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Old 2018-12-26, 11:21   Link #1
SeijiSensei
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Join Date: Nov 2006
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Japan to resume commercial whaling in 2019

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/26/w...ithdrawal.html

#boycottjapan has already become an active meme on Twitter.

I think this is a horrid decision by the Japanese. Whether I stop watching anime as a result is a more difficult question. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that a majority of the people in the anime industry object to this decision as well.

What makes this decision especially unpalatable is its purely nationalist rationale. The commercial Japanese market for whale meat has plummeted.

Quote:
Whale meat was once popular in Japan but is far less so now. Japanese people ate more than 233,000 tons of whale meat per year in 1962, but just 3,000 tons in 2016, according to government data. As of 2013, the industry employed fewer than 1,000 people, and in recent years it has been dependent on government subsidies.

Still, defending the industry carries a nationalist appeal, with international criticism of whaling sometimes seen as an imposition of Western values.
Between 1962 and 2016, the Japanese population increased from 95 million to 128 million.

Wonder if this will have any effect on the 2020 Olympics.
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Old 2018-12-26, 11:50   Link #2
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I had a feeling this would happen eventually given how Shinzo Abe's platform is getting more and more nationalist
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Old 2018-12-27, 18:45   Link #3
Vallen Chaos Valiant
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Is there any reason why whaling is wrong? Sure, keep population sustainable is important, but why is it that Japan is the political focus of whaling but not Norway or Iceland?

I don't understand what is so special about whales. They are giant animals. Is it because they are pretty?

By all means, set hunting quotas. But trying to ban it for any moral season is silly. Take care of the animal population and prevent over-hunting by all means, but when you get to "there shouldn't be any whaling at all". you lost me.

And the fact that Japan get all the focus by the Western media, is most bizarre. When ever Norway or Icesland get brought up in the news, no one ever mention "oh by the way, they hunt whales". But that seem to happen with Japan. i can't help but see the similarity with the insane defamation about Chinese (fictitiously) eating cats, something i get asked about in my childhood by fellow students.
At this point it sounds like an attack on Asia more than about protecting whales.
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Old 2018-12-27, 20:12   Link #4
Xellos-_^
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vallen Chaos Valiant View Post
Is there any reason why whaling is wrong? Sure, keep population sustainable is important, but why is it that Japan is the political focus of whaling but not Norway or Iceland?

I don't understand what is so special about whales. They are giant animals. Is it because they are pretty?

By all means, set hunting quotas. But trying to ban it for any moral season is silly. Take care of the animal population and prevent over-hunting by all means, but when you get to "there shouldn't be any whaling at all". you lost me.

And the fact that Japan get all the focus by the Western media, is most bizarre. When ever Norway or Icesland get brought up in the news, no one ever mention "oh by the way, they hunt whales". But that seem to happen with Japan. i can't help but see the similarity with the insane defamation about Chinese (fictitiously) eating cats, something i get asked about in my childhood by fellow students.
At this point it sounds like an attack on Asia more than about protecting whales.
Not sure about Norway or iceland but Whaling in japan is pretty much all politics. Whale meat consummation is pretty much dead in japan. The whaling industry would be dead without support form the government. The government supports the whaling industry because of votes supplied by MP who are supported by the whaling industry.

Japan is not whaling because it needs the food or because the people likes to eat whales. Japan is whaling because of greed and politics.
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Old 2018-12-27, 22:37   Link #5
Toukairin
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Vallen is right though. People have a problem with Japan for some reason while Norway and Iceland still hunt whales in a more blatant manner than Japan does. Norway's industry is also subsidized by the government. It appears Japan doesn't buy some Norwegian whale meat because it is contaminated.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wikipedia
Consumption
Whale meat captured in Norway is exported to Japan, fed to animals, or eaten by humans. In 2014, 113 metric tonnes, equivalent to about 75 whales, were sold to make animal feed for the fur industry. A total of 736 whales were captured in 2014. Whale meat is also used for pet food in Norway. Under 5% of Norwegians eat whale meat. Japan takes exports, though it has rejected some because of contamination with aldrin, dieldrin, and chlordane.

