Posts Tagged ‘Japan’
Japan’s government agrees to more funding for whale hunts
Japan’s Diet (parliament) has passed a law to help support commercial whaling through increased funding despite the falling demand for meat in the country. The government has said that it will promote the consumption of whale meat in schools as well as financially help the country’s whaling industry in securing hunting ships and crew. This…
Read MoreTaiji – another season of slaughter as marine park links grow stronger
Life as a small whale or dolphin can be precarious at the best of times, but off the coast of Japan they face a sinister threat – the fishermen of Taiji. If they’re caught up in the maelstrom of one of the infamous ‘drive hunts’ the outcome is unlikely to be a good one. They’ll…
Read MoreWDC joins NGOs to lobby Japanese PM as drive hunt season opens today
Today marks the beginning of yet another slaughter season in Japan for hundreds of dolphins. In Taiji, dolphins are herded into the notorious Cove, where some are hand-picked for a miserable lifetime in captivity, while the rest of their family pod is slaughtered – for a meat market that barely exists. In December, Japan will…
Read MoreWill nationalism trump conservation in a ‘post-truth’ world?
Is the new US Administration’s apparent negative attitude toward environmental protection an open door for renewed Japanese commercial whaling? If you have read the WDC blog regularly, you will know that we have often discussed the issue of Japanese vote buying at the International Whaling Commission (IWC). Japan has even admitted to using overseas development…
Read MoreJapanese Antarctic whaling fleet sets sail
Unfazed by the results of this year´s meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), which decided on a new process for so called “research” whaling, two Japanese whaling ships have left the port of Shimonoseki, Japan. The fleet of four whaling vessels and a crew of 185 in total, intends killing 333 minke whales under the guise…
Read MoreAre the Japanese people growing tired of whaling?
The influential Japanese news title, the Asahi Shimbun, through an editorial, is calling on the Japanese Government to change its whaling strategy. In its editorial of November 1st 2016, titled It’s time for Japan to change its controversial whaling strategy, the paper believes that at this year’s meeting of the International Whaling Commission, ‘Japan appears to have…
Read MoreSo how was the IWC for you?
So IWC66 ends with a celebration of whale-themed ties, which, believe it or not, was won by a Japanese delegate. He was sporting a bright Moby Dick themed tie. so I guess that, as it’s a whaling themed tie, the individual concerned may be allowed back into Japan’s Far Seas Fisheries building where their whaling…
Read MoreDay Five of IWC 2016
Agenda Item 19 Finance and Administration The meeting opens slightly late due to technical difficulties. Bruno: regarding yesterday’s Agenda, I forgot to confirm that all delegates are happy for the Commission to endorse cooperation with other organisations? (General assent). Also apologizes to IGO/NGOs that he was ‘a little too fast’ in closing yesterday. The Chair…
Read MoreWDC briefs IWC Commissioners on whale meat discovery
Days before The 66th meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) opened in Slovenia, we exposed the illegal sale of canned whale products by Japanese online company, Japan Trend Shop, to overseas customers, including in the UK, EU and USA. The shop’s website promises worldwide express shipping, incredibly even telling buyers ‘If you still have some environmental…
Read MoreDay Four of IWC 2016
As we mentioned yesterday, this is not a complete transcript but is intended to give a brief overview on the day’s discussions. This is especially true today, when there was a break in the transmission from the meeting due to technical problems, so there may be gaps, for which we are sorry. For the really…
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