Japanese whaling fleet prepared to leave for Antarctic

[Omaha Steve]

Source: OWH-AP

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s whaling fleet will leave Tuesday for the Antarctic for a three-month, scaled-down hunt, the government said, despite protests from opponents who say Tokyo has not proven that whales need to be killed for research.

Monday’s announcement comes days after Japan submitted its final plan to the International Whaling Commission after the commission’s scientific committee said earlier this year that it was not convinced that whales needed to be killed for research on whale stock management and conservation.

The expedition will be the first since the International Court of Justice ruled last year that the hunts were not truly scientific, forcing Tokyo to revise its Antarctic whaling plans. Last year, Japan did go to the Antarctic, but its research did not involve killing any whales.

Japan says lethal sampling is indispensable to obtain data on the maturing ages of whales.

FULL story at link.

Read more: http://www.omaha.com/news/world/japanese-whaling-fleet-prepared-to-leave-for-antarctic/article_a011a78e-9753-11e5-83e1-cbafe713a08d.html

---

Admiral Halsey: If I see so much as a sampan near it, I'll blow it out of the water. Research??? Ya right. Sink the whaling fleet is ok with me.

[abelenkpe]

1. What's the point of international court rulings

Or laws if no nation will enforce them?

[Jefferson23]

2. Lawless, absolutely lawless asshole government. Research my ass, 300 plus they still are going to

kill over 12 years...pfft. Bastards.

[MBS]

4. I cannot imagine any scientific plan in the US

-- especially with our strict rules on research on vertebrate animals (all research plans involving vertebrate animals must be approved by university or institutional committees before any research funds can be awarded, either within the institution or by external private or government funds -- And marine mammal rules are even more strict)

. .. that would approve the killing of 300 marine mammals just to find out "maturation rates". . especially since there is a huge body of data already from their years of previous "research".

This is complete BS

I know that there must be Japanese opponents of this insane, outrageously irresponsible program. But why haven't they been able to stop this yet? Why can't this be STOPPED?

Just infuriating

[Jefferson23]

7. You're right..it is complete, bullshit...their arrogance to the law is beyond words.

snip* Japanese media said whalers were expected to depart for the ocean possibly by the end of December.

There was no immediate comment from the IWC or the ICJ.

Environment Minister Greg Hunt said Japan had previously said it would abide by the ruling, and added that there is no need to kill whales in the name of research.

Japan began what it calls scientific whaling in 1987, a year after an international whaling moratorium took effect.

It hunts the whales under an exemption in the moratorium that allows for lethal research.

Japan makes no secret of the fact that meat from the mammals - killed ostensibly for research - is processed into food, and says the whale population in any case is big enough to allow sustainable whaling.

It accuses opponents of being emotional about whales and disregarding what it says is evidence to support its position.

Japan killed 251 minke whales in the Antarctic in the 2013-14 season and 103 the previous year, far below its target because of direct action by activist group Sea Shepherd.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-28/japan-to-resume-antarctic-whaling/6983440

[d_legendary1]

10. The Sea Sheperd will always be there

to report on the ineptitude of governments failing to enforce the treaties they sign with each other.

[groundloop]

3. If it's truly research there should be no whale meat sold as a result

The civilized world needs to force those bastards to follow the law.

[cpwm17]

5. The US navy could make itself useful in the Antarctic now. n/t

[MBS]

6. Australian government protests

Time for our US government to speak out, too
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/nov/29/australia-slams-japans-decision-to-resume-antarctic-whaling

Japan cannot unilaterally decide to start whaling in Antarctica again against the advice of scientists, says the environment minister, Greg Hunt. Japan is set to ignore an international court of justice ruling that last year prompted Tokyo to cancel the bulk of its whaling for the 2014-15 season. . . Hunt said the prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, and the foreign minister, Julie Bishop, have also directly told Japan that Australia does not support whaling. “Australia will continue to pursue the issue through the International Whaling Commission and in direct discussions with Japan,” he said. . .
Director of the Australian Marine Conservation Society, Darren Kindleysides, called on Turnbull to stand up to Japan. “Not only are the whalers breaching international law, the whaling will take place in the Southern Ocean whale sanctuary,” Kindleysides said.

[catbyte]

8. Sink, you murderous fuckers. Every last one of you.

[McCamy Taylor]

9. They might as well be eating human beings. This is so sick.

[MBS]

12. yeah, that's exactly how I feel, too.

[Mendocino]

11. Iceland and Norway

still practice whaling, but they do it without the "research" label. Just as disgusting if not more. Iceland actually exports whale meat to Japan.