Fuss over Japanese whalers defies comprehension
BY RICHARD LONG
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OPINION: You have to admire the gall of the anti-whaling zealots of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. They fling their boats about in the wild waters of the Southern Ocean, endangering themselves and the whalers.
When one of their boats gets rammed and sinks as a result of their confrontations they cry piracy and claim attempted murder. All the while they paint a picture of what they claim to be unlawful actions by evil Japanese whalers threatening ''endangered whales''.
All this is wildly emotional. For a start the so-called ''endangered'' whales are largely the proliferating minke (760,000 in Antarctic waters alone at the last official estimate).
This whaling is not illegal under the international agreements, although the harvesting for scientific purposes argument (article 8 of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling) is decidedly thin.
Overlooked in all this is the point that the Japanese are by no means the world's only whalers, or even the biggest. The big harpooners are the Canadians and the Danes. Norway, Iceland, Russia, China, Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia and some Caribbean nations are whalers as well. The Americans whale off Alaska.
At least one former Japanese diplomat has gone on the record to criticise their whaling programme as economically irrelevant (it accounts for only 0.0014 per cent of the Japanese economy) while damaging Japan's image in the English-speaking world. But the average Japanese is bemused by the Western furore.
The fuss is incomprehensible and smacks of hypocrisy.
New Zealanders eat Bambi and lambs while protesting at the same time about the harvesting of whale species which in some cases are nearing pest levels.
Then there is the longstanding Japanese desire for some degree of self-sufficiency in food stocks. This has been part of the Japanese psyche since before the war, and was given new impetus by the 9/11 terrorism attacks in New York. When Washington reacted initially with clamps on exports and imports, Japan was reduced to 21 days' food supply, according to an expert.
Nearly a decade ago a Japanese bureaucrat, irritated by the antiwhaling protests, described minke whales as ''cockroaches of the sea'', an inflammatory comment that Tokyo tries to avoid these days. That sparked a similar outburst from a Maori fisheries spokesman that proliferating seals on our coasts were ''rats of the sea''.
At issue is the belief of many involved in whaling and fishing that unfettered proliferation of whales and seals will ultimately greatly restrict fish supplies - and price fish off the tables for many families.
Prime Minister John Key has signalled an initiative to try to avoid the dangerous whaling confrontations in the Southern Ocean and is keen to enlist US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's support to persuade Japan and other International Whaling Commission members.
Among the options is for Japan to significantly reduce its catch in the Antarctic in exchange for an increased quota in its own waters and the western North Pacific. Sir Geoffrey Palmer, New Zealand's representative on the commission, is expected to discuss this and other options at its meeting in Honolulu at the end of the month.
Mr Key and Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully have notably toned down the anti-Japanese rhetoric of the Labour government's conservation minister Chris Carter, so improving the dialogue with our third largest trading partner. On the other hand the Australian Government, trapped by its preelection promises and overt support for the anti-whalers, is on a collision course with Tokyo. In a rather serious escalation, Tokyo is reported last week to have told Canberra that its approach could overflow into other aspects of the relationship, such as a free trade agreement.
In this respect the Sea Shepherd protests, while great for their organisation's profile and fundraising, have had the perverse effect of hardening views in Japan.
The confrontational approach is seen as placing Japanese whalers in danger. There is nothing like foreigners attempting to push Japan around to rouse national patriotism.
Mr Key and Mr McCully will be hoping that the Sea Shepherd antics will not increase Japanese intransigence at a time when there are hopeful signs that they could otherwise go along with a whaling move from the Antarctic to their own waters.
- © Fairfax NZ News
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Nice 2 see some one with the BALLS in the media to defend whaling. They are no different than any other animal on this planet, it makes sence to sustainably use this reasource. Just because they were over harvested in the past dosent mean they need protecting for ever. As the human population keeps growing were are going to have to make use use off all reasources available to us. If the green anti whalers want to do some thing for the planet it would be better to reduce the human population a little and vacate the plant and leave the mangement of the plant to those using they grey matter not emotions.
So if the the whalers are doing good for whale. Then why don't they let us on the boat. And check out what they are doing inside. And what they are doing with the meat and or whales they kill. Just let us on your boat. With are cam. and see whats going. A
Seriously. Flaunting "scientific purposes" is funny, if not downright hilarious. I'm currently doing scientific studies on Fern Growth in the Pacific Northwest as part of my Thesis on Botanical Pathology. And I have never "sold" any of my "research" subjects on the open market. The Japanese are simply using the loophole to sustain their market for whale meat. I applaud the SSCS for their efforts, and if I wasn't a landlubber, I'd be right out there with them, throwing anything I could get my hands on.
