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Japan resumes commercial whaling after 30 years

bbc.com

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Re: Japan resumes commercial whaling after 30 years

#61

Post by erikpukinskis »

ufmace wrote: post #40
ben_w wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From what I’ve gathered, Japanese whaling is about as traditional as British rule of Africa, India, and America. Although the article quotes a hunter claiming their village has done it for 400 years, it also later says “A number of coastal communities in Japan have hunted whales for centuries but consumption only became widespread after World War Two when other food was scarce.” Also, whales aren’t being farmed, they…

What is the correct amount of time for a tradition to exist before it deserves to be protected?

It's not a question of whether new traditions deserve to be protected. Of course many do.

It's a question of whether argument-from-tradition is a valid argument for continuing a practice. For relatively new "traditions", it's not. You need other reasons.

Re: Japan resumes commercial whaling after 30 years

#62

Post by uhtred »

sithadmin wrote: post #60
galkk wrote: post #57

I strongly believe that any wildlife hunting/fishing should be prohibited, no matter if it's recreational or for selling. If it isn't grown specifically for farming/hunting/fishing on a farm/elsewhere, then hard no. Wildlife just doesn't has any chance against modern technology.

>I strongly believe that any wildlife hunting/fishing should be prohibited, no matter if it's recreational or for selling. In some cases, culling of certain wild animal populations is actually beneficial to the ecosystem, e.g. in the case of invasive species, or certain native species whose populations have become unsustainably fast-growing due to external factors (habitat changes; predator or prey population changes…

Humans would meet the criteria for an invasive species.

Re: Japan resumes commercial whaling after 30 years

#63

Post by dTal »

booleandilemma wrote: post #47
NeonTiger1992 wrote: post #2

"My heart is overflowing with happiness, and I'm deeply moved," said Yoshifumi Kai, head of the Japan Small-Type Whaling Association. "People have hunted whales for more than 400 years in my hometown."- Just because something has long-standing traditions, doesn't mean that should be continued. We used to burn people for witchcraft and did so for a long time.

What if we allow people to hunt whales, but they have to do it using 17th century technology, so that it’s not easy to overhunt?

This is the perfect rejoinder to "but muh cultural heritage". If you want to break out the "400 year old tradition" argument, you shouldn't get to use modern industrial whaling technology.

Re: Japan resumes commercial whaling after 30 years

#65

Post by magduf »

mcguire wrote: post #54
ianbicking wrote: post #34

I had hoped when there was an exposé about whale meat, poisoned with heavy metals, being fed to students that this would discourage the practice in Japan: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-whalemeat/whalemeat... Sadly no. (I also got the impression that people didn't want to eat whale meat, which was why it was being foisted onto kids.) Do the countries that hunt whales test the whale meat systematically?

" "I'm a bit nervous but happy that we can start whaling," one whaler told AFP news agency before setting sail. "I don't think young people know how to cook and eat whale meat any more. I want more people try to taste it at least once." " I don't know that whale meat is economically viable.

""I'm a bit nervous but happy that we can start selling tobacco," one tobacconist told AFP news agency before opening shop. "I don't think young people know how to chew and smoke tobacco any more. I want more people try to smoke it at least once.""

If schools were giving out free samples of tobacco, marijuana, heroin, meth, etc., and urging kids to try it, how well would that go over?

Re: Japan resumes commercial whaling after 30 years

#66

Post by sandworm101 »

Grue3 wrote: post #10

Faroe Islands and Norway catch more whales than Japan [1] but for some reason don't receive nearly the same level of outrage. [1] https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Whales_Nordic.png

That another country is also evil doesn't make what Japan is doing any better. They both need to stop.

There is increasing evidence that whales have a huge role in climate change. Their poop feeds plankton which in turn absorbs carbon. And their physical bodies when they die sink, moving significant amounts of carbon to the bottom where is stays in that ecosystem far away from the atmosphere.

If the Japanese and Norwegians don't care about killing such magnificent animals for food, perhaps they can be taught to value them as ecological partners in the fight against climate change.

Re: Japan resumes commercial whaling after 30 years

#67

Post by magduf »

ufmace wrote: post #40
ben_w wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From what I’ve gathered, Japanese whaling is about as traditional as British rule of Africa, India, and America. Although the article quotes a hunter claiming their village has done it for 400 years, it also later says “A number of coastal communities in Japan have hunted whales for centuries but consumption only became widespread after World War Two when other food was scarce.” Also, whales aren’t being farmed, they…

What is the correct amount of time for a tradition to exist before it deserves to be protected?

There's no tradition that should ever be protected just because it's a tradition.

If people want to do something that's a tradition and is totally harmless, that's fine, but then it shouldn't need any protection. You only need "protection" because there's some reason the tradition can't continue without it.

Re: Japan resumes commercial whaling after 30 years

#68

Post by magduf »

cygx wrote: post #55
craigsmansion wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We, as a species, are also any other animal. At the moment, there's very little we can tell about the exact make up of their intelligence. Imagine, with your current intelligence, growing up in a world where you can move in three dimensions which has poor visibility but carries sounds very well. There are no fixed spots, so there is no "here". You also have no opposable thumbs, so you will never create tools or writt…

Humpback whales have been known to protect other species (eg seals or gray whales) from orcas. Also, not all 'killer whales' are created equal: Some populations restrict their diet to fish and don't hunt mammals at all. It's not impossible that some animals besides humans could be capable of moral reasoning at that level. On the flip side, let's hope intelligent life forms from an environment totally alien to us neve…

>Humpback whales have been known to protect other species (eg seals or gray whales) from orcas.

I wonder what the humpbacks have against orcas.

>let's hope intelligent life forms from an environment totally alien to us never arrive here and get a taste for human flesh...

If they have a book with the title "To Serve Man", run for the hills.[1]

[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Serve_Man_(The_Twilight_Zon...

Re: Japan resumes commercial whaling after 30 years

#69

Post by rubidium »

galkk wrote: post #57

I strongly believe that any wildlife hunting/fishing should be prohibited, no matter if it's recreational or for selling. If it isn't grown specifically for farming/hunting/fishing on a farm/elsewhere, then hard no. Wildlife just doesn't has any chance against modern technology.

Wildlife didn’t stand a chance against bows and traps either when applied too often. It’s not the tech, it’s the frequency.

Your stance doesn’t match current conservation best practices. Best practice is to determine ideal population balance and help that occur. Deer hunting is a necessity in much of the US to have any regular population control.

Re: Japan resumes commercial whaling after 30 years

#70

Post by exabrial »

galkk wrote: post #57

I strongly believe that any wildlife hunting/fishing should be prohibited, no matter if it's recreational or for selling. If it isn't grown specifically for farming/hunting/fishing on a farm/elsewhere, then hard no. Wildlife just doesn't has any chance against modern technology.

This is a pretty uneducated world view. Some species population is purely controlled by their food supply, predators, or disease vectors, eg: deer. They're a massive pestilence in many areas because humans have displaced their natural predators, increased their food supply, and have reduced diseases. As a result, it's incredible important to thin their numbers in a cycle that would mimic the course of natural cycles. That's why Rifle and Bow seasons issue are carefully permitted and populations are counted all year. Hunters are the single largest group in the USA contributing to preservation of habitat.
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