Japanese Whale Hunting- REAL reasons???

OK People, I've read a lot on this topic in the general media recently, and I truly think the Japanese are relentlessly and unabatingly pursing whales not for 'scientific research' as they so dubiously claim, nor for 'food', but for somthign much more clandestine and sinister. What they are telling the world is obviously a farce. But I'm sure enquiring minds will have thought about the REAL reasons behind this whale slaughtering (maybe a few other threads have already discussed this, I'm unsure). They have trespassed in Australian waters and have completely disregarded our sovereignty over Antarctic waters and even protest ships like Greenpeace of which members they have 'apprehended' aboard their whaling vessels. What I want to know is, What is it inside these whales, that they want so much and are willing to harm inter-continental relations for? It is disheartening to see images of minke whales bleeding after being harpooned and left to die slowly. I think there is a conspiracy and they are harvesting something of extreme value whether it be scientific or financial I don't know. But I'm sure there are elusive materials inside whales that can be used for scientific breakthroughs or maybe even a cure for cancer or AIDS (Fantastical)??? But somebody has to get to the bottom of this. All these whales for food? Duhh, bull#. The Japanese don't even like whale meat, there's so much they have to stick in in student obentos. Maybe the americans know what is going on here with this Whale of an affair and shenanigans. Any thoughts?

P.S Save the whales...

I used to live in Japan, for around 5 years and saw whale meat on resturant menus, in Jusco and other stores canned/frozen, at.. hell if I remember the name, but it was some yakiniku place. I've even seen kujira served at sushi bars.

Must be part of the conspiracy.

^^^your sarcasm is lost on me. Because I'll be damned if the Japs are crazy about thier whale meat.

Being in Australia, there's a big 'grassroots' feeling against the whaling. The government authorities will arrest someone if they come in and take one fish from restricted fishing areas in a rickety boat, but it mostly stands idly by while a thousand or so whales face being taken for 'scientific research' aboard these massive Japanese ships. The new government is doing more than the old Howard government by sending the surveillance ship, but I'm not sure if they're willing to do more. Many people think we should be intervening directly, or at least send a military presence down there, not just surveillance.

Everyone knows it's a complete sham when the Japanese claim scientific research.

Whale meat is in decline in popularity among Japan's younger people. If they don't sell it all as food in restaurants, they'll just grind it up and put it in pet food or use the blubber for oil and what not.

There's no 'elusive' uses for these whales - why state you're going to kill 1000 whales and dress it up as research? Unless you need 1000 whales to make a vile of special super-cure-all potion, there's no need for it at all.

[edit on 8-2-2008 by mattguy404]

[edit on 8-2-2008 by mattguy404]

Originally posted by armageddonbeliever
^^^your sarcasm is lost on me. Because I'll be damned if the Japs are crazy about thier whale meat.

Out of curiousity, have you ever lived in Japan?

I haven't been to Japan have friends that are Japanese and please believe, they have never said whale meat is like beef and chicken over there. All the Japs I know hate whale meat.

And how do they like being called "Japs"? Just asking.

The way I figure it, it's because Japan has a very strong nationalist streak, and just like with the US, whenever another nation tells them not to do something, they're going to make a big huffy show of doing it, just to make the point that they don't have to listen to anyone because the world revolves around them.

Essentially Japanese whaling is nothing deeper than nationalist penis-measuring.

There is no secret to whaling. No toadstones, just meat and blubber. Though if you want a conspiracy angle from it, it could be an attempt to eradicate another sentient species from the planet.

no offence to any japanese here but I use 'japs' as short for japanese. Just making that clear.

If you are opposed to whaling, may I ask why? I am getting sick and tired of the constant tirade against whaling in the Australian media while 90% of the population watching it during the evening news is getting stuck into steak or lamb chops.

I can respect somebodies anti-whaling opinion if they are a total vegetarian, but others who eat meat have no argument to back their opinions. Slaughtering animals for food is slaughtering animals for food. Just because you find one particular animal "beautiful" or "intelligent" doesn't introduce a step that allows you to take the moral high ground if you eat meat from so called lesser animals.

Whaling is something that lets Japan let off a bit of steam. The Americans pretty much dictate their foreign and trade policies, and they are constrained by having to be nice to China to make sure they don't become even more insignificant in the world economy in future. Whaling is the one area Japan can hold its foreign policiy middle finger up to the rest of the world without any major repurcussions. Sure, the "scientific whaling" bit is a sham, but so is Australia's holier than though stance against it.

IF certain species of whale are abundant, and IF that can be scientifically upheld, who the hell can give a rational argument that they should not be harvested?

BTW - I am appaled the Australian Federal Police have not even bothered to look into the piratical acts of the smelly hippies that boarded the Japanese whaling ship.

I am an Aussie, and personally I think whales are beautiful animals. I grew up on a farm and am also rather fond of cows and sheep, but that has never stopped me from tucking into a lamb roast or a nice, juicy rump steak.