Subsidies
The Norwegian government pays subsidies equal to about half the value of whales caught. Subsidies include fuel tax exemptions, and payments to subsidize pet consumption.
Iceland actually has commercial whaling activity fully on. I'm waiting to see hell unleashed against them, but it seems it's always easier to pick on a bigger country rather than punching on poor little Iceland although the latter is actually doing worse.

Some people may not agree with my opinion, but I also smell big time hypocrisy in the air. As for those who use the #BoycottJapan as a thing on Twitter, thay can stick it up where the sun doesn't shine because they don't even know all the facts.

Last edited by Toukairin; 2018-12-28 at 05:19.
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Old 2018-12-28, 01:16   Link #6
Ithekro
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No one pays attention to the North Atlantic anymore. It all about the Pacific.
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Old 2018-12-28, 07:22   Link #7
felix
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SeijiSensei View Post
I think this is a horrid decision by the Japanese. Whether I stop watching anime as a result is a more difficult question. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that a majority of the people in the anime industry object to this decision as well.
This is like associating everything american with Trump. No need to boycott the little guys who have nothing to do with it, unless it's some pro-whaling anime.

But by all means boycott everything related to the government affairs. I guess Olympics would be one of them.
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Old 2018-12-28, 12:06   Link #8
Xellos-_^
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Quote:
Originally Posted by felix View Post
This is like associating everything american with Trump. No need to boycott the little guys who have nothing to do with it, unless it's some pro-whaling anime.

But by all means boycott everything related to the government affairs. I guess Olympics would be one of them.
that would be Death March. The MC claims (at least in WN) that whales taste great.
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Old 2018-12-28, 14:08   Link #9
Kakurin
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As usual it's a case of the public setting the fire before actually considering the circumstances. Japan exiting the IWC and announcing return to commercial whaling in Japan's own territorial waters means an end to Japan's whaling activities in other areas of the world, such as the Antarctic.

As long as Japan doesn't expand whaling activities it would be a case of much ado about nothing.
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Old 2018-12-28, 16:55   Link #10
Toukairin
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kakurin View Post
As usual it's a case of the public setting the fire before actually considering the circumstances. Japan exiting the IWC and announcing return to commercial whaling in Japan's own territorial waters means an end to Japan's whaling activities in other areas of the world, such as the Antarctic.

As long as Japan doesn't expand whaling activities it would be a case of much ado about nothing.
Pretty much. What the Japanese do in their own territorial waters is none of our business as long as it doesn't create problems elsewhere like Antarctica. Besides, the regulations in Japan about whale hunting are still in place and work well to prevent a free-for-all.

Last edited by Toukairin; 2018-12-28 at 17:14.
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Old 2018-12-29, 04:59   Link #11
dniv
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Toukairin View Post
Pretty much. What the Japanese do in their own territorial waters is none of our business as long as it doesn't create problems elsewhere like Antarctica. Besides, the regulations in Japan about whale hunting are still in place and work well to prevent a free-for-all.
I agree. The overall reaction to this is ridiculous. Their politics are pretty much their own business especially when this is just a power move by both parties. Sure Japanese nationalism is bad, but that doesn't take away from all the good things they do. People aren't black and white. Suddenly hunting whales doesn't make them evil demons not worth appreciating, lol.

I love cats and dogs and even if some Chinese do eat cats and dogs, does that make them horrible people? No. It's a cultural thing. You work/live around it. People get worked up over the stupidest things.
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Old 2018-12-29, 21:27   Link #12
Eisdrache
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That's a strange analogy. You argue that Japanese nationalism is bad but whale hunting is not, yet Japan is hunting whales purely for nationalistic purposes. Furthermore the culture excuse is nonsensical as well. Using your example, it's not necessary to dislike the entirety of China, especially given that most of them don't consume cats or dogs. But disliking the ones that do is completely reasonable. It is perhaps not possible to change certain customs but by no means does it follow that you have to accept them.
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