Japan's whalers are going broke, forced to slash prices on slow moving inventory

[glenn1]

While the impartiality of the source seems to leave a bit to be desired, this is good news regardless. Despite that I consider Greenpeace to be complete jackasses most of the time, I would be the first to applaud the whalers fading into the dustbin of history and Japanese acquiring a taste for different foodstuffs.

story link

 

[StageLeft]

Small fish, large fish (tuna), whales, I personally don't care unless one particular species is being overfished.

 

[CanOWorms]

Hopefully they'll start hunting them for sport if the demand as food dries up.

 

[dahunan]

Maybe they will claim tribal rights like the nutjob native americans who think their traditions included speedboats and harpoons?

 

[ProfJohn]

If you have ever been close to a whale in the wild you would be 100% against whaling. They are amazing creatures, let's hope the Japanese give up this ugly practice.

 

[CanOWorms]

Originally posted by: ProfJohn
If you have ever been close to a whale in the wild you would be 100% against whaling. They are amazing creatures, let's hope the Japanese give up this ugly practice.

I have seen whales and do not oppose whaling. I would never participate in it nor eat the meat, but they have their own culture that is not harming the whale population. Whales are animals.

Dogs are respected as a companion and friend to man in Western culture. I have also owned a dog and would never eat a dog but other cultures eat dogs. Are you against that?

Hundreds of millions of people in the world respect cows as a matter of religion. Should we stop eating beef? Their devotion to that belief seems much stronger than "whales are cool and shouldn't be eaten."

The imperialism must be stopped.

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

Originally posted by: dahunan
Maybe they will claim tribal rights like the nutjob native americans who think their traditions included speedboats and harpoons?

Good God... nice. They are not nutjobs. Many of them still live in villages where you shit in a bucket. There is no modern plumbing.

Native Alaskans have been using harpoons for centuries. And they are a far cry from the Japanese whalers that use large scale fishing vessels. These guys go out in 15' boats to catch 40' whales. Oooo... now they have an Evinrude. :roll:

What's more, they are not wasteful with the animals they harvest. They really do use everything. The total numbers of whales they take are nothing in the grand scheme of things.

There is no way to compare them to the Japanese. The Japanese are just wrong here. They currently harvest them under the guise of "scientific research" yet somehow they haven't produced a single scientific paper. Be mad at the right people. Leave the Native Alaskans alone.

 

[Rainsford]

Originally posted by: CanOWorms

Originally posted by: ProfJohn
If you have ever been close to a whale in the wild you would be 100% against whaling. They are amazing creatures, let's hope the Japanese give up this ugly practice.

I have seen whales and do not oppose whaling. I would never participate in it nor eat the meat, but they have their own culture that is not harming the whale population. Whales are animals.

Dogs are respected as a companion and friend to man in Western culture. I have also owned a dog and would never eat a dog but other cultures eat dogs. Are you against that?

Hundreds of millions of people in the world respect cows as a matter of religion. Should we stop eating beef? Their devotion to that belief seems much stronger than "whales are cool and shouldn't be eaten."

The imperialism must be stopped.

The problem is that it IS harming the whale population, several species are endangered and that list will probably grow with time. We've overfished nearly every ocean species we catch on the planet (try getting wild salmon from the East Coast sometime), but you can't set up whale farms to compensate. And whales are a valuable part of the ocean ecosystem in any case, an argument made all the stronger when you consider that most whaling stems from tradition more than anything else.

 

[CanOWorms]

Originally posted by: Rainsford

Originally posted by: CanOWorms

Originally posted by: ProfJohn
If you have ever been close to a whale in the wild you would be 100% against whaling. They are amazing creatures, let's hope the Japanese give up this ugly practice.

I have seen whales and do not oppose whaling. I would never participate in it nor eat the meat, but they have their own culture that is not harming the whale population. Whales are animals.

Dogs are respected as a companion and friend to man in Western culture. I have also owned a dog and would never eat a dog but other cultures eat dogs. Are you against that?

Hundreds of millions of people in the world respect cows as a matter of religion. Should we stop eating beef? Their devotion to that belief seems much stronger than "whales are cool and shouldn't be eaten."

The imperialism must be stopped.

The problem is that it IS harming the whale population, several species are endangered and that list will probably grow with time. We've overfished nearly every ocean species we catch on the planet (try getting wild salmon from the East Coast sometime), but you can't set up whale farms to compensate. And whales are a valuable part of the ocean ecosystem in any case, an argument made all the stronger when you consider that most whaling stems from tradition more than anything else.

The Japanese only successfully hunted Minke whales in the latest controversy. They are not endangered. They withdrew from hunting humpbacks and caught no fin whales.

