To eat or not to eat, is the question. Japan has been whaling for thousands of years since the first people began to live on the island. It has and is a major source of food and protein in their diet much like lamb and beef is a part of western food and diet. So why has Japan been singled out and been condemned on the international stage for a practice that is embedded in their history and culture, and what is widely accepted and a proven source of food in their daily life as part of their diet. Because some nations disagree with the killing and eating of whales, they think every other nation should follow suit and fall in line with their beliefs. Three words come to mind, racism, discrimination and hypocrisy because they feel this is wrong but happily harvest, mistreat and abuse with drugs for hormone growth and then slaughter for not only food but also exporting for monetary gain. NZ is pro whaling and getting rich off the industry, the fact is we own part of the Japanese ships that are used for whaling and therefore consent to whaling in the pacific. Or are we carrying out scientific research (LOL).
The fact is Japan has undergone years of intense research and study of whales to prove that whale stocks can be harvested and kept at sustainable levels, this is also indorsed by One of Australia’s leading scientist and director of South Australian Museum, and he says the Japanese are right for whaling. The drop in numbers is actually caused by global warming, pollution, ozone depletion to name a few, in which we all contribute too. So it’s very hypocritical and racial for us to single out the Japanese as a group of unique people and judge them for acts that we whether it be direct or indirect take part in.
The fact is they may be the leading nation in Whaling but they are also the leading nation and I would say the only nation who has conducted and invested not only the years and time but also the huge amounts of money it would cost for the running of the ships, wages, fuel just to name a few areas of cost of conducting extensive and thorough research into the life and habits, whale stocks, and study on the future of whales and whaling. They are unequalled by any other nation for their investment into scientific research. Do not forget, they do not make profit or run their national economy like other nations do with beef, pork and chicken out of exporting whale meat around the world, ask yourself when was the last time you saw whale meat in the supermarket here in NZ or any other country, and do not be fooled into thinking they just sell the meat in their own supermarkets because it is like finding a needle in a haystack. Of course some people believe they just take the meat and throw away the majority of the whale, again this is a misconception and nothing but lies that the media and independent groups like the sea Sheppard who are simply a terrorist cell sailing the high seas would have us believe. The fact is the Japanese highly respect the sacrifice of the whales and go to such lengths as to honour that sacrifice by using even the whales moustache whiskers as strings on one of their most ancient and cultural instruments called the kodo. Before you think about how sad you might think that is, and how you would never do such a thing, you are also showing your approvel by wearing perfume that contains whale oil.
In 1994 there was a public opinion survey done between six nations on the views of pro and anti whaling attitudes. We can see from the survey that culture and research are behind the motives of the voting. It is interesting to note,(click on table 12) the difference of opinion on the consumption of animals and what is considered to be acceptable between the different cultures. Clearly this is hypocritical view from some nations and base their ideas on what they think are cute.
You may think whaling is inhumane and disagree with the slaughter of whales, but really it’s no different to what happens on our own backyard and that nice big juicy steak on your plate.
CONCLUSION
Don’t have a cow, man - Eat whale!
Facebook Badge
11 comments:
*Sigh* Way to throw a spanner in the works of common opinion. Oh well. Here comes my five cents.
1 - It might be part of their culture, but eating horses and smoking weed is part of mine, and do you see this country legalising wacky-backy and putting horsemeat on supermarket shelves? Hell to N-O.
2 - Whales can't be breed for consumption the way beef and other livestock can, and at some point, they are going to run out.
3 - They're whales. They play a huge part in various eco-systems, and modern science still hasn't puzzled out parts of their world, so if they get hunted to extinction, a whole pack of enraged marine biologists are going to come down like a ton of flaming bricks on those responsible.
4 - Modern whaling practices are by no means humane. At least cows get stunned before they're killed - whale get shot in the butt with a gigantic hook and dragged for miles before being hauled onto the deck and butchered. Yay fun. Not.
Okay, I'm done. Just had to get it out of my system.
Hi Bushi
You’ve chosen a good topic for discussion as, from what I gather, views are polarized on the subject.
On a personal level, I could not imagine myself eating whale – but I am a bit non-adventurous in the food department and it just doesn’t appeal.
I think the reason the two camps are so divided on this, must be because of the sheer magnitude and beauty of whales. TV documentaries have shown the slaughter of whales, which is distressing to watch and therefore engages viewer pathos with the anti-whaling cause. Also, the whale hunting that has occurred for the past two centuries has apparently dramatically reduced the whale population, and there are sustainability issues. From what I understand, Japan justifies the culling saying it does so for scientific purposes. The International Whaling Commission appears to be taking measures to manage the dispute.
try to put a link or two. For instance drugs for hormone growth or is that hormone drugs for growth
anyhow keep up the good work
Good topic.
