Outrage over Japan's plan to slaughter humpback whales

Oh, I know why they are killed.


Mind you...they have been here a damned long time! How long does something live here before it is considered "native"? There IS discussion re protecting the dingo. Da bunny, of course, is a serious pest.

And I want to protect all whales.


But...I still think the Japanese point of view as presented in the You Tube thing has some merit.

Maybe deb, But the Japanese PR movie is just that. They want to be able to mount some moral high ground and have put their talents to work. Propoganda is the most convincing sport.

Killing Humpbacks is incredibly wrong. Killing Minkes , just because theres apparently a lot left is just a function of the fact that they were never a big market species to begin with.

Yes indeed to the humpbacks. (And, in my heart, to all whales!!!!)


The film spoke about the minkes, of course, not the humpbacks.


That's what propaganda is, of course.

I was very interested in the nature of the "debate" on YouTube that was prompted by the video. (Had a bit of trouble seeing the whole video, due to my usual dial-up problems ). There was quite a bit of unpleasant racial nastiness from both the Australian & Japanese participants. Not particularly helpful to either the pro or con whaling case. It seemed that this has been going on for some time between particular participants. And the video appeared to me to have been a manifestation of this ongoing "debate".

I guess you could "argue" just about any case, if you selectively use information. I could just as easily find extreme examples of animal cruelty in just about any country on the planet, if I looked hard enough. Actually, I don't think looking hard would be necessary. I certainly don't condone or excuse cruelty to animals in Australia, whether they be native, an introduced "pest" species or those farmed for domestic consumption. Of course, the suggestion that Australians, overall, approve of the sort of treatment of dingoes & kangaroos shown in the video is offensive ... but then, the aim of the video was to offend Australians & suggest that they are hypocrites. And divert the debate on whaling into something else.

What I found completely unconvincing about the video (from what I saw of it & from information in the media) was the suggestion that somehow Australian xenophobia (the Cronulla riots, the white Australia Policy, etc) somehow drives the opposition to whaling in Australia. That Australian racism is the reason for opposition to the whaling activities of the Japanese. I could just as easily argue (with equally ugly, selective "evidence") that the Japanese, as a nation are cruel & insensitive, on the basis of the "evidence" of the treatment of "comfort women" during & after WW2, or on the basis of the experience of Australian prisoners at Changi prison camp, etc, etc, etc .... and that this is a major reason why Japanese whaling companies continue to hunting whales & stockpile their flesh (which there is not sufficient market demand for) under the guise of "scientific research". Which, of course is patently absurd. And racist. But a case could be put just as easily & as crudely as the one in the video we've been talking about.
From what I've observed, this not primarily a debate about "cultural differences" it's a debate between conservationists and industrial whaling interests (profit). I have not seen one attack on the Japanese people as a race in this debate by any responsible commentator or group. And if there was such an approach taken by any credible anti-whaling proponents, in Australia or elsewhere, there would be an outraged response to it, I'm certain. We shouldn't be side-tracked by crude propaganda, from either side, we should attempt to stick to the main issues.

You'd want to protect bunnies during a rabbit population explosion.

msolga, pro whalers will do whatever it takes to discredit anyone or nation that stands in their way. I suspect there will be more of the same, especially with the threat of international lawsuits against Japan looming on the horizon.


Fantastic news! A federal court in California has just imposed
the strongest-ever protections for whales against an onslaught
of military sonar.

The new controls are the result of an NRDC lawsuit that demanded
the Navy rein in its deadly sonar before beginning two years of
maneuvers near the Channel Islands -- one of the world's most
sensitive environments and home to five endangered species of
whales.

The Navy itself estimates that the booming sonar would harass or
harm marine mammals some 170,000 times -- and cause permanent
injury in more than 400 cases.

U.S. District Judge Florence-Marie Cooper said the Navy's
existing plan for protecting marine mammals was "grossly
inadequate." And she has ordered the Navy to put a series of
precautionary measures in place -- many of them recommended by
NRDC -- that will go a long way toward protecting whales from
needless injury and death.

For starters, the Navy will not be permitted to use its
dangerous mid-frequency sonar within 12 miles of the California
coast, a zone that is heavily used by migrating whales and
dolphins. Sonar will also be banned in the Catalina Basin, an
underwater canyon with a high density of whales.

The Navy will also have to monitor for marine mammals -- from
the ship and from the air -- both before and during its sonar
exercises. If any marine mammals are spotted within 2200 yards
of the ship, the Navy will have to shut down its sonar.

These safeguards represent a giant leap forward in our
decade-long campaign to make sure that whales don't have to die
for the sake of military practice.

Needless to say, this fight is far from over and many more court
battles lay ahead.

But case by case, we are accomplishing what many thought
impossible: forcing the Navy to obey our environmental laws and
stop its needless killing of whales -- and all without
compromising military readiness. as if...

Yes, let's put one of our most strategic military ports at risk because we might cause a whale to go deaf.

What, are you retarded?

The fact the west coast judicial system was lost to communism long ago nonwithstanding...

Cut the insults, please, cjhsa.
Rude & absolutely unnecessary.

Apparently comprehension isn't your strongsuit, cj...

But case by case, we are accomplishing what many thought
impossible: forcing the Navy to obey our environmental laws and
stop its needless killing of whales -- AND ALL WITHOUT COMPROMISING MILITARY READINESS

Hi Stradee

I wasn't able to give my full concentration to your post this morning because I was (absolutely!) distracted by my plumber & the work he was doing outside at the same time I was attempting to read.

But now that I have had a chance to have a proper read: That is an absolutely amazing victory! I am mightily impressed! My mind boggles, contemplating the amount of work by good people, that went into presenting the case for whale safety. Bless them!

Bravo!

Kill the dirty Japs,I say. Bend em over and fire dem harpoons up their doity yella poo holes

Tigershark

I think (if you are serious, which I doubt) you should take a long cold shower.

Deadly serious, they are nasty people.

I acknowledge the debt we owe to Admiral Halsey and the Marines for saving my country from the 'yellow peril'.

Lest we forget.

I think you might be a little confused, Tigershark, this is a thread about the issue of whale conservation.

I'm sure you do have reason to be grateful to Admiral Halsey and the Marines, but perhaps you'd like to create a new thread to do this? I'm sure Admiral Halsey and the Marines would really appreciate that!

Have you seen a whale up close? I have, many times. I have absolutely NO respect for anyone who slaughters these beautiful creatures.

Yes, I have & I agree with you, Tigershark. Especially when the sole motive for the killing is profit.

I'm off diving this weekend with migratory Orcas.

Will also get up close with blue and mako sharks. They have plenty of tuna to eat at this time of year, so won't find me appetising.

Really? (about your diving trip)

If this is true, well enjoy & good luck! (in regard to the sharks) You wouldn't want to be some shark's dinner. Take care.

Yes, it is true. I live on the east coast of New Zealand and Orcas are commonplace here in January. Have seen pods the last 3 evenings.

Sharks have a bad press, they are there but are only dangerous if they are hungry.

Yes, I have seen much written in the defense of sharks, Tigershark. Maybe we humans need to understand their behaviour better & act accordingly?
Seems pretty sensible to me.