 

[CanOWorms]

Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy

Originally posted by: dahunan
Maybe they will claim tribal rights like the nutjob native americans who think their traditions included speedboats and harpoons?

Good God... nice. They are not nutjobs. Many of them still live in villages where you shit in a bucket. There is no modern plumbing.

Native Alaskans have been using harpoons for centuries. And they are a far cry from the Japanese whalers that use large scale fishing vessels. These guys go out in 15' boats to catch 40' whales. Oooo... now they have an Evinrude. :roll:

Many native Alaskans use special types of grenades to hunt whales.

What's more, they are not wasteful with the animals they harvest. They really do use everything. The total numbers of whales they take are nothing in the grand scheme of things.

Yes, even making trinkets for tourists...

The Alaskans are hunting 50 bowhead whales a year out of a population of 10,000 in Alaskan waters. They are listed as an endangered species. The Japanese hunted 500 Minke whales from a population estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands. Some tribes in other areas even hunt other endangered whales.

There is no way to compare them to the Japanese. The Japanese are just wrong here. They currently harvest them under the guise of "scientific research" yet somehow they haven't produced a single scientific paper. Be mad at the right people. Leave the Native Alaskans alone.

From what I can find, they have submitted more than 180 reports to the IWC Scientific Committee and more than 90 to scientific journals. I wonder if Alaskan hunters submitted any research to justify their culture.

Be mad at the right people. It's not the Japanese, Iceland, Norwegians. It's yourself. If you drop your colonialistic intentions, you wouldn't be so angry.

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

Originally posted by: CanOWorms

Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy

Originally posted by: dahunan
Maybe they will claim tribal rights like the nutjob native americans who think their traditions included speedboats and harpoons?

Good God... nice. They are not nutjobs. Many of them still live in villages where you shit in a bucket. There is no modern plumbing.

Native Alaskans have been using harpoons for centuries. And they are a far cry from the Japanese whalers that use large scale fishing vessels. These guys go out in 15' boats to catch 40' whales. Oooo... now they have an Evinrude. :roll:

Many native Alaskans use special types of grenades to hunt whales.

What's more, they are not wasteful with the animals they harvest. They really do use everything. The total numbers of whales they take are nothing in the grand scheme of things.

Yes, even making trinkets for tourists...

The Alaskans are hunting 50 bowhead whales a year out of a population of 10,000 in Alaskan waters. They are listed as an endangered species. The Japanese hunted 500 Minke whales from a population estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands. Some tribes in other areas even hunt other endangered whales.

There is no way to compare them to the Japanese. The Japanese are just wrong here. They currently harvest them under the guise of "scientific research" yet somehow they haven't produced a single scientific paper. Be mad at the right people. Leave the Native Alaskans alone.

From what I can find, they have submitted more than 180 reports to the IWC Scientific Committee and more than 90 to scientific journals. I wonder if Alaskan hunters submitted any research to justify their culture.

Be mad at the right people. It's not the Japanese, Iceland, Norwegians. It's yourself. If you drop your colonialistic intentions, you wouldn't be so angry.

The Japanese are taking upwards of 1000 Minke whales a year, not 500. And they are conducting commercial whaling hunts under the guise of science. They lie.

What's more, they have plans to expand their huntes to humpbacks, a species that is finally recovering from the brink of extinction.

There are nine communities in Alaska that are allowed to hunt bowhead whales and their total alowed quota is 67 animals per year. Last year they took 42 whales. Link The bowhead whale population is growing at the rate of 3% per year and shows no signs of slowing down. Their harvest has not negatively impacted that recovery. Whats more, they're honest about their intentions. This is a subsistance issue. They have never presented their hunts as a scientific issue. As to your "trinkets" argument, native alaskans have made art from whales for centuries. Now someone wants to buy that art. Big deal.

If you want to say that 42 whales taken for subsistance is worse than 1000 whales taken for commercial purposes under the preface of science... go ahead.

 

[ski2slow]

Typical hypocritical western reaction. Who was the one who hunted whales for years just for the fat? Just like the Inuits, Japanese have been using all portions of the whales for years. Stop ignoring historical facts and think about who caused the decline in the first place. As far as Green Peace, money grabbing PC idiots who have nothing better to do but complain.

They should be hunted down as far as I'm concerned.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: ProfJohn
If you have ever been close to a whale in the wild you would be 100% against whaling. They are amazing creatures, let's hope the Japanese give up this ugly practice.

Ah, not so much.

 

[NeoV]

no one that lives in Japan is still shitting in a bucket.