I don't think there's anything magical in the whale meat the makes the Japanese want to kill and eat them - its more about drawing a line in the sand and telling the rest of the world to go and get stuffed.

Originally posted by armageddonbeliever
I haven't been to Japan have friends that are Japanese and please believe, they have never said whale meat is like beef and chicken over there. All the Japs I know hate whale meat.

Well, It's really the older people that eat whale meat. 50+ years old is the demographic. Some say it is making a comeback with the younger generation. I saw the stuff in many stores, and I've seen people buy it. There are even entire restuarants dedicated to it called Kujira-ya. The normal meat actually tastes, and somewhat resembles tuna if you're not really used to it. People also eat the heart/intestines, etc... So.. yeah.

Or else... they are only pretending that they are, and randomly having secret agents of conspiracy purchase the meat, only to give it back to the store to put on the shelves. It's probably why alot of it is canned and frozen, so it lasts longer for the conspiracy.

The answer is very simple and very basic.

$40 000 per whale.

What I don't get is how someone hasn't boarded the ship and a)killed some of the crew b) disabled the vessel by planting explosives or sabotage.

reply to post by Retikx


Probably because that is piracy and terrorism all rolled into one.

What I don't understand is why there is no rational debate on the subject, just a bunch of nationalism on one side, and emotional environmental propoganda on the other.

[edit on 9-2-2008 by Snappahead]

someone in the scientific community should do a non envasive DNA test on a whale and compare it to a human.

edit +a to compre

[edit on 9-2-2008 by djaybeetoo]

I lived there for 5 years and whale meat was never a common item at the susi bar.

Yes, all the whales for food. What they do with sharks is they catch them cut only the dorsal fin off and throw the rest away. They have no decency and deserve to be bombed out of the water. They recently held greenpeace activists captive when they are illegally in Aussie water. Thow them all in jail as illegal immigrants.

the reason for the whale hunt from japan is simply this .... the Japanese meat industry is so strict that a lot of countries around the world have a great deal
of trouble to enter it......the Japanese LOVE Australian meat, why?
because Australia being an island it is immune and doesn't have any of the animal diseases that exist in the rest of the world ( try and bring animal products or fresh or frozen meat into Australia) Australian exports of beef, poultry, mutton are the best quality that can be had. many countries try and try anything get the Japanese meat market form Australia.

Now take the Australian government they don't want to loose the meat trade with japan and so they turn a blind eye to whats going on with the whales,
so they don't loose the business with japan its worth billions to the Aussie dollar.
This year the Japanese announced that they are going to include humpbacks in the name of science and the former Howard government had the rotten job ( thank god there gone ) of making Australia into formidable force in the world food market.

So the ultimate answer to the op's question = MONEY+ GREED
Personally i think Australia should go for broke and station a submarine
and sink any whaling boats found plying there trade in Australian territorial
waters.

the Japanese are a VERY arrogant race of people and they know the Aussie government wont do anything about so they do as they like!

Do you all want to stop japan from whaling?

Then stop buying Japanese exports, japan is a industrial nation and have very little land dedicated to food production so they have to import most of everything they eat not only that they have to import all there crude oil and coal to drive that industry. they have a population of over 127 million people.

Don't buy Japanese cars, tv's and electrical products or anything exported from japan and once they realize that money is slipping through their fingers mark my words they will stop the slaughter. but we have to make it official and no backing out by any nation , a boycott of Japanese anything.

[edit on 10-2-2008 by ST SIR 86]

reply to post by Snappahead


"Emotional environmental propaganda"?

Trouble with hunting whales is that they are not white-tail deer nor are they rabbits. They have a very slow reproductive cycle, and this makes them non-viable as a harvestable species. It'd be like building a lumber industry around the giant redwood.

However, hunting continues. The negative impact on whale populations is easy to trace. And the reason for it is just silly. Whale meat is an exceptionally poor seller in all the nations that harvest and market it. Scientific experimentation tells us things we already know - after all, there were no shortages of dead whales to investigate for much of the 19th century. Whales aren't even competitors with or threats to humans.

It's a destructive system that has no real point aside from, as you note, nationalism. I don't know what you consider "emotional propaganda" but I for one don't think people need to be killing animals that have a very low recovery rate for no good reason, do you?

Time to start thinking of sinking whaling ships, I am close friends with the guy here, Frank Future, told him he needs to up the issue and make them realise that we are not happy. Obvoiously the 2 nukes in the 1940's were not enough!

[edit on 10/2/2008 by Mukiwa]

hey guys and gals a link from the "New York Times " with the price of whale meat.

query.nytimes.com...

oh one more thing. i have a Norwegian friend that has family in Norway
he has a senior uncle ( old aged ) that came out here to Australia for a holiday
and me and him were having a conversation about the whale hunting going on in japan, he told me that when whale eating was considered ok by the world
he used to get it served by his mum in evening meal and he told me that after trying Kangaroo meat here in Australia he said whale meat tastes very similar to kangaroo in flavor, colour and texture!