}

Monday, November 19, 2007

Japan's floating butchery

The Japanese whaling fleet set sail for their annual whale slaughter. This isn't new, of course, except this year they plan on ignoring a 40-year ban on slaughtering humpback whales.

No one in the civilised world takes Japan seriously when it claims to be conducting “scientific research” on whales, so why they persist in lying about what they're doing is beyond me. Maybe they're delusional.

This year, there will likely be human death in the waters of Antarctica, too. Greenpeace is pledging to disrupt the whale slaughter, and extremist groups are likely to show up, too, ones not reluctant to use violence. Under international law, New Zealand, as the closest nation to the slaughter, will be required to come to the aid of any stricken vessel. Ironic, isn't it? Japan openly flouts international law on whaling, but New Zealand will obey the rule of law to provide assistance at sea.

Japan is the very definition of hypocrisy when it denies that it's hunting and slaughtering whales. But it's also guilty of nationalistic hubris because apparently the reason they risk the enmity of the entire world is that they feel their culture is being threatened. Yes, and they normally put to sea in traditional whaling craft, don't they?

I am definitely not a supporter of animal rights activists. I'm not a vegetarian or vegan (I'm an omnivore, actually). But you don't have to be any of those things to see that slaughtering whales is just plain wrong, and Japan is lying about what it's doing.

It's time for the nations of the world start placing sanctions on Japan until they start obeying international law. Sadly, I don't expect that to happen. The slaughter will continue and some people will foolishly take violent action against the Japanese whaling fleet. And all over some lies about overblown nationalistic pride.

Related: CBS News - Australia, New Zealand Protest Whale Hunt

5 comments:

d said...

I am horrified by this. =( Why aren't they sanctioned? I don't get it! Stories like this make me think bad thoughts about Japan.

Arthur Schenck said...

Japan has brought this on itself by not ending the whale hunt.

When change happens, it'll be because of Japanese activists within Japan, not because the West is appalled. Even so, it's high time we in the west started applying pressure on Japan through international sanctions and targeted consumer boycotts. If the International community were to target one Japanese icon company, preferably one linked in some way to the whale slaughter, then we could all boycott that company's products and begin to put some pressure on Japan's economy, which just might start to put a crack in the resolve of the Japanese government. But, I don't think that will happen, either.

Mansard said...

Thanks for posting a blog entry in defense of the whales. It's reassuring to see so many other bloggers out there doing what they can to raise awareness about Japan's senseless killing, and to offer a forum for other web surfers to comment on it.

Rest assured, Japanese activists are working to put an end to this senseless killing. Greenpeace Japan has a very active office that focuses on anti-whaling efforts. But it also takes other nations to stand up to Japan at the International Whaling Commission meetings.

I went to Capitol Hill last week dressed as a whale with my Greenpeace co-workers. We were looking for the Japanese Prime Minister to tell him to stop the killing.

If you'd like to learn more about what Greenpeace is doing to save the whales, please visit my Great Whale Trail/Whale Defender page at the link below. Thanks in advance!

http://secure.greenpeace.org/profile.php?usa&p=613124311194300282

Be well,
Capt. Jack Sparrow

Anonymous said...

im doing a project for my school on greenpeace and this helped me get an A!

Arthur Schenck said...

Hey Anon, that's great! Congratulations! I hope you have many more good marks.