Minke whales are not endangered and never have been. Over half the females are pregnant each year and produce a calf every year. Using the number of 300K, say half are female and half are of age to bear young and half bear a calf each year; 300,000 times 0.5 equals 150,000 times 0.5 equals 75,000 times 0.5 equals 37,500 new Minkes per year. The Japanese take less than 1000 a year. Sounds like it is sustainable to me.

And by the way theat 300,000 number for Minke population comes from some of that Japanese research that doesn’t exist.

Just because you and some others read that into what he said doesn’t make it true.

Try to save your BAM for when you actually win an arguement.

“These countries are not concerned with scientific data or reality – they are ideologically opposed to whaling. They don’t care that many species of whale have recovered to harvestable levels. They simply want to impose their irrational beliefs on other nations.”

These countries are not ideologically opposed to whaling, they oppose it on environmental levels. The whole point of the IWC moratorium was to enable whales numbers to recover as they have not been hunted responsibly or sustainably. The ONLY species that is thought to have recovered so far is the East Pacific grey whale. Fin whales are still endangered, Humpbacks are threatened, and Minke numbers – while thought to be around 300,000 by some estimates – are in dispute. 300k may sound like a big number, but it is not when we are talking global biodiversity and a species that is extremely slow to reproduce. Any argument that they have to be killed to determine their numbers are large enough to be killed commercially, which is so often rolled out by Japan apologists, is ridiculous.

“So in reality, Japan is being punished for being a reponsible global citizen and abiding by international law.”

No, reality is Japan is breaking its own commitments under the moratorium by hunting endangered fin whales. It’s right there in the agreement Japan signed. Go look for yourself. It is also breaking the agreement by hunting in what it has recognised as an international whale sanctuary.

The whaling programme has proven that Japan is anything but a responsible citizen, when it comes to the IWC agreement and even when it comes to human rights. You would do well to do some actual research on BOTH sides of this issue.

And for a guy that likes to invoke the law, Iceland and Norway conduct whaling in their own territorial waters, which opens up a big can of legalistic worms for anyone who interferes. If Japan wants to hunt whales so bad, let them stay within THEIR own territorial boundaries to do it. This shouldn’t be so hard for a nation that has conducted whaling for “centuries”, should it?

Japan should not have to carry out research whaling. It has openly stated its desire to lift the moratorium and resume commercial whaling. But it has been bound by an IWC that has been hijacked by anti-whaling nations which turned it from a whaling-regulating body to one that prohibits all whaling. These countries are not concerned with scientific data or reality – they are ideologically opposed to whaling. They don’t care that many species of whale have recovered to harvestable levels. They simply want to impose their irrational beliefs on other nations. So in reality, Japan is being punished for being a reponsible global citizen and abiding by international law.

On the other hand, Iceland and Norway came to their senses a long time ago and ignore the moratorium completely. They don’t have to play the silly games of the IWC because they refuse to be bound by the whims of fanatical anti-whaling nations. They’ve been conducting commercial whaling for years. Which makes it all the more interesting that Sea Shepherd chooses to attack the Japanese and not the others.

Perhaps there’s just more money in attacking yellow people? It always helps to have racial-prejudices on your side when you’re chasing publicity and funding.