends that is fond of it doesn't mean the whole nation agrees with your findings.
Shigure
Seems my PRO-WHALING posts are upsetting the (part of the females body, between her legs) running Japantoday, and they are deleting them, so please kindly (F word for sex) off and die, morons!
Ban me .. like I give a (F word for sex). you worthless anti-japanese (part of the females body, between her legs) !
cleo
Japan's total whale meat consumption in recent years averages 4,000 to 5,000 tons per year; that works out at less than 40 gm per person over the whole year. You'd lose it if it rolled behind the soy sauce dispenser. If all the whalemeat consumed in Japan was consumed by the population of Osaka alone, you're looking at considerably less than 2 kilos per person (every man, woman and child) per year; less than 40 gm each per week. Again, better move the soy sauce dispenser out of the way.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/06/26/national/whale-meat-consumption-falls-efforts-afoot-boast-merits/#.VsQG0scZwYM
Just because you have friends that is fond of it doesn't mean the whole nation agrees with your findings.
The numbers say different, and the numbers aren't anecdotal. Japan as a nation is not a whalemeat-eating nation.
CrucialS
Right on Triring. Similar experiences when visiting friends in Osaka and I am amazed how crowded, with people from all walks of life, some of the places that specialize whale meat tend to get.
A couple hundred Minke whale hunted out of a healthy population is not immoral or terrible.
cleo
A single animal out of any population, land or marine, killed slowly, painfully and inhumanely, is both immoral and terrible.
Christopher Glen
Prceeisely
arrestpaul
So you're saying that people in Japan eat whale meat. And that you object to every animal that is killed for food, or clothing. And you advocate for the repeated acts of violence committed by the eco-terrorist SS against human beings.
cleo
arrestpaul -
No more than 'people in Japan' do other non-mainstream stuff, like leave their kids locked in the bathroom while they play pachinko, or decapitate kittens for the fun of it. They're not typical, and people like that don't need to be supported by my taxes.
Yes. But if you've gotta do it, do it humanely. Marine mammals cannot be killed humanely.
No. I advocate for the eco-terrorist whale killers to stay home and get themselves proper jobs so that the whales can live in peace and my taxes don't get thrown in a black hole.
Yoriko Todd
Japan government must think that whale killing is important. It is doing a lot of damage to our reputation around the world. I hope it is worth it. I often see the whale meat in my supermarket but usually at half price I do not think many people buy it. It is full of mercury like tuna. This is why it was removed from the school lunches. I wonder what would be said if there was a national referendum on the subject.
arrestpaul
Are you speaking for your personal reputation???? Except for the few, vocal, animal rights activists making noise in other (Western?) countries, the governments of other nations are not punishing Japan for whaling. The whole world doesn't care about whaling, whales, or the opinions of a few, vocal, animal rights activists. Most of the whole world is hungry.
The Japanese government does think that whaling is important. On the other hand, many governments believe that the violent acts of the eco-terrorist SS are dangerous and they refuse to allow eco-terrorist SS garbage scows to be registered as vessels of their countries.