Tim Watters`
In this hand out photo supplied by Sea Shepherd Australia Monday Jan. 6, Three dead Minke Whales lie on the deck of the Japanese ship Nisshin Maru, in the Southern Ocean, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2014. Anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd said they found all five of the Japanese vessels with evidence of whale kills on one. Japan, planning to kill around 1,000 minke, fin and humpback whales this year is allowed to hunt the animals for scientific purposes under an exception to a 1986 ban on whaling.(AP Photo/Tim Watters / Sea Shepherd Australia)**Hand Out Editorial Use Only No Sales**
In Japan they are allowing whales to be killed. Not just a few, but 333 mink whales. Even though there are fierce objections from other countries and an international court of justice ruling, the expedition continued anyway. The Japanese condone the whale killing and say that it is for “research”. New Zealand’s acting Foreign Minister Todd McClay said: “New Zealand is strongly opposed to whaling in the Southern Ocean. We call on Japan to take heed of the 2014 International Court of Justice decision and international scientific advice concerning their whaling activities.”
Japan has consistently denied any calls pertaining to its whaling activities, proclaiming that it is necessary for building a body of research. Senior fisheries, Hideki Moronuki told CNN that “through capturing whales for investigation, Japan is collecting the scientific data and aiming for the resumption of commercial whaling. This official government view doesn’t change.” Four boats left and are headed for the Southern Ocean and one of those boats is a research boat. They are expected to return March 2016.
Its pretty clear that despite the efforts to end the whale killing all over the world, Japan will find the loophole so they can continue doing what they are doing. Saying its for research yet whale meat is available for consumption. The program that Japan is running is called NEWREP-A, and it will last for about 12 years. With roughly 333 whales killed a year it averages out to almost 4,000 whales by the end of the program.
The whale killing is so accepted that children have fieldtrips to see the process of slaughtering a whale and preserving the meat. This is so wrong to place the idea into children’s head that it is acceptable to do this to animals.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/30/asia/japan-whaling-research/index.html
For more information on how governments like Australia are leading the way to protect the whales, CLICK HERE.
To find out more about the INTERNATIONAL WHALE PROTECTION ORGANIZATION http://www.internationalwhaleprotection.org/.