"If you have ever been close to a whale in the wild you would be 100% against whaling. They are amazing creatures, let's hope the Japanese give up this ugly practice."

OMG, I agree with projJ....

Whales are highly intelligent creatures that live in family groups, communicate, etc, etc....should we start eating chimps too? (yes I know that some tiny percentage of people in Africa probably do eat them).

The comparison to dogs/cows is idiotic.

Japanese whaling IS harming whale populations, and their claims of doing it in the name of research is quite frankly disgusting.

 

[CanOWorms]

Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy

The Japanese are taking upwards of 1000 Minke whales a year, not 500. And they are conducting commercial whaling hunts under the guise of science. They lie.

They had a quota of 1000, but only caught 500-something. They have to lie due to imperialists.

What's more, they have plans to expand their huntes to humpbacks, a species that is finally recovering from the brink of extinction.

They did not hunt humpbacks. It is speculated that they claimed to hunt humpbacks with the intention to announce that they wouldn't for political reasons. Their fleet was not capable of taking in humpbacks.

There are nine communities in Alaska that are allowed to hunt bowhead whales and their total alowed quota is 67 animals per year. Last year they took 42 whales. Link The bowhead whale population is growing at the rate of 3% per year and shows no signs of slowing down.

They're hunting an endangered species. The Minke are not.

Their harvest has not negatively impacted that recovery.

Some environmentalists do think that it is negatively hurting the recovery. These are endangered animals with a limited population unlike the hundreds of thousands of Minke whales.

Whats more, they're honest about their intentions. This is a subsistance issue. They have never presented their hunts as a scientific issue.

They're not going to die if they stop killing an endangered species. Many of these communities have an income higher than the Alaskan median income. It's more of a cultural need. They're not honest as well.

As to your "trinkets" argument, native alaskans have made art from whales for centuries. Now someone wants to buy that art. Big deal.

Yes, it is a big deal. They're killing an endangered species under the claim of subsistence living.

If you want to say that 42 whales taken for subsistance is worse than 1000 whales taken for commercial purposes under the preface of science... go ahead.

I think 42 whales out of an endangered population of 10k is worse than taking 500 out of a population of 500k.

 

[CanOWorms]

Originally posted by: ski2slow
Typical hypocritical western reaction. Who was the one who hunted whales for years just for the fat? Just like the Inuits, Japanese have been using all portions of the whales for years. Stop ignoring historical facts and think about who caused the decline in the first place. As far as Green Peace, money grabbing PC idiots who have nothing better to do but complain.

They should be hunted down as far as I'm concerned.

Yup, the imperialist agenda must be stopped. They probably talk about stopping whaling because they are "majestic!" while eating steak.

 

[Deleted member 4644]

Originally posted by: CanOWorms

Originally posted by: ProfJohn
If you have ever been close to a whale in the wild you would be 100% against whaling. They are amazing creatures, let's hope the Japanese give up this ugly practice.

I have seen whales and do not oppose whaling. I would never participate in it nor eat the meat, but they have their own culture that is not harming the whale population. Whales are animals.

Dogs are respected as a companion and friend to man in Western culture. I have also owned a dog and would never eat a dog but other cultures eat dogs. Are you against that?

Hundreds of millions of people in the world respect cows as a matter of religion. Should we stop eating beef? Their devotion to that belief seems much stronger than "whales are cool and shouldn't be eaten."

The imperialism must be stopped.

I see your point, but if taken to the logical extreme you can say the Japanese culture is to whale. Well... what if it is the American culture to torpedo whaling boats? *cough*

 

[CanOWorms]

Originally posted by: Deleted member 4644

Originally posted by: CanOWorms

Originally posted by: ProfJohn
If you have ever been close to a whale in the wild you would be 100% against whaling. They are amazing creatures, let's hope the Japanese give up this ugly practice.

I have seen whales and do not oppose whaling. I would never participate in it nor eat the meat, but they have their own culture that is not harming the whale population. Whales are animals.

Dogs are respected as a companion and friend to man in Western culture. I have also owned a dog and would never eat a dog but other cultures eat dogs. Are you against that?

Hundreds of millions of people in the world respect cows as a matter of religion. Should we stop eating beef? Their devotion to that belief seems much stronger than "whales are cool and shouldn't be eaten."

The imperialism must be stopped.

I see your point, but if taken to the logical extreme you can say the Japanese culture is to whale. Well... what if it is the American culture to torpedo whaling boats? *cough*

One involves killing other humans. The other involves killing animals which we also do.