(And to the moron referencing a "whale burger....you are a moron, lol. Whale meat is too fatty to hold the patty shape, moron.)
This is not journalism...not even in the slightest.Richard Long,have you seen the videos of the Ady Gil getting rammed?? Your article reads like something from the Tokyo Sun.It is nothing but a fuel for the Japanese Whaling Propoganda machine.As a Kiwi,you should be disgusted in yourself!!!You even post the same argument about cows,that the Japanese use in their defence!!!Except man breed and feed cows.Whales have to do it all themselves,all we do is slaughter them!!. I hope that the Japs paid you well for this article Judas. Readers please note that this article contains all the same propoganda BS that the Whaling company itself publish.IT IS DEFINATELY NOT THE AUTHORS OWN WORDS.Shame on you Richard Long!.
The Sea Shepherds have proven time and again they will say or do anything to justify their actions. Paul Watson and probably a few others are taking advantage of a few well meaning idiots that buy into his lies. Im sure he himself knows that what he is doing is wrong but why would he stop when he is getting money and publicity. Anyone with common sense can watch one episode of Whale Wars and see that with their lies and double standards the Sea Shepherds are doing more harm than good. If fact, they are doing no good at all.
To Kari #19's following comment: "They actually are breakingt he United Nations Law of the Sea AND the IWC. First of all, by being in the IWC they have to follow directions and recommendations laid down by the IWC. The IWC have continuously objected to the Japanese "scientific research" saying that non-lethal methods should be used as there is no need for the lethal methods."
Japan isn't breaking any law. The recommendations adopted by the IWC against "lethal research" are non-binding texts voted at a simple majority. They don't alter the right of any signatory country of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling to catch whales for research purposes (article 8) notwithstanding any conservation measures within the Convention such as the Southern Ocean whale sanctuary.
Japan provides the data collected through its research programmes to the IWC scientific committee. It is therefore cooperating with international organizations in the conservation, study and management of marine mammals, and thus fulfilling its duty under the UNCLOS.
Japan has also been providing ships and crews for the IWC's scientific programs IDCR and SOWER for many years. Not so many countries have cooperated with the IWC as much as Japan on the management and conservation of whales. It took more than 20 years to Australia to finally start a so-called "non-lethal" research program.
To anti-hypocrisy: In response to the following statement you made: "The Japanese aren't "trespassing" in the Southern Ocean. They have every right to be there under the terms of the UN Law of the Sea and the international whaling convention. As has been the case for decades. "
They actually are breakingt he United Nations Law of the Sea AND the IWC. First of all, by being in the IWC they have to follow directions and recommendations laid down by the IWC. The IWC have continuously objected to the Japanese "scientific research" saying that non-lethal methods should be used as there is no need for the lethal methods. Secondly, Article 65 of UNCLOS says that states must cooperate with international organisations in the conservation, study and management of marine mammals. The IWC is this international organisation and whether or not Japan is a member of the IWC, they still have to cooperate with them in accordance with UNCLOS. IWC set the southern ocean as a sanctuary, by whaling in there they are not working in cooperation with the IWC and are therefore breaking the UNCLOS.
As you accurately stated; most of the whalers are in the northern hemisphere, which would explain why there's only 100,000 whales there.
You also seemed to infer they were 'flinging' their boats at the time of impact when they had been stationary for around 2 mins.
Remember: All it takes for evil to triumph in the world is for good men to do nothing.
I don't appreciate your right wing tones, report the truth no matter how it occured, let people make their own minds up.
This so called writer should retire. It lacks all credibility. Not even worth getting upset about. I'm no writer, but I can give you a tip - check at least a few facts before spinning your yarn, it makes it more fun for the reader.
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Why don't we organise a boycott of Japanese products such as Toyota Panasonic etc, we could recommend that people buy alternative Korean or European brands instead of supporting Japanese company's who support this whaling practise This could be escalated to bring pressure on the Japanese Govt with regard to Pete Bethune if we stopped buying Toyota's and instead bought Hyundai Kia and with electronic's stop buying Panasonic Sony Pioneer etc in favour of LG, Samsung.