Japan, currently hosting the annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission, has threatened to leave the organisation and set up a rival, following the refusal of some countries to talk about commercial whaling by some Japanese communities.
Last year, pro-whaling countries took a small majority of the IWC, but over the past 12 months, Europe has been heavily recruiting anti-whaling countries into the commission forcing the majority, and pro-whaling countries are dissatisfied.
Japan is the world's biggest whaling nation and them leaving the IWC would come as a blow to the organisation. This is not the first time Japan has threatened to exit.
whaling ships should be targeted by war ships and sunk. These bastards catch more wales 'for scientific purpose' now than they ever did for commercial purpose in the past.
- http://www.shortnews.com/... "The abundance is still very low, it's about 2,300 for the whole southern hemisphere so it's a tiny fraction of what it used to be, but it's good news they're increasing."
Indeed Gog, thats a good point. Reminds me of a south park episode about the numbers needing to be thinned so they don't become a danger to themselves. About 2,298 harpoon kills should about do it. With two remaining they'll be able to repopulate the earth again in no time and money in the bank!
What!?! did you expect we should slow down and let the worlds economy go extinct instead? You ppl have your priorities completely out of wack!
waters, or international waters, and kill species other countries have marked as protected. Maybe its time countries stod up and actually protected the species they mark as protected?
you do realize that there is more than just one species of whale right? a blue whale increase does not mean every whale species is increasing.
also, whaling should be banned because it affects the entire world, just as pollution and deforestation. other countries do have the right to demand japan stop whaling since we rely on the same ecosystem. this is not a domestic issue by any stretch of your twisted logic.
I am aware theres more than one species of whale, I hadnt planned to comment, I just noticed that two articles below was a story about booming whale populations.
As for the "right", I think you'll find you dont. You may want it, but you dont have it. Theres nothing legal (to my knowledge) that stops Brazil cutting down its rain forest. I admit my knowledge of marine ecology is sparse at best, but how exactly does whale hunting harm it?
as the whaling populations are okay, there is no reason to pretend they are Bambi. Now, if the whaling populations aren't okay, then naturally it is unsatifactory to kill them.
By your same logic, then it would be ok for the same Brasillian govt to just nuke themselves because it doesnt affect the world...got news for you, it does.
You'd have raditation spreading around the globe and more.
The point people here are ultimately trying to make is, the world is a giant web. You make even the tinnest vibration on the tip of the web, and it spreads out getting larger and larger, felt by the rest of the web.
You f*Ck with the ecosystem, in turn you get f*cked and you f*Ck everyone else in the process.
People aren't a tiny little island where they can do what they want...people have individual rights as humans, but when 1 or more people do something that has a massive impact on anyone else, that right should immediately be revoked because its being abused...
Look, does Landers need a better reason to call for imposition of sanctions?
Whales=Sanctions WMD=Sanctions Any excuse=Sanctions [and you know why]
Let's not use misleading association games with Nuclear Waste. The Europe 'GIVES' the Far East nulear waste, so it can be disposed of in their mines for a sizable sum of cash.
Although i don't hate whale (Or any other form of life) i do believe that the japanese have the right to complain about this. Would YOU like someone that has no interest in your people telling what you can and cannot hunt?
Someone further up in the thread mentioned something about the deforestation for the rain forest, good point. However, until i see just as many countries rallying to stop said deforesting, they're not really justified in telling japan what it can and cannot do.
Dunno what they see in Whales, but Pigs are just as intelligent, and I'd happily eat bacon any time. The problem is that whales numbers are still low. They should really stop whaling or at least commit more into Farming the critters.
But I don't see Mr. F*ck-Kyoto-Treaty getting on his high horse anytime soon. And let's be clear - Landers does not speak for the US govt, or even the average guy.
problem is they dont only hunt in international water and the whales dont know the boundries alot of the time they have to come into Australian waters to refuel and we have an eco tourism industry that watches the whales. there is a particular whale name 'Migaloo' which has been followed around australia on his yearly migration serveral years in a row. (he is easily identifiable due to the fact he is albino and survived to adulthood)
