March 9th 2010
Aomori, Japan
Between the prosecution and the defense was a three-sided screen blocking the audience view of the witness stand. These screens protected the identity of a whistle blower witness, the only one of many informants during the whale meat embezzlement investigation to take the stand. He said he came to court today because he is in favor of commercial whaling and thinks that the research whaling and embezzlement practices within it should be stopped.
Insider Information
The whistle-blower’s testimony is based on nearly 30 years of experience working for Kyodo Senpaku, the whaling company, and his observations of the inner workings on the Nisshin Maru whaling vessel during two voyages with the fleet in the early 90s. The whistle blower commented that, in his view, embezzlement occurred when crew took the best parts of whale meat on deck before the company takes its official data, when the total amount of whale caught is never properly recorded. He witnessed crewmembers salting or preserving whale meat in their rooms, and noted that crew members favor the young and soft whale meat.
One difference between “souvenir” meat distributed by Kyodo Senpaku, and “embezzled” meat, he noted, was that embezzled meat is often of higher quality. He said that while he was on the ship, members of ICR, The Institute of Cetacean Research, took onomi, or tail meat, for themselves while claiming it was for research. According to the whistle blower, crew members did not like the officials taking such valuable cuts, as they were there to do their lethal research, not private business. He recounts finding an ICR member on the ’93-’94 Antarctic voyage in the ship’s freezer storing the coveted onomi. He talks of boxes addressed to DIET members (Parliament of Japan) and Fisheries Agency of Japan (FAJ) officials, and how the head of whale processing enjoys a status about as good as the ship’s captain. Hierarchy could get you more cuts of valuable meat, he explained, and embezzlement on the Nisshin Maru is an open secret — once you are on board the Nisshin Maru, you are aware it is happening.
A Supposed Investigation
When the T2 brought forth all of the evidence of whale meat embezzlement to the Tokyo Prosecutor, the whistleblower was approached by police. The police came to him with their own assumptions, such as that Greenpeace had stolen official “souvenir” whale meat. After taking his statement, the police returned with an official copy. They had omitted the information he gave regarding any widespread embezzlement, and he protested. The police suggested he sign a statement that he had never received unauthorized whale meat. He wouldn’t, he said, because that was just untrue. According to the whistleblower, whaling crews in recent years have actually taken more cuts of meat than before.
Ideas about Tradition and Reality
Ship crew, whale meat production staff, and ICR employees on board may be aware of details described above, but a survey done by Greenpeace Japan in 2006 revealed the public does not: 77% of people surveyed were against Japan whaling outside of Japan’s seas; 95% did not eat whale meat; 92% did not know that whalers also caught endangered species like humpback whales. When Junichi took the stand at 1:15pm today, the court got the chance to hear the truth about commercial whaling and research whaling. Finally, evidence from the whale meat embezzlement investigation that Junichi helped uncover would be heard.
He spoke about Japan’s role in the International Whaling Commission (IWC) including monetary incentives given for countries to join, their side. At the IWC, Japan states that research whaling is an exception to the 1986 moratorium on commercial whaling, and that is how the Nisshin Maru can continue to hunt. This is the same research whaling the whistleblower accuses of embezzling whale tail meat.
The Right to Know
Junichi retraced conversations with many informants. Crewmembers provided pictures, and long detailed stories to Junichi and the investigation.. You can read more about this evidence in the whale meat embezzlement scandal as well as follow-up investigations in the updated dossier. The box of whale bacon, unesu, was finally intercepted and documented by the team, the linchpin in a long investigation. After talking to the prosecutor’s office which had agreed to follow-up on the investigation, he was surprised to discover later that the investigation had been dropped. He was more surprised though when a reporter called him to ask if he had any comments about his imminent arrest to occur the next day.
The lead defense lawyer asked, what do you want to say to the Aomori Court?
Junichi gave an impassioned speech about citizens and democracy, that citizens have a right to investigate and the UNWGAD (UN working group on arbitrary detention) supports that statement. If this was just a case of a stolen box, why would he make such elaborate documentation and research? NGOs should be supported in their endeavors to uncover the truth for the public good.
The prosecution will cross-examine Junichi tomorrow, and Toru will take the witness stand. What happened today was amazing, as was Junichi’s bravery: a dossier of evidence was laid out including video from the investigation, and whaling was finally put on trial in a Japanese courtroom.
Photos of Lady Justice on the move in Aomori from today!
Blog from Day 1 of this trial phase
