Conducted by Nippon Research Center, Ltd, a member of Gallup
International Association, the poll was designed to provide the
views of the Japanese public on the Japanese whaling
programme.(1)
The poll found that in general 31% of people backed whaling, 25%
opposed it and 44% had no opinion. Among those who said they were
neither for nor against whaling in principle, over 80% disagreed
with whaling on the high seas. Even among those who favoured
whaling, almost 40% disagreed with whaling on the high seas. In
summary, some 71% of Japanese people do not support high seas
whaling.
"Greenpeace adds its voice to the overwhelming majority of the
Japanese people and once more calls for the whaling fleet to be
immediately recalled from the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary," said
Greenpeace Japan's whale campaign coordinator, Junichi Sato.
In the context of the generally low level of awareness of the
whaling issue within Japan, the poll also revealed that 87% had no
idea that the Japanese government subsidises research whaling with
about 500 million yen ($US 4.7 million) annually.
"100% of Japanese taxpayers support research whaling -- whether
they agree with it or not -- with their tax money. It is time for
Japanese taxpayers, businesses, and politicians to ask why they are
paying 500 million yen every year to fund a research programme that
produces science nobody needs, and whale meat that very few eat.
It is time to ask why we continue to tarnish our international
reputation with this scandal.
"The conclusions of the poll come in stark contrast to the myth
promoted by the Fisheries Agency of Japan that, by killing whales
in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, it is acting in defence of
Japanese culture and with the support of its people. Most Japanese
people have little knowledge of what is being done in their name
and with their money, while the majority do not support the ongoing
hunt," concluded Sato.
"Greenpeace adds it voice to the overwhelming majority of the
Japanese people and once more calls for the whaling fleet to be
immediately recalled from the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary,"
concluded Sato.
Full copy
of the poll.
Other contacts: Junichi Sato, Whale Campaigner, Greenpeace Japan, in Tokyo:+ 81 805 088 2990Karen Sack, Oceans Campaigner, Greenpeace International, in Washington DC: + 1 202 415 5403
Notes: (1) Conducted by Nippon Research Center, Ltd., a member of Gallup International internet survey of 1,051 people aged 15 to 60, between January 18 and 23.