Publication - December 1, 2001
The Fisheries Agency of Japan (FAJ) has stepped up its attempts to resume commercial whalingwith a massive public relations campaign. This makes two remarkable claims: that whaling isnecessary to control whale populations and keep them from eating too many fish; and thatwhaling is vital to Japan’s culture. As part of the cultural argument, the Fisheries Agency of Japanalso claims that Japan’s whalers have a special relationship with whales. If these claims weretrue, it would add a new dimension to the debate over whaling. Let’s examine each in turn.