Hale
Absent Friend
Reged: 10/15/05
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Loc: North Carolina, USA
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Hello EveryOne:
11/19/07
The Japanese whaling fleet departed from Shimonoseki, Japan - {see placemark} - this past weekend, for their annual whale hunt in the Antarctic. Their fleet consists of six vessels, among which are:
----- Nisshin Maru (whaling factory ship)
----- Oriental Bluebird (fuel tanker for the whalers)
----- Kaiko Maru (whale spotting ship)
----- Kyo (or Kyoshin) Maru No. 1 (whale 'sampling' or capturing ship)
----- Yushin Maru (whale 'sampling' ship)
One of their adversaries, Greenpeace's ship Esperanza, is reportedly lying in wait off Japan to follow the whalers on their way to their whaling grounds in the Antarctia. Greenpeace states that they intend to interupt the whale hunt with non-violent tactics . Japan's other old adversary, SeaShepherd Society and it's President Paul Watson will, according to their website , soon embark with an international crew on their ship, the Robert Hunter, to interdict the Japanese whalers (which SeaShepherds refers to as an outlaw whaling fleet) .
The SeaShepherd Society has named their 2007-2008 anti-whaling campaign: Operation Migaloo, after the all-white humpback whale Migaloo (which has captured the hearts of Australians after it summered off Australia this year).
Thus the scene is being set for confrontation, just as it was a year ago, between these groups.
Japan announced their self-imposed quotas of up to 50 humpback whales, up to 50 fin whales, and up to 935 Antarctic minke whales in a report they submitted to the International Whaling Commission (IWC) earlier this year. This will be the first time that humpbacks have been hunted since a 1963 moratorium put humpbacks under international protection. Humpbacks are currently listed as a vulnerable species on the World Conservation Union (IUCN) Red List. The American Cetacean Society estimates the global humpback population at 30,000-40,000 - about a third of the number before modern whaling.
The Japanese announcement that humpbacks will be hunted has spawned protests, especially in Australia, which asked for assurances that Japan will not harpoon any all-white humpbacks (e.g.;Migaloo). Japan did not reply, which raised the level of anger among many Australians.
This Japanese hunt will be the largest "scientific" whale hunt ever held in the South Pacific since the start of the moratorium. (They call it a scientific whale hunt as they conduct this hunt under treaty provisions which allow a limited amount of whaling for scientific research. All whale meat taken by Japan is sold in Japanese food stores or served in Japanese restaurants, or used in dog food.)
I hope I got this right - it is a complicated issue and easy to misunderstand. If you see mistakes in this post, please add a post and correct me, or send me a PM and tell me about it, and I will correct this post (but please include references.)
Last year one man died in a fire aboard the Nissan Maru (apparently not connected to any antiwhaling activities.). Let's hope that no one is injured during this year's hunt!
hale
11/19/07 - edited for spelling and accuracy.
12/02/07 - edited for completeness.
Edited by Hale (12/09/07 08:09 AM)
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Hill
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Reged: 10/31/04
Posts: 8713
Loc: Los Angeles
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Here are two points of view. the first is from Greenpeace
It appears when Greenpeace and many other groups talk about whale research, they speak about learning about them and protecting them from predation by humans. Link to what most of the world considers scientific whale research. Humpback whale songs from http://www.whalesong.net/ The whaling fleet proposes to kill 50 of these protected, highly evolved, socially complex whales for "research" ( Expensive steaks and dog food) to see how they can manage them a a source of food "for generations to come". Humpback Whales hunting for their dinner - from YouTube.
The second is from the Institute of Cetacean Reseach.
It appears when the Japanese whalers speaks about research, they are speaking of estimating how many can be killed and eaten on a sustainable basis. Emphasis in the quotes below is mine.
Quote:
The Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR) in Tokyo, which carries out Japan’s whale research program in the Antarctic and western North Pacific, says a report today by the ABC in Australia is seriously lacking in its analysis.
The report says Australian scientists have found methods by which they are able to extract, through DNA analysis of “flakes of skin” shed by humpback whales when they breach, the same information obtained by Japanese research. The Australian scientists say they can identify particular whales’ parents through DNA research, relationships with other whales, and an “approximate” age.
The Australian scientist, Dr Peter Harrison, even proffers a personal opinion that: “It's much better to have an approximate age of a living whale than a more exact age of a dead whale.”
