This was in the Washington Post on Saturday.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/18/AR2005061800890_pf.html :mad: :mad:

oh pleeeeeease.... :roll:

Isn't it funny how "scientific" whale hunts usually mean that the cetacean in question ends up on a dinner plate? Well, at least this time they (Japan) are being honest about the real reason they're hunting whales.

*sigh* I still think its a waste of time and energy, let alone a massive punch to these massive predators and their ecology.

John

Do they still sell whale blubber in vending machines over there?? That always blew me away.

greg

Whale blubberi is not sold in vending machines and the meat tastes like beef, from what I've heard. But I actually think that limited catching of whales that are in need of culling ( A bif IF, not in the present) would be nice, so that they don't kill off other fishing stocks. But big commercial catchs? No way.

Whale blubberi is not sold in vending machines and the meat tastes like beef, from what I've heard. But I actually think that limited catching of whales that are in need of culling ( A bif IF, not in the present) would be nice, so that they don't kill off other fishing stocks. But big commercial catchs? No way.

Fair enough. Only if you can trust whoever is doing the catching. Example by the absurd: Boat A is allowed to catch one whale a month. They go out at sea, spot a whale in the horizon, ready the harpoon, fire it, spear the hapless mammal, drag it forcefully to the boat, hoist it on board.... and then realised it's too small (either undersized or simply not enough of a profit on that one) and chuck it back in the water to "feed" the sharks, orcas and collossal squids :wink: around. Then they'd go back to looking for a bigger one, rinse and repeat.

Now yes, some people do like that bit a whale blubber in the morning to get them going... geeez, I don't see how that can be an excuse for whaling. Say I do enjoy a bit of human flesh in the morning to get me going, can I go kill somebody? No. Why? Because it's "frowned upon" by society today. Even in societies where cannibalism was ok, the european influence made it taboo. So if whale blubber/products become socially unacceptable then why should some people be allowed to indulge in it?

All in all, I think it's an all-or-nothing matter. Whaling is banned and that's that or it's not and each is free to do what the hell they want (and that does include decimate the stock for short-term profit). Same goes for a lot of environmental issues; what's the use of signing a "let's pollute less" agreement when the major polluters refuse to sign it?

That's enough for now, better get back to work before Master O arrives....

TPOTH

HOPE???

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/06/21/whaling.meeting.ap/index.html

Whale blubberi is not sold in vending machines and the meat tastes like beef, from what I've heard. But I actually think that limited catching of whales that are in need of culling ( A bif IF, not in the present) would be nice, so that they don't kill off other fishing stocks. But big commercial catchs? No way.

The flip side of that coin is that we are exploiting the food resources of the whales, and perhaps WE are the ones who should cull ourselves off so that WE don't upset the balance.

The flip side of that coin is that we are exploiting the food resources of the whales, and perhaps WE are the ones who should cull ourselves off so that WE don't upset the balance.

We're upsetting the balance in almost every way already.