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Japan to withdraw from the International Whaling Commission

bbc.co.uk

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Re: Japan to withdraw from the International Whaling Commission

#11

Post by akiselev »

javagram wrote: post #8

According to the article “ Pro-whaling nations expected the moratorium to be temporary, until consensus could be reached on sustainable catch quotas.” If this fishing is truly sustainable and doesn’t threaten the whales with extinction there shouldn’t be a problem. Why should whales get protection that pigs, cows, and other animals don’t?

Are you serious? Because a pig or calf can be bought for a few hundred bucks, few thousand tops, and raised in a suburban back yard. Because there is zero chance they are keystone species.

An adult sperm whale weighs over 100 tons and eats about a ton a day. Do you not see the practical implications of that with regards to irreversible damage?

Edit: missed the sustainable part of your post. Whaling afaik can't be sustainable because the demand in Japan is high enough that whale populations simply can't replenish fast enough. They have a very slow reproductive and nurturing cycle.

Re: Japan to withdraw from the International Whaling Commission

#12

Post by monocasa »

joecool1029 wrote: post #9
aurizon wrote: post #2

As far as I am concerned, as a Canadian, I would remove the 'most favored nation' status from Japan. This would add import duties to all Japanese imports to Canada. that would far exceed any whaling profits. If you can not persuade them peacefully, 'club them to the ground' by adding the USA to also deny them MFN status.

As a Canadian you should probably first work on getting your country to stop overfishing tuna so the supply doesn't crash like cod did: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/our-failure-to-pr...

A country can work on several things at once.

Re: Japan to withdraw from the International Whaling Commission

#15

Post by ant6n »

javagram wrote: post #8

According to the article “ Pro-whaling nations expected the moratorium to be temporary, until consensus could be reached on sustainable catch quotas.” If this fishing is truly sustainable and doesn’t threaten the whales with extinction there shouldn’t be a problem. Why should whales get protection that pigs, cows, and other animals don’t?

1) its not actually sustainable

2) whales are sentient, or pretty close to it

Re: Japan to withdraw from the International Whaling Commission

#16

Post by janimo »

javagram wrote: post #8

According to the article “ Pro-whaling nations expected the moratorium to be temporary, until consensus could be reached on sustainable catch quotas.” If this fishing is truly sustainable and doesn’t threaten the whales with extinction there shouldn’t be a problem. Why should whales get protection that pigs, cows, and other animals don’t?

Why should whales get protection that pigs, cows, and other animals don’t?

Most westerners do not consume whale meat, so there's no cognitive dissonance to prevent them from firmly opposing whaling.

Re: Japan to withdraw from the International Whaling Commission

#17

Post by janimo »

ant6n wrote: post #15
javagram wrote: post #8

According to the article “ Pro-whaling nations expected the moratorium to be temporary, until consensus could be reached on sustainable catch quotas.” If this fishing is truly sustainable and doesn’t threaten the whales with extinction there shouldn’t be a problem. Why should whales get protection that pigs, cows, and other animals don’t?

1) its not actually sustainable 2) whales are sentient, or pretty close to it

As opposed to? Aren't pigs or cattle sentient?

Re: Japan to withdraw from the International Whaling Commission

#18

Post by wolco »

ajmurmann wrote: post #13

Can we please have a global moratorium on all fishing for a few years? We are fishing the seas empty. I'm more than happy to pay for my share of the unsold/uncaught fish. This is such a disheartening example of the tragedy of the commons.

No, that would be an over reaction that will harm more than it helps.

Controls are important but stop all legal fishing is not the answer.

Re: Japan to withdraw from the International Whaling Commission

#19

Post by omnius19 »

temeritatis wrote: post #6

People often defend these kind of acts with the rationale that it is a culture heritage. If so, shouldn't they be sailing the ocean with traditional wooden sailboats and relying only on wind and currents to take them where they should go?

I generally see that rational applied to whaling only when discussing indigenous populations such as the Inuit in Alaska. They are whaling in small boats and canoes using traditional techniques. Japan’s excuse for whaling is “scientific study.” I don’t think they are claiming to whale for cultural reasons, nor are they whaling for subsistence, which is allowed under international law.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aboriginal_whaling

Re: Japan to withdraw from the International Whaling Commission

#20

Post by beat »

javagram wrote: post #8

According to the article “ Pro-whaling nations expected the moratorium to be temporary, until consensus could be reached on sustainable catch quotas.” If this fishing is truly sustainable and doesn’t threaten the whales with extinction there shouldn’t be a problem. Why should whales get protection that pigs, cows, and other animals don’t?

Cows and pigs are farm-raised, not wild. There are plenty of restrictions around hunting any wild animals in most nations, related to sustainability.

The question is, do we totally ban whaling in light of their endangered status, or do we allow limited whaling as long as it's sustainable?

Another moral question is in play, though. Whales are widely believed to be sentient, as intelligent as human beings. If that is true, is it ethical to hunt them at all?

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