From what I have heard on the subject it is not a matter of Japan whaling for food itself that is the problem, it is more of the Japanese trying to pass off the killing of whales for food when they are supposedly using them for scientific research (or just chucking them away after they get the bits they need - that stuff for perfumes that starts with a?)
As stranger has said:
"2 - Whales can't be breed for consumption the way beef and other livestock can, and at some point, they are going to run out."
This is a pretty huge factor in my mind for the anti whaling thing (even though I don't really care either way - I wouldn't mind trying whale)
Hello nick:-)
hehe continuing on from our discussion, i will also add my five cents in.
But first, i would like to acknowledge you, and your courage for blogging about such a controversial topic.Smart move, your blog is going to be inundated with comments.
Anyway..
I agrree with you about how most western countries eat cows and pigs and all that because it is a part of their 'culture'..and as you say, eating whale is a part of the Japanese 'culture'. i do not discriminate against that, because at the end of the day we are at the top of the food chain and we need to eat to survive.
However, i totally do not agree in the way in which the japanese are going about it. I mean come on, slaughtering over a hundred whales for 'scientific purposes' ha, i think everyone can totally see through their plans. If the japanese wish to eat whale, then fair enough that is their perrogative. But, instead of killing off nearly the entire whale population, how about farming whales(humanely might i add) and eating those..Leaving the rest of the worlds whales alone!
Anyway, look forward to ur rebuttle.
i will be back:-p
I am a vegan, so I'm siding with the whales. :)
I'm also part maori and I must say where have all the Moa gone?
You should look up the Sea Shepherd anti-whaling boat and see the lengths they have gone to for the life of a whale.
I disagree with what you are saying, but I am eager to read your developments.
Good luck with the research.
I wouldn't really know what way to go about this.
It's definitely shitty that it is a cause of the rapid decline of whales, being a fan of the good ol' Animal Planet.
But on the other hand..
Actually now that I think about it, I don't really agree at all.
I'm sure they could figure out various ways to farm them, just like cattle, if they were so keen to eat them. Like renabrab said, the sheer magnitude and beauty of whales is a real key factor in the protection put up against them.
Hey Bushi
I am of a divided opinion on this topic myself, i can definitely see the point you made that a whale is essentially food and thus it is not that different from cows etc. I think that people are more sympathetic when it comes to whaling, this is because to most westerners whales are not considered something that you would or eat, this sort of reminds me of sealing no one ones to kill seal cause there "cute".
Just in response to what others have said.
"2 - Whales can't be breed for consumption the way beef and other livestock can, and at some point, they are going to run out."
While no ones is doing it yet I am sure there is a plausible way to do so, just because no one has done it yet does not meant it cant be!
Still generally speaking I am opposed to whaling, mainly for reasons stated already by others.
wowwwww there are real discussions going here:))
Good to see all your comments.
Just to response to melissa's comment i am totally agree with Melissa.
If eating whale is just for food fair enough but using them in "scientific purpose" well...
I neer would agree with that..
annihilating whale population is not nice to me.
COMMENTS
RESPONCE TO COMMENTS
Hey Guys
Thank you for reading my blog, maybe when you did read it wasn't finish so I just wanted to again highlight some important points.
we cannot say because they are cute or majestic in size and beautiful that we should not eat them, That is total discrimination against other cultures like the Japanese and Norwegians who have been eating whale for centuries as a part of their local food source. And what about the Hindus who hold cows as a sacred thing yet we eat them daily. The population of Hindus far out way our population so we would be the minority.
Monkeys are very cute and very intelligent yet we torture them and have done for decades in the name of science in an inhumane way with all our test.
The fact is we are mislead on all fronts, The whale numbers are growing and can be harvested at sustainable levels we are just too naive to believe everything we hear on the news.
QUOTE
Whales consume as much as six times the volume of fish that humans catch. Whales are eating a disproportionate amount of our marine resources. Because whales are currently protected and may not be harvested, their numbers are increasing, and they are eating larger and larger amounts of fish, leaving many fewer fish for fishermen to take. This is an important reason for the decline of many fisheries resources around the world.
The study claims the recovering humpback population in the Southern Ocean could also be hurting the minkes because of "interference" between the two species as they compete for food.
Even the Maori people of Aotearoa hunted whales for their bone to use for their carvings, do you think they past up the opportunity for a feed?
How will Miss world ever achieve world peace when we are all so divided as to what to eat for lunch.
please click on the hyperlink that says chart 12 and then check out table 12
Post a Comment