The government of Japan has sanctioned whaling in defiance of an
international convention for almost two decades, thinly disguising
it as "scientific research".
In that time, over 6,000 Antarctic Minke whales have been culled
in the pursuit of "evidence" that they threaten fish stocks.
Unsurprisingly, no fish has been found in the stomachs of the
hunted whales, as it was already scientific fact and common
knowledge that the vast majority of what these whales eat is krill,
not fish.
"The Japanese government should stop thinking of resumption of
commercial whaling already and should stop calling this expedition
as "research", said Kazue Suzuki of Greenpeace Japan. "Research can
be done without hunt. The data the Japanese government would
collect is not requested by IWC."
Not only is the "science" wholly misguided, it is also unwanted.
It is claimed the 'research' is being done for the International
Whaling Commission (IWC), but the IWC has said they do not need to
data and has repeatedly asked that the program be stopped. The
waters surrounding the Antarctic were made into a whale sanctuary
in 1994.
A legitimate scientific study published last week (1) found that
krill has declined by 80 percent since the 1970s in some waters
within the Antarctic whale sanctuary threatening the food supply of
whales as well as seals and penguins.
In addition, surveys over the last decade have found less than
half the number of Antarctic minke whales estimated in previous
study.
The IWC has withdrawn its population estimate for the species
and is trying to develop a new one.
Tomorrow's departure will be the last of an 18-year programme.
However, government officials have already announced that they
intend to renew the hunt next year, without waiting for a
scientific review of the current programme.
- Greenpeace is an independent, campaigning organisation which
uses non-violent, creative confrontation to expose global
environmental problems, and to force the solutions which are
essential to a green and peaceful future.-
Notes: (1). Long-term decline in krill stock and increase in salps within the Southern Ocean: Atkinson, Siegel, and Pakhomov & Rothery - "Nature" 4th Nov 2004