Table of Contents
Why is whaling not banned in Japan?
Whales were brought to the brink of extinction by hunting in the 19th and early 20th Century. By the 1960s, more efficient catch methods and giant factory ships made it obvious that whale hunting could not go unchecked. So in 1986, all IWC members agreed to a hunting moratorium to allow whale numbers to recover.
Why is Japan still allowed to hunt whales?
The country had signed up to the International Whaling Commission (IWC) following a decades of overfishing which had pushed whale populations to the brink of extinction. In July 2019, the whaling boats set off once more, despite demand for the meat having dropped.
Do Japanese hate whales?
Very few Japanese condone the killing of whales and dolphins. It is indeed part of Japanese culture, as it was for many countries. After the war, when people were starving, whale meat was an important source of protein. But those days are long gone.
Do Japanese people still eat dolphins?
Most Japanese have never eaten dolphin meat, although elderly people are likely to have eaten whale. Dolphins are also eaten in eastern Shizuoka Prefecture, although no local fishermen reportedly catch dolphins these days.
Why is whaling illegal in Japan?
In 1964, Japan killed more than 24,000 whales, and most of them were enormous fin whales and sperm whales. Japan’s unquenchable thirst for whale meat continued to kill fin whales, sperm whales, minke whales, and more. So, on March 31, 2014, the UN Court of Justice declared Japan’s Antarctic whaling program illegal.
Why is Japan returning to whale hunting?
Whale meat isn’t popular in Japan, so why is Japan reviving an old tradition? Japan’s return to whale hunting is backed by both tradition, and a desire to revive a post-war market of selling and exporting whale meat. Japan has been hunting whales since the Jomon Period.
Why do older Japanese eat whale meat?
Small-scale whaling is traditional in some parts of Japan, but whale meat was only ever popular in the postwar period. So for older Japanese, “this is like nostalgia food,” says Katarzyna Cwiertka, a Japanese studies professor and author of Modern Japanese Cuisine: Food, Power and National Identity.
Does Japan kill whales for ‘scientific research’?
“We do not accept in any way, shape or form the concept of killing whales for so-called ‘scientific research,’” thundered Australian Environment Minister Greg Hunt. “Japan makes no secret of the fact that the meat resulting from its so-called scientific whaling programme ends up on the plate,” the BBC reports.