Whaling in Japan

Whaling in the Edo period depicted by Hokusai

Japan has a long history of whaling. However, current whaling conducted by Japan is a source of political dispute between pro- and anti-whaling countries and organizations.

History

See also: History of whaling

The oldest written mention of whaling in Japanese records is from Kojiki, the oldest extant Japanese book, which was written in the eighth century. In this book whale meat was eaten by Emperor Jimmu. In Man'yōshū, the word "Whaling" (いさなとり) was frequently used in depicting the ocean or beaches.

Japanese traditional whaling technique was dramatically developed in the 17th century in Taiji, Wakayama. Wada Chubei organized the group hunting system (刺手組) and introduced new handheld harpoon in 1606. Wada Kakuemon, later known as Taiji Kakuemon, invented the whaling net technique called Amitori hou (網取法) and increased the safety and efficiency of whaling.

Whaling has been frequently mentioned in Japanese historical sources.

• Whaling history (鯨史稿), Seijun Otsuki, 1808
• Whaling Picture Scroll (鯨絵巻), Jinemon Ikushima, 1665
• Whale Hunt Picture Scroll (捕鯨絵巻), Eikin Hangaya, 1666
• Ogawajima Keigei Wars (小川島鯨鯢合戦), Unknown, 1667

A dish of whale meat in Japan

Whales have long been a source of food, oil, and crafts' material. A famous Proverb quotes: "There's nothing to throw away from a whale except its voice."

In 1853, a US naval officer Matthew Perry sailed into Edo bay. One of the purposes was to obtain a base for whaling in the north-west Pacific Ocean.

When Norwegian-style modern whaling, based on the use of power-driven vessels and whaling guns, was introduced in the Meiji era, most Japanese fishermen were opposed to the indiscriminate killing of whales, which they regarded as deities of the sea and which helped to corral fish.

In the early 1900s, Japanese whaling techniques developed further and Japanese whalers began turning to the West for modern whaling techniques.

Following the devastation of World War II, food was scarce, consequently whales, being a cheap source of protein, became a larger part of the Japanese post-war diet.

In 1982, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) voted on a moratorium on commercial whaling to go into force in 1986. While Japan initially intended to oppose the moratorium, the United States pressured them to comply in turn for continued rights to fish in Alaskan waters. After the US went ahead anyway with excluding all foreign vessels from fishing in US waters, Japan began its research programme in order to one day restart commercial whaling under IWC regulation.

Japan's whale consumption peaked in 1962 at 226,000 tons, then declined steadily until it fell to 15,000 tons in 1985, the year before the commercial whaling ban. Japan has maintained its interest in the resumption of commercial whaling, but has not succeeded in persuading the IWC to lift the ban.

As consumption of fish in Japan has shrunk, Japanese fisheries companies have expanded abroad and started facing pressure from partners and environmental groups. Five large fishing companies transferred their whaling fleet shares to public interest corporations in 2006. In 2007, Kokuyo and Maruha, two of Japan's four larges fishing companies, decided to end their sales of whale meat due to pressure from partners and environmental groups in the US.

Traditional Whaling in Taiji, Japan

Scientific research

The number of whales taken by Japan from 1985 to 2006.

After halting its commercial whaling, Japan started a scientific research project to provide a basis for the resumption of sustainable whaling. The number of whales caught under the project was considerably lower than the under the commercial catch. The IWC Scientific Committee collects up to date data on catch limits and catches taken since 1985.

The research is conducted by the Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR), a privately-owned, non-profit institution. The institute receives its funding from government subsidies and Kyodo Senpaku, which handles processing and marketing of the by products.

Japan carries out its research in two areas; the North-West Pacific Ocean (JARPN II) and the Antarctic Ocean (JARPA) Southern Hemisphere catch. The 2007/08 JARPA mission had a quota of 900 minke whales and 50 fin whales. == SARA VAN-DER-PUT is a Fuck witt, a dosh bag and a used tampon eaterr/

Debate in the IWC

Further information: International Whaling Commission § Politics, and the debate

The most vocal opponents of the Japanese push for a resumption of commercial whaling are Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, whose stated purpose for opposing whaling is the need for conservation of endangered species.

In July 2004 it was reported that a working group of the Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic had drawn up plans to leave the IWC in order to join a new pro-whaling organization, NAMMCO, because of the IWC's refusal to back the principle of sustainable commercial whaling. Japan is particularly opposed to the IWC Conservation Committee, introduced in 2003, which it says exists solely to prevent any whaling. Any directives from the IWC are undertaken on a purely voluntary basis as state sovereignty means that there are few avenues by which international law can be enforced.

At an IWC meeting in 2006, a resolution calling for the eventual return of commercial whaling was passed by a majority of just one vote. There has been a failure to lift the ban on commercial whale hunting and Japan has since threatened to pull out of the International Whaling Commission (IWC).

After a visit to Tokyo by the chairman of the IWC, asking the Japanese for their co-operation in sorting out the differences between pro- and anti-whaling nations on the Commission, the Japanese whaling fleet agreed that no humpback whales would be caught for the two years it would take for the IWC to reach a formal agreement.

