Readers' views: Japanese whaling

Opinion

Japan plans to kill more than 900 minke whales this season as part of what it calls scientific research in the Southern Ocean. But much of the whale meat ends up on store shelves or in up-scale restaurants, rather than in laboratories. Japan maintains that killing whales helps them study what they eat, among other things. Here's what nzherald.co.nz readers think of Japanese whaling:

There is an irony as deep as the big blue ocean that while stranded pilot whales were being saved in Golden Bay, a few hundred kilometers south rare minke whales were being slaughtered by Japanese pirates. Kia kaha to Greenpeace, their shocking footage of high seas butchery in a whale sanctuary has shown the total, unrelenting moral bankruptcy of Japan's so-called scientific whaling programme. The Greens call on all New Zealanders who felt for the whales in Golden Bay, or have seen the Greenpeace film, to write to the Japanese Government and express their outrage. We also applaud Conservation Minister Chris Carter's release this afternoon of a scientific critique of Japan's whaling. We are pleased to be working with him to progress the issue on the political level. Japan's whaling is about a meat market, it has nothing to do with cultural expression. Messages can be sent to the Japanese Embassy in Wellington via www.nz.emb-japan.go.jp/feedback.html or PO Box 6340, Wellington.
- Metiria Turei, Green Party conservation spokesperson

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Whaling is barbaric, cruel and unnecessary. All countries need to agree to stop the killing of these beautiful creatures and then put pressure on the few countries who continue the hunting, harpooning and resultant death of all whale species (I'm sure that Japanese tastebuds are not limited to the minke whale). Who is to say that humans have the right to take the life of another species? However, I can't believe for one minute that all countries could agree to such a simple initiative - to stop the killing of these impressive mammals.
- Lesley Lahana, NZ

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Greenpeace terrorists have little regard for real science or information. What's more, the species in question are beyond common--their populations are burgeoning beyond belief. The scientifically valid research they are doing regarding whale populations is not only necessary but interesting. I'm sure few if any people shouting to stop whaling have ever read a bit of it. Hunting to extinction should of course be prevented--but there is no chance of that. The whales in question are in a stage where hunting for food is even realistic--just like other mammals such as cows. Lastly, it's part of Japanese culture just as much as it is part of the Alaskan natives' culture. They have exemptions for their cultural background, what makes Japan any different besides their economic success?
- Kyle

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Japanese, Norwegian, Icelandic, sink them all. Deny them ports anywhere. Sink trawlers and long-liners, too. They're all death-mongers and they're taking us all down with them.
- Stanley Jones-Umberger

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The Government should send a frigate down to Antarctica to make the Japanese back off. Japan has no regard for whales, and even though most of the Japanese people do not eat whale meat their Government insists on continuing the hunt. I sincerely doubt it is for science since they are not tagging the whales with tracking devices or implanting chips - what use is a dead whale?
- Rob Glennie, NZ

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Japan, do not make your children ashamed of you. STOP WHALING.
- Alex Madden, Australia

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I hate what these fools are doing, its brutal and primative. Greenpeace should have bought that frigate that got sunk recently in wellington and start sinking some of these whaling ships. Vigilante Justice is the only way. Given the opportunity i would do all in my power to stop these murderers.
- Matt

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Whales should be given a chance to reproduce and build their numbers to stop any species from becoming extinct. I mean how far can you go with what Japanese people consider to be a delicasy. The aftermath of what is happening to Mother Earth can be felt now with all the Huricanes, Tsunamis and Earthquakes happening around the world, and it could have something to do with just one living specie becoming extinct.
- Manu Afa

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I cant believe that even in this modern day that the Japanese can get away with the slaughter of these rare and majestic creatures. We need to preserve these mammals to ensure that future generations have an opportunity to see and study these wonders of the ocean.
- Tamati Parker

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Very little of the Japanese population eats whale or agrees with it. 60% havent eaten it since the 2nd world war. So with those stats one wonders if it is even viable. They must be selling on other markets in other countries. As a supporter of Greenpeace, I understand the policy is direct non-violent actions and 'bearing witness' - which would limit what they can to a point. The Japanese say that they need to keep researching because all fish stocks are low - they havent learnt much from their own research have they - whales eat Krill and Plankton.
- Raechel

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Take an icebreaker ship down there and cut the Japanese Whaler in two!!! Experiments my arse, tell ya what we should start finding Sumo wrestlers a delicasy and feel the need to cut open those fat gits to see what they eat, I think a truck load of Whale Meat!
- Aaron, NZ

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If whale meat wasn't served in restaurants, there would be no need to study what they didn't eat. This looks like a ridiculous statement, but no less so than the inane self-serving circular logic of their stated reason for killing whales.
- Terry, NZ

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Whaling is a barbaric act that should be stopped immediately. The pain caused to the gaint and timid mammals with the harpoons is too inhumane. Japan has been giving scientific excuses to satisfy their tatebuds, and these lies have gone on for too long.
- Rachel Marshall, NZ

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Although the Japanese claimed to kill only Minke, DNA tests of whale meat from supermarkets showed 6 different species, including an unknown species! Awful.
- Rewi Kemp, NZ

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Neither country [Japan and Norway] should continue whaling in the way they do. What these whales eat should be well-known by now. On the other hand, Arctic tribes should be allowed to continue their hunting or food and related survival purposes.
- TG Gates

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Whaling for scientific purposes as everybody knows is a blatant polotical lie which the world tolerates to protect its own economic links with whalers country of origin.
- Ken Richardson, NZ

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The demand for whale meat in Japan is slowly deminishing and will eventually stop, therefore the fishermen will have no need to kill the whales. If the world told Japan to stop with no "weaning" period then it would be like NZ being told we are no longer allowed to eat beef, because its a huge part of our diet we would do it anyway. While I disagree with whaling, I think the authorities actually have the right idea.
- Rose, NZ

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I cant believe that the nations of the world are letting this happen and keep happening, I think this is an outrage, plus Greenpeace has been protesting like this for quite a while, and it has never worked, I think they need to come up with a new campain, a new way of dealing with people. Say no to whaling.
- Michael