 

[ski2slow]

Originally posted by: Deleted member 4644
I see your point, but if taken to the logical extreme you can say the Japanese culture is to whale. Well... what if it is the American culture to torpedo whaling boats? *cough*

Nah, lets just go start a war!!!

 

[smack Down]

Originally posted by: CanOWorms

Originally posted by: Deleted member 4644

Originally posted by: CanOWorms

Originally posted by: ProfJohn
If you have ever been close to a whale in the wild you would be 100% against whaling. They are amazing creatures, let's hope the Japanese give up this ugly practice.

I have seen whales and do not oppose whaling. I would never participate in it nor eat the meat, but they have their own culture that is not harming the whale population. Whales are animals.

Dogs are respected as a companion and friend to man in Western culture. I have also owned a dog and would never eat a dog but other cultures eat dogs. Are you against that?

Hundreds of millions of people in the world respect cows as a matter of religion. Should we stop eating beef? Their devotion to that belief seems much stronger than "whales are cool and shouldn't be eaten."

The imperialism must be stopped.

I see your point, but if taken to the logical extreme you can say the Japanese culture is to whale. Well... what if it is the American culture to torpedo whaling boats? *cough*

One involves killing other humans. The other involves killing animals which we also do.

People are animals to.

 

[Veramocor]

I prefer firing photon torpedoes from my Klingon Bird of Prey to stop whaling.

Originally posted by: Deleted member 4644

Originally posted by: CanOWorms

Originally posted by: ProfJohn
If you have ever been close to a whale in the wild you would be 100% against whaling. They are amazing creatures, let's hope the Japanese give up this ugly practice.

I have seen whales and do not oppose whaling. I would never participate in it nor eat the meat, but they have their own culture that is not harming the whale population. Whales are animals.

Dogs are respected as a companion and friend to man in Western culture. I have also owned a dog and would never eat a dog but other cultures eat dogs. Are you against that?

Hundreds of millions of people in the world respect cows as a matter of religion. Should we stop eating beef? Their devotion to that belief seems much stronger than "whales are cool and shouldn't be eaten."

The imperialism must be stopped.

I see your point, but if taken to the logical extreme you can say the Japanese culture is to whale. Well... what if it is the American culture to torpedo whaling boats? *cough*

 

[Double Trouble]

I personally would have absolutely no problem with Japanese whaling ships getting torpedoed and sunk.

The excuse of whaling for "scientific research" purposes is a bunch of crap and everyone knows it. The fact is they want to eat the endangered whales, and if that's how they feel they should tell everyone "we don't care about your stupid whales, we are too selfish to care about future generations, so there!". That way at least their intentions would be clear and the rest of the world could start a boycott of their products.

Stupid whalers :|

I don't care if some idiots in India and elsewhere want to worship cows, I don't care if they worship rats, to each his own.... but I don't understand why stupid people would want to willingly contribute to driving a majestic species like endangered whales to extinction for no reason but their own selfishness and stupidity.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

Originally posted by: Double Trouble
I personally would have absolutely no problem with Japanese whaling ships getting torpedoed and sunk.

The excuse of whaling for "scientific research" purposes is a bunch of crap and everyone knows it. The fact is they want to eat the endangered whales, and if that's how they feel they should tell everyone "we don't care about your stupid whales, we are too selfish to care about future generations, so there!". That way at least their intentions would be clear and the rest of the world could start a boycott of their products.

Stupid whalers :|

I don't care if some idiots in India and elsewhere want to worship cows, I don't care if they worship rats, to each his own.... but I don't understand why stupid people would want to willingly contribute to driving a majestic species like endangered whales to extinction for no reason but their own selfishness and stupidity.

They taste good.

 

[CanOWorms]

Originally posted by: Double Trouble
I personally would have absolutely no problem with Japanese whaling ships getting torpedoed and sunk.

The excuse of whaling for "scientific research" purposes is a bunch of crap and everyone knows it. The fact is they want to eat the endangered whales, and if that's how they feel they should tell everyone "we don't care about your stupid whales, we are too selfish to care about future generations, so there!". That way at least their intentions would be clear and the rest of the world could start a boycott of their products.

They're not eating endangered whales. However, Americans (in Alaska) do eat endangered whales.

Stupid whalers :|

I don't care if some idiots in India and elsewhere want to worship cows, I don't care if they worship rats, to each his own.... but I don't understand why stupid people would want to willingly contribute to driving a majestic species like endangered whales to extinction for no reason but their own selfishness and stupidity.

So you worship whales and don't want others to eat them. Yet people that respect other animals cannot force you to stop eating their animals.

 

[Throckmorton]

Whaling is illegal. How is there even a debate here?

Edit: Deleted attempted thread hijacking