“Actually, it’s not better,” the director general of the ICR, Mr Minoru Morimoto, said today. “To ensure that a commercial management regime is robust and sustainable it is of the utmost importance that the best scientific data is obtained and that does not mean just a loose gathering of skin flakes and photographs.”
“A first step to managing interactions between human activity and whale species is to gain accurate scientific knowledge about these species. Japan’s research is a long-term scientific program that is obtaining biological and ecosystem information required for proper management.
“This requires consistent research over a long period and information being obtained through lethal research. Mortality, birthing rates and accurate age determination, important for whale management, cannot be done through DNA analysis of random skin flakes,” Mr Morimoto said.
“There is general scientific agreement that the telomere analysis being used by Dr Harrison is very preliminary at this stage and that it does not provide the accurate age determinations required for population modelling studies,” he added.
The number of whales taken in Japan’s research program is far below the potential biological removal (an estimate of the maximum number of animals that can be removed from a population – not including natural mortalities – while still allowing that stock to maintain its optimum sustainable value) for the species.
“Japan’s research makes a valuable contribution to the management of Antarctic whale species to ensure that any future commercial whaling regime is robust and sustainable to provide a reliable food source for generations to come ,” Mr Morimoto said.
One side sees whales as unique intelligent animals with much value as a potential source of knowledge about the world they (and we) live in. The other sees the research as a means to market them as a food source.
The end result of Japanese "scientific whaling" for whales:
  
Sources: www.japanfocus.org & http://news.bbc.co.uk
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"Eternity is a very long time, especially towards the end" Stephen Hawking (quoting Woody Allen) 
"There are all kinds of interesting questions that come from a knowledge of science, which only adds to the excitement and mystery and awe of a flower." Richard Feynman
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Edited by Hill (11/21/07 10:23 PM)
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Brauner
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Reged: 11/21/07
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Hello,
I read about Japans escalation of whale hunting and unilateral breach of conventions in the newspaper yesterday. I feel so outraged that I have to put my thoughts to paper. I hope this forum will lead to widespread debate and ultimately have a tangible effect:
The practice seems in great discordance with the tradition for serenity and honour that exists in Japanese culture - along with its busy economical life. While we may have to make allowances for the traditional hunter culture of certain peoples of the "High North" and let them catch a handful of whales each year, it is hard to understand that one of the biggest economies in the world still finds it necessary to marginally supplement this economy by perpetuating crimes of the past against an already greatly decimated species whose intelligence and emotional capacity we are only beginning to understand. - For scientific purposes - my foot !
There are scoundrel states on the geopolitical scene. There are certainly also a few on the environmental / ethical scene - with Japan as the spearhead and oil-rich Norway following close behind. One cannot help wondering if the Japanese flag really symbolizes the rising sun - or rather a bloodstain on (what ought to be) a largely pristine Antarctic region. Although fond of the seas and what sails and swims in them, I am not a watermelon (green on the outside and red on the inside) but I am nonetheless disgusted by both the act of whaling in the 21st century and the bad excuse for it. So, unless Japan and the "whaling club" see the error of their ways, I can only say: Go get them Greenpeace - and to thinking people in general: Let us stop buying their consumer goods whenever possible
Kind regards++
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Hale
Absent Friend
Reged: 10/15/05
Posts: 586
Loc: North Carolina, USA
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Hi Everyone:
11/21/07
As the Japanese whaling fleet continues to head for Antarctica, things have been happening outside that southern sea area. For example (and this is to my great delight!), the USA's (my country's) government formally asked Japan to stop the whale hunt. I had worried that Bush would have wanted not to antagonize the Japanese and would have stayed silent on the issue. But he came through on what I will call the side of the angels.
The USA is not the only country to ask that Japan stop the whale hunt; in addition, these countries have also formally asked that the hunt be halted: European Union, Australia and New Zealand, and Chile. The pressure builds.
Further, an international expert judicial panel has met in London and has issued a report, entitled "The London Report on Illegal Whaling", in which they conclude that the whaling hunt by Japan is illegal and urges that actions to be taken against the Government of Japan for its violations of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
I applaud this use of diplomacy and international law (rather than direct ship-to-ship ramming-type action) to stop this hunt. And wish that some group would step up to the plate, take that report (to the World Court. say.) and run with it.
And you may wish to read what Time magazine said about this whale hunt.
The 2007's protests against whale hunting have only begun. Let's hope that they are more successful than they have been in past years!
