Japan's Annual Antarctic Expedition Returns With 333 Whale Carcasses

[jpak]

Source: NPR

For the second consecutive year, Japanese whalers have returned to port after an Antarctic expedition with the carcasses of 333 whales. The five-ship fleet, put forth by the country's Fisheries Agency, killed the minke whales during a months-long voyage to southern waters for what it calls ecological research.

The agency released a statement describing the mission as "research for the purpose of studying the ecological system in the Antarctic Sea," according to Agence France-Presse.

The Associated Press reports that Fisheries Agency official Shigeto Hase lauded a successful expedition in Shimonoseki, the home port for Nisshin Maru, mother ship of the Japanese fleet.

"It was great that we have achieved our plan," Hase told those gathered for a welcome ceremony, including the city's mayor and about 200 local people, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation notes. "We will steadily continue our research toward a resumption of commercial whaling."

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Read more: http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/03/31/522170896/japans-annual-antarctic-expedition-returns-with-333-whale-carcasses

[SledDriver]

1. "Ecological research"

What a crock of shit...

[Fast Walker 52]

2. it's a sick needless process

Link to tweet

http://www.seashepherdglobal.org/news-and-commentary/news/sea-shepherd-global-statement-regarding-japanese-slaughter-of-333-minke-whales.html

Despite our efforts to once again disrupt the slaughter of whales in the Southern Ocean, the Japanese whaling fleeting has reached their self-allocated quota of killing 333 minke whales.

Today Sea Shepherd mourns the loss of these whales. We have called an emergency meeting of the Global Board of Directors in Amsterdam this weekend to review our whale defense strategy in the Southern Ocean, and will release a more detailed statement on Monday morning.

We were aware of the challenges from the outset of the campaign – the doubling of the whaling area and the reduced quota that would be easier to reach – but we did our best despite the odds because it was the right thing to do. And – as usual – we did it alone. It is a reminder that the needless slaughter of marine life will continue unless governments stop making hollow statements of disapproval and start taking action to hold Japan accountable.

[MBS]

3. Agree 10000%.

[red dog 1]

4. + 1

Thanks for those links.

(I'm now following Sea Shepherd on Twitter)

[JudyM]

12. Love Sea Shepherd, heroic folks.

[Fast Walker 52]

13. Indeed! I read a book on them a few years ago. They are very inspiring.

sadly they warned of the ocean dying back then, and I don't think it's gotten better.

[Sunlei]

5. every female whale is pregnant and the majority they kill are the larger females.

[red dog 1]

6. Why Japan kills these magnificent, intelligent, gentle mammals in such great numbers defies logic.

Also their annual slaughter of thousands of bottlenose dolphins and other small cetaciens, including pilot whales and porpoises at Taji, Wakayama , which makes the Taji bay water red with the blood of 20,000 or more dolphins & porpoises....for absolutely no good reason!
(They don't even eat the meat after they slaughter these beautiful creatures every year)

What the hell is wrong with these Japanese whale and dolphin killers?

Why do they continue to do it every single year?



(K&R, thanks for posting this, jpak)

[hunter]

17. It's their damned conservatives. They have a lot in common with our coal burning conservatives.

19th century thinking in a 21st century world.

Same with the Norwegian whalers.

They are completely unable to accept that some of their national traditions suck.

[Coventina]

7. .

[Ray Bruns]

8. What a damn waste. Totally unnecessary.

[Glorfindel]

9. Disgusting Barbarians

There is no excuse for this needless slaughter. Damn them all to hell.

[YOHABLO]

10. What is it with the Japanese and Fish? The whole country reeks of fish .. raw fish.

[jmowreader]

14. That's what happens when you live on an island that small

Japan is an island chain without enough land to feed its population, so they're stuck with the need to harvest protein from the seas.

[milestogo]

11. Maybe the Whales should gather 333 Japanese carcasses.

[Yupster]

15. Second Amendment

Support the right to arm bears.

[NWCorona]

16. The sad thing is whale meat just sits on the shelves. I don't see it on menus either

I've eaten it here in WA and it isn't very appealing at all. I understand tradition but some things should go the way of the Dodo.

[harun]

18. Hope they stop this someday

[WoonTars]

19. Sick and unnecessary...

...what a crime...