Today, one of the leading newspapers in Japan, Asahi Shimbun,
also called into question the validity of the whaling programme
[2], by asking "Why is the Japanese government so insistent on
engaging in whaling?". The article cites concerns about the use of
taxpayer's money, dubious science, the lack of interest from the
fishing industry in supporting the whaling programme, and the fact
that former employees of the Japanese government Fisheries Agency
were "parachuted" into key roles in the supposedly independent
Institute of Cetacean Research - the agency which commissions the
whaling fleet.
"For the past week we have stopped the whaling programme here in
the Southern Ocean", said Japan whales campaigner Sakyo Noda. "In
Japan there is now growing concern about this fake science, giving
new opportunities to show how scandalous it is, in order to close
it down for good," said Noda.
In addition, Tokyo's comments on the whaling programme are now
usually handled by both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cabinet
Office, a clear indication that the government is losing confidence
in its own Fisheries Agency, the ministry that normally deals with
whaling issues.
Earlier today, the Yushin Maru No.2, one of the harpoon-carrying
"catcher boats" joined with the Nisshin Maru hundreds of miles
north of the whale hunting grounds, where the Greenpeace ship
Esperanza continues to keep the fleet's mother ship out of
action.
The Esperanza has been chasing the Nisshin Maru since it
discovered the whaling fleet in the early hours of January 12th -
the factory ship then fled from the whaling grounds. Without the
Nisshin Maru, the rest of the fleet cannot hunt, because the whales
must be transferred to the factory vessel, cut up and frozen
immediately after being harpooned. The whalers plan to kill 935
minke whales this season, as well as 50 endangered fin whales.
"We have kept the factory ship and the rest of the fleet out of
action for six days now" said expedition leader Karli Thomas. "No
whales have been killed in that time. Now we've got two whalers out
of the hunting grounds. If they try to return and begin hunting,
we'll be launching our boats and carrying out peaceful, direct
action, by putting ourselves in front of the harpoons to defend the
whales".
Japan's so-called scientific research programme has been
dismissed as useless by the International Whaling Commission, of
which Japan is a member, and in 2007 the organisation passed a
resolution calling for an end to Japan's whaling in the Southern
Ocean Whaling Sanctuary.
Other contacts: Dave Walsh, Greenpeace International communications officer on board the Esperanza.Sara Holden, Greenpeace International Whales Project leader, on board the Esperanza. Tel: +873 324 469 014 and +47 514 079 86Junichi Sato, Greenpeace Japan Whales Project leader, Tokyo. Tel:+81-80-5088-2990Photos are available from Michelle Thomas, + 81 903 593 6979 and video from Michael Nagasaka +81 806 558 4447, both in Tokyo
Notes: 1.In 2007, 90,816 people voted for the Kanji of the Year by internet, postcard and by attending the Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto, for the nise or gi kanji symbol, following numerous consumer scandals involving the false labeling of food and recycled paper and political funding and faulty pension records in Japan. (http://www.kanken.or.jp/event/index.html)2.Asahi Shimbun, 18/1/2008For more on Greenpeace Japan's work on whaling see: http://www.whalelove.orgGreenpeace is an independent campaigning organisation that uses non-violent creative confrontation to expose global environmental problems to force solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future.