Keep GE surfin; and posting!!
hale
Edited by Hale (11/29/07 05:06 PM)
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Hale
Absent Friend
Reged: 10/15/05
Posts: 586
Loc: North Carolina, USA
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Hi EveryOne -
12/01/07
Hill (see above) published three pictures with his post. One of these (taken in 2006) was of the bow of the whaling ship Yushin Maru, showing the ship's name, the harpoon and a bleeding minke whale being lifted by a line, with it's tail in the air. This photo must also have been sent out by one of the news agencies, as it was reprinted - over and over - in many of the world's newspapers this past week.
The Hunt
Presumably, the Japanese whaling fleet is continuing its journey towards Antarctia. I don't know where the whaling ships are and the Japanese aren't talking - they obvoiusly want to shield the fleet's location from Greenpeace and SeaShepherd.
Greenpeace's ship, Esperanza, passed the Solomon Islands two days ago, according to their crew members' blog. Different crew members are contributing to their ongoing blog of their expedition, which you may read here. They update the blog regularly. They also have a webcam on on the foredeck of the Esperanza, pointing forward, which you may access here.
SeaShepherd's ship, the Robert Hunter*(see note below) is in Melbourne, Australia, and is scheduled to sail south in a week or so. They have named their 2007 antiwhaling campaign after Migaloo, the all-white humpback which has entranced Australian whale-watchers. You may read the announcement of their campaign here.
Enjoy GoogleEarth - keep surfin' and posting!!
hale 
* - The SeaShepherd Society is changing the name of the M/V Robert Hunter to M/VSteve Irwin, to honor the recently-deceased Crocodile Hunter..
Edited by Hale (12/06/07 12:56 PM)
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Hill
Master Guide
Reged: 10/31/04
Posts: 8713
Loc: Los Angeles
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CLICK HERE for a BBC video about the hunt.
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Translate text
"Eternity is a very long time, especially towards the end" Stephen Hawking (quoting Woody Allen)
"There are all kinds of interesting questions that come from a knowledge of science, which only adds to the excitement and mystery and awe of a flower." Richard Feynman
Iraq war and occupation costs
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Hale
Absent Friend
Reged: 10/15/05
Posts: 586
Loc: North Carolina, USA
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Hi EveryOne:
In what is to me a stunning announcement, Iceland announced that they are halting their commercial whale hunts, due to economic conditions..
Note added 12/05/07 - Before this announcement, I believed there were just five nations engaged in commercial whaling: Japan, Norway, Faroe Islands, Greenland and Iceland
One down and only four to go!
hale
Edited by Hale (12/05/07 05:52 PM)
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Hale
Absent Friend
Reged: 10/15/05
Posts: 586
Loc: North Carolina, USA
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Hello EveryOne:
Based on an article published today in the (Australian) Herald-Sun, the newly elected government of Australia Quote:
is preparing to send the navy and air force to monitor Japanese whalers about to enter Australian waters.
and
Quote:
Evidence gathered is expected to be used in a legal fight with Japan's Government
It seems as if it is going to get warm down there, in the Antarctic!!
More to come, obviously!!
hale
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Hale
Absent Friend
Reged: 10/15/05
Posts: 586
Loc: North Carolina, USA
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Hi Everyone -
GREAT NEWS! According to Reuters, the Japanese have agreed to not kill any humpbacks during their hunt this season! Must have been partly - or maybe mostly - due to the international condemnation we have all read about and observed. Maybe the Japanese are starting to feel isolated, and feeling the pressure, will hopefully extend this to ALL whales and all whale killing!!
Let's hope so!!
Have a great Christmas season!
hale 
Edited by Hale (12/19/07 05:09 AM)
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Hill
Master Guide
Reged: 10/31/04
Posts: 8713
Loc: Los Angeles
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That is a good development. However don't forget the rest of the whales.
Quote:
The fleet is scheduled to set sail from Shimonoseki port in southwestern Japan for the Antarctic, where it aims to catch more than 1,000 whales before returning to port early next year, the environmental group Greenpeace said.
Among these are some 50 fin whales, which environmentalists say are endangered, and 50 humpbacks , which are favourites of whale-watchers for their distinctive silhouettes and acrobatic leaps from the water.
The remainder of the catch will consist of minke whales, which Japan says are now abundant enough to take.
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Translate text
"Eternity is a very long time, especially towards the end" Stephen Hawking (quoting Woody Allen)
"There are all kinds of interesting questions that come from a knowledge of science, which only adds to the excitement and mystery and awe of a flower." Richard Feynman
Iraq war and occupation costs
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