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Holding the kanji symbol of the year [1], nise, meaning ‘fake’ against the hull of the whaling fleet’s factory ship Nisshin Maru, Greenpeace Japan whales campaigner Sakyo Noda sent a message to the people of Japan that this is yet another in a series of scandals their government is trying to cover up by claiming its whaling programme is legitimate research.
"For the past week we’ve stopped the whaling programme in the Southern Ocean," said Mr 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.”
Japan’s Asahi Shimbun newspaper has also questioned the validity of the whaling programme, citing concerns about the use of taxpayer's money, dubious science, lack support from the fishing industry, and why former Fisheries Agency employees had key roles in the supposedly independent Institute of Cetacean Research.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cabinet Office now handle Tokyo’s comments on the whaling programme - an indication that the government is losing confidence in its own Fisheries Agency, the ministry that normally deals with whaling issues.
Earlier yesterday, the Yushin Maru No.2, one of the harpoon-carrying ‘catcher boats’, joined with the Nisshin Maru, still being pursued by the Greenpeace ship Esperanza.
"We’ve 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 begin whaling, we'll carry out peaceful direct action by putting ourselves in front of the harpoons to defend the whales.”
Rob Nicoll, Greenpeace Australia Pacific whales campaigner said, “Japan's so-called scientific research programme has been dismissed as useless by the International Whaling Commission, of which Japan is a member. In 2007 the organisation passed a resolution calling for an end to Japan's whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.”
Notes to Editors:
1. In 2007, 90,816 people voted for the nise or gi kanji symbol as Kanji of the Year, 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)
"For the past week we’ve stopped the whaling programme in the Southern Ocean," said Mr 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.”
Japan’s Asahi Shimbun newspaper has also questioned the validity of the whaling programme, citing concerns about the use of taxpayer's money, dubious science, lack support from the fishing industry, and why former Fisheries Agency employees had key roles in the supposedly independent Institute of Cetacean Research.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cabinet Office now handle Tokyo’s comments on the whaling programme - an indication that the government is losing confidence in its own Fisheries Agency, the ministry that normally deals with whaling issues.
Earlier yesterday, the Yushin Maru No.2, one of the harpoon-carrying ‘catcher boats’, joined with the Nisshin Maru, still being pursued by the Greenpeace ship Esperanza.
"We’ve 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 begin whaling, we'll carry out peaceful direct action by putting ourselves in front of the harpoons to defend the whales.”
Rob Nicoll, Greenpeace Australia Pacific whales campaigner said, “Japan's so-called scientific research programme has been dismissed as useless by the International Whaling Commission, of which Japan is a member. In 2007 the organisation passed a resolution calling for an end to Japan's whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.”
Notes to Editors:
1. In 2007, 90,816 people voted for the nise or gi kanji symbol as Kanji of the Year, 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)
For further information or comment
Onboard the Esperanza: Dave Walsh, media officer, +873 324 469 014 / +47 514 079 86 (AEST –2hrs); Sara Holden, Greenpeace International whales project leader +873 324 469 014 / +47 514 079 86; Sydney: Zoe Porter, Greenpeace media officer, 0409 048 260; Tokyo: Junichi Sato, Greenpeace Japan whales project leader +81 80 5088 2990 (AEST -1) Photos/Video are available from Michelle Thomas, in Tokyo +81 903 593 6979
