Japan will never stop whaling, minister says

[Myles]

I agree, and it is indeed the truth.

LINK

As if that was not bad enough, the US said Japan was to blame for the endangered status of whales, when the US themselves, and Russia, historically accounted for far larger annual catches than Japan, and being only 30 or so years from the last war, some feeling were strong enough to allow this personal distrust to affect the entire globe, in fact Japanese goods were smashed in congress in a childish display if defiance, and now the Sea Shepherd uses this bad situation to capitalise upon.

Yes, the US is to blame for todays Whaling, no two ways about it. The way they brazenly waved the Packwood-Magnuson Amendment about sealed that deal, and we now have whaling.

Not that I don't believe you, but I cannot find a year where Japan killed zero whales. When I get time, I'll search a little more.

http://luna.pos.to/whale/sta.html

[psyche101]

Now I think you go to far -- blaming the Americans for what the Japanese are doing and could easily stop. I have no idea what American behavior may have piqued whom, but all that is beside the point.

May I ask if you read the link to the BBC article, and what part of it you disagree with? I would be more than happy to discuss any part of the information you feel is incorrect.

Given the lack of any evidence that Japan is bringing its whaling activities into conformance with the recommendations of the IWC, I am directing the Secretary of State under the Packwood-Magnuson Amendment to withhold 100 percent of the fishing privileges that would otherwise be available to Japan in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. Japan has requested the opportunity to fish for 3,000 metric tons of sea snails and 5,000 metric tons of Pacific whiting. These requests will be denied. In addition, Japan will be barred from any future allocations of fishing privileges for any other species, including Pacific cod, until the Secretary of Commerce determines that the situation has been corrected.^[54]

U.S. President Ronald Reagan, 1988

LINK

Edited March 26, 2013 by psyche101

[psyche101]

Are they to blame for Iceland and Norway too? I do understand this thread is about Japan.

While Japan took offense to the US in the late 1980's, I think they would have began whaling again.

From the supplied link:

But in bilateral discussions, the two governments reached an agreement. Japan would cease whaling in 1988, two years beyond the moratorium date, and withdraw its objection; in return, Ronald Reagan's administration agreed not to take action under Packwood-Magnuson or Pelly.

But they did take action under the Pelly amendment.

Officially, Japan had indeed agreed to cease whaling. Had they gone back then I think the situation would be much different today. Iceland and Norway never signed the moratorium, and are not members of the IWC, membership is voluntary, yet Japan still joined, and was willing to comply. But no, the US is not in any way connected to the catches by Norway and Iceland. Not Greenland either. Just the political tension with Japan.

Edited March 26, 2013 by psyche101

[psyche101]

Not that I don't believe you, but I cannot find a year where Japan killed zero whales. When I get time, I'll search a little more.

http://luna.pos.to/whale/sta.html

Good call Myles, you know more and ask better questions than the so called conservationists who claim to be all over this. I believe it is how the years are arranged (financial), as far as I know, that minke catch actually happened on February 9, 1988.

Nation Area Dates Fin Sperm Sei Brydes Minke Total 1986 (86/87) Iceland NA Jun-Sep86 76 0 40 0 0 116 Republic of Korea NP Apr-Jul86 0 0 0 0 69 69 Total 76 0 40 0 69 185 1987 (87/88) Iceland NA Jun-Sep87 80 0 20 0 0 100 Japan (pelagic) SH Jan-Mar88 0 0 0 0 273 273 Total 80 0 20 0 273 373

LINK

Japan issued itself a permit to catch them, yet before 1987, Japan did not traditionally hunt Minkes.

[psyche101]

In other words they used it as an excuse. That strikes me as far more likely.

Yes, it was silly to give them one, and the Sea Shepherd gives them another each year. We need to pull that reason out from under their feet. If pride is the reason for continued Whaling, does it not stand to reason it could end Whaling?