Thread: News Stories
View Single Post
Old 2009-06-21, 17:50   Link #3050
Shadow Kira01
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: PMB Headquarters
Japan whaling town gets season's first catch

Quote:
Japan's government argues that international bans on commercial whaling violates its cultural traditions.

Whale was widely eaten in Japan until the 1970s as a cheaper alternative to other meats. It is no longer a common food in the country, although meat from the hunt is sold in Japanese supermarkets and upscale restaurants.

"Whale meat has been part of our traditional diet, and it was a great cultural experience," said Hitoshi Watanabe, 50, an office worker who came to watch the Wada whale ceremony. "It was also good learn that we live at the sacrifice of precious lives of other animals."

Whaling at Wada dates back to 1612, town officials say. The town is one of Japan's several traditional whaling hubs.

Militant environmentalists have clashed with Japan's whaling fleet in recent years to obstruct its whale hunt. Earlier this year, activists from the U.S. group Sea Shepherd Conservation Society had violent confrontations with Japanese ships in the Antarctic.

Australia and New Zealand last week announced a plan to send a non-lethal research expedition to the Antarctic early next year to eventually seek a new IWC ban on killing whales for scientific study. The international whaling body holds its annual plenary sessions June 22-26 in Madeira, Portugal.

In the latest Japanese hunt that ended in April, its fleet killed 679 minke whales and one fin whale over five months, below its stated goals of up to 935 minke whales and 50 fin whales.
Only one fin whale..

What a compromise...
Shadow Kira01 is offline