Those who oppose Japanese whaling contend that the Nisshin Maru fleet had never possessed the freezer space to carry out the hunting of Humpback whales. They contend that the Japanese fleet already takes its freezer capacity and the additional tonnage simply would not be feasible. They believe rather, that the back down by the Japanese Government was planned from the time of the initial announcement of the humpback whale take and view it as political theatre by the Japanese Government.

In 2007 the Commission passed a resolution asking Japan to refrain from issuing a permit for lethal research in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary - the main Japanese whaling area.

Controversy

Anti-whaling governments and groups have strongly opposed Japan's research program. Greenpeace argues that whales are endangered and must be protected. The Japanese government maintains that certain populations are strong enough to sustain a managed hunt. The last IWC estimate put the Southern Hemisphere Minke whale population at 761,000 (510,000 - 1,140,000 in the 95% confidence estimate). A review is currently underway by the Scientific Committee based on Southern Ocean Whale and Ecosystem Research Programme(SOWER) data.

Research methodology has come under scrutiny as it has been argued that non-lethal methods of research are available and that Japan's research whaling is commercial whaling in disguise. The Japanese claim that the accuracy of tissue- and feces samples is insufficient and lethal sampling is necessary.

Sea Shepherd contests that Japan, as well as Iceland and Norway, is in violation of the IWC moratorium on all commercial whaling. This argument rests on their belief that Japan's research program is actually a commercial program in disguise. Japan categorically denies this allegation, stating that their primary goal is the sustainable use of all marine resources and that the lethal methods used are permitted under article VIII of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling.

Disputes

In 1994, Australia claimed a 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) around the Australian Antarctic Territory, which also includes a southerly portion of the IWC Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. However, Antarctic territorial claims are not recognized by most countries, including Japan.

On December 14 2007, the Australian Rudd Government unveiled plans to deploy Australian ships and aircraft to monitor Japanese whalers about to enter Australian waters. On December 19 2007, the government announced that the Australian Customs Service patrol ship MV Oceanic Viking would be deployed to the Southern Ocean to collect photographic and video evidence that could be used in a future international court challenge to Japanese whaling. Aerial patrols using an Australian Antarctic Division Airbus A319 would also follow and photograph the Japanese fleet.

The Australian Rudd government's stance on Japanese whaling has attracted very strong public support in Australia. Japanese whaling is seen as a serious threat to Australian whale tourism, which has only become viable as a result of the replenishment of global whale stocks. The negative publicity generated by Japanese whaling seriously affects the general Australian perception of Japan, with potential social, political and economic consequences.

On the eighth of January 2008 the Australian government sent the Australian customs vessel Oceanic Viking to track and monitor the Japanese whaling fleet in order to gather evidence against Japanese whalers for a possible international legal challenge.

On January 15th 2008 two activists members of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society travelling on the MV Steve Irwin boarded the whaling ship Yushin Maru 2 without permission and were subsequently detained onboard the ship for a number of days.

Japan will lobby a dozen members of the International Whaling Commission at a meeting March 3 2008 to support its much-criticized Antarctic whaling program.

Japan claimed that four crew members on board a Japanese whaling ship in Antarctic waters were injured March 3 2008 when the anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd threw butyric acid on board.

Japan confirmed the throwing of "Flashbang" grenades onto the Sea Shepherd ship, the Steve Erwin by their whaling ship, Nisshin Maru. Japan also confirmed firing a "warning shot" into the air. The captain of the Steve Erwin, Paul Watson claimed that he was hit by a bullet that the Japanese had fired.

At the IWC

On March 6 2008 all members of the International Whaling Commission will meet in London to discuss reaching an agreement on whale conservation rules.Japanese whalers and anti-whaling activists clashed in the waters near Antarctica on March 7 2008, with each side offering conflicting accounts of the confrontation. The IWC called upon the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society to refrain from dangerous actions and reiterated it condemn any action that are a risk to human life and property in relation to the activities of vessels at sea.

On Saturday March 8 2008, Solomons Prime Minister Derek Sikua said that Japan offered to pay for the country's delegates to attend the March 6, 2008 IWC meeting in London, but Hideki Moronuki, the whaling chief at Japan's Fisheries Agency, denied the allegation saying, "There is no truth to it." He further stated "Moronuki said Sikua may have confused the London meet with a seminar last week in Tokyo to which Japan invited delegates from 12 developing nations that have recently joined or are considering joining the IWC. Japan sometimes holds small seminars on whaling and invites delegates from countries. I wonder if Mr Sikua mixed up such seminars and IWC meetings,"

See also

• Whaling
  • History of Whaling
  • Aboriginal whaling
• Fishery
• Whale watching
• Cuisine of Japan
• Convention of Kanagawa
• International Whaling Commission
• Nisshin Maru
• Greenpeace
• Sea Shepherd
• Dolphin drive hunting
• Taiji, Wakayama

External links

Official bodies

• Whaling Section of Japan
• The Institute of Cetacean Research
• The International Whaling Commission
  • International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling
  • Catches table

Organisations

• Greenpeace Japan
• Japan Whaling Association
• Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
• Whaling Library

Reportage

• Catalyst: Whale Science. From the ABC1 Catalyst.

Multimedia

• People profiting from the issue of Whaling
• Dolphin Slaughter in Japan
• Latest video footage of whale being harpooned