[El Kabong]

Haven't seen a topic on this elsewhere, and since this forum is all about the environment, I thought that it was appropriate for discussion.

I don't know if this has been on the news in any other parts of the world, but it's a pretty big issue here in Australia at the moment. Japan are currently conducting "scientific" whale experiments, which require them to kill a certain amount of whales (Around 1000 a year). They "science" that the whales are killed for has been pretty much deemed unnecessary for over 20 years now. Most believe that the whales are being killed and the meat sold back in Japan where it is considered a delicacy.

Some links for anyone interested on the subject.

http://www.whalewatch.org/faqs.htm

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23175117-2,00.html

http://news.theage.com.au/japanese-pm-call...80201-1per.html

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/stor...ml?from=mostpop


The following links contain graphic material, so they're not for the squimish, or people with children around

http://www.video.news.com.au/newsinteracti...&format=wmp

http://www.news.com.au/gallery/0,23607,502...07150-1,00.html

[aat]

I have heard of that before, and I'm sad to hear that. If they want to do scientific experiment do not use animals. It's wrong and the whales are about to get extinct. They just have to stop whtever they doing and not eat whales and dolphines

[emzm]

Whaling is so sad
Go green peace!!!!
Get Jared out there and they'd probably stop on the dot...
go guys...a beautiful lie website is such an awesome idea!!

XX for the whales

[El Kabong]

I love whaling. Every time I go out with my Japanese buddies, it's like re-living Moby Dick, only I'm Ishmael!

Is that what you call it when you and your friends go trolling for fat chicks?

I'm kidding of course. Or am I? You just can't tell.

[minara]

Get Jared out there and they'd probably stop on the dot...

I think you might be putting a little too much faith in Jared's power, either as a celebrity or as a person.

I love whaling. Every time I go out with my Japanese buddies, it's like re-living Moby Dick, only I'm Ishmael!

I do think it's a horrible act, as I've always been interested in marine biology and whales in particular.

[Adeena]

This shit is going on in a whale sanctuary in Australian waters.

What I don't get is when the Indonesians come here with their shitful pieces of crap boats and fish illegally (including massive amounts of protected species) we lock the cunts up and smash their fucking boats, why the fuck don't we do it to these pieces of shit????? Illegal activities in Australian waters. Arrest the pricks.

Last year a Japanese whaling boat rammed a Greenpeace ship. See http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/01/331091.html

What happened? fucking nothing. Why? Because its the Japanese. I say fuck their imports, fuck their tourism dollar, fuck the lot of them until they stop this shit. Its obvious that the discussions held between Foreign Minister Stephen Smith and Japan Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda have done nothing. Bring on the trade sanctions.

Japan aims to slaughter about 1,000 whales this year in Antarctic waters despite strong opposition from Western countries led by Australia and environmental groups who revere the giant mammals.

Tokyo argues that whaling is part of its culture and accuses Western nations of cultural insensitivity. It uses a loophole in a 1986 global whaling moratorium that allows lethal research.

[El Kabong]

It doesn't even make all that much sense for them to still be whaling, even if it's for the meat. Apparently they still have thousands of tonnes of the stuff in storage waiting to be used.

I do like the cultural insensitvity bit though. You can piss off plenty of nations, but they can't say anything because that would be insensative.

[Adeena]

They serve whale meat in their school lunches. Scientific research my ass.

Cultural insensitivity? is GET FUCKED insensitive?

[dawnie65]

Man I dont know who the hell you are but I love you LOL, I love your ideas and the way you express them without fear of getting your head smashed in LMFAO there should be more people like you in this world then there would be no more bloody murdering of the whales, no more global warming, no more war's etc...
You have my vote dude and no Im not calling you a camels ball sack either(the meaning of dude)
Luv Hugs N Kisses
Dawn

This shit is going on in a whale sanctuary in Australian waters.

What I don't get is when the Indonesians come here with their shitful pieces of crap boats and fish illegally (including massive amounts of protected species) we lock the cunts up and smash their fucking boats, why the fuck don't we do it to these pieces of shit????? Illegal activities in Australian waters. Arrest the pricks.

Last year a Japanese whaling boat rammed a Greenpeace ship. See http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/01/331091.html

What happened? fucking nothing. Why? Because its the Japanese. I say fuck their imports, fuck their tourism dollar, fuck the lot of them until they stop this shit. Its obvious that the discussions held between Foreign Minister Stephen Smith and Japan Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda have done nothing. Bring on the trade sanctions.

Japan aims to slaughter about 1,000 whales this year in Antarctic waters despite strong opposition from Western countries led by Australia and environmental groups who revere the giant mammals.

Tokyo argues that whaling is part of its culture and accuses Western nations of cultural insensitivity. It uses a loophole in a 1986 global whaling moratorium that allows lethal research.

CUNTS!

[natutita]

It happens in the argentinian sea a lot.

[JoinTheFeast]

It's horrible. I say something about it on tv yesterday. I know how they hunt whales in Japan and other countries, but it shockes me everytime to see it.

[wolfskye]

This shit is going on in a whale sanctuary in Australian waters.

What I don't get is when the Indonesians come here with their shitful pieces of crap boats and fish illegally (including massive amounts of protected species) we lock the cunts up and smash their fucking boats, why the fuck don't we do it to these pieces of shit????? Illegal activities in Australian waters. Arrest the pricks.

Last year a Japanese whaling boat rammed a Greenpeace ship. See http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/01/331091.html

What happened? fucking nothing. Why? Because its the Japanese. I say fuck their imports, fuck their tourism dollar, fuck the lot of them until they stop this shit. Its obvious that the discussions held between Foreign Minister Stephen Smith and Japan Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda have done nothing. Bring on the trade sanctions.

Japan aims to slaughter about 1,000 whales this year in Antarctic waters despite strong opposition from Western countries led by Australia and environmental groups who revere the giant mammals.

Tokyo argues that whaling is part of its culture and accuses Western nations of cultural insensitivity. It uses a loophole in a 1986 global whaling moratorium that allows lethal research.

CUNTS!

I so agree with you Adeena.
It pisses me off no end. Our Navy and Coast guard etc are doing what they can up off the north coast with the Indonesians (only allowed to burn their boats if the boat is a health hazard but then again, most can barely float and are disease ridden). I just don't understand why our government wont let our Navy/Coast guard etc do more when it comes to the Japanese whalers. I get that the whalers can't just be burned to the water line because their too big and more importantly we have no legal loop holes to protect ourselves (hide behind) but why are we not doing more? Before this war the Howard government had navy warships patrolling out in the antarctic to 'persuade' the whalers to stay out. It did help. Why aren't we doing that again and why can't we chase them out of our waters. Fine they don't 'acknowledge our waters being protected but the rest of the world agrees they are our waters to protect so why can't we protect them and the creature in these waters?
As to the crap about science we all know thats bullshit ,the whales that are slaughtered are used to make products and sold as meat for high end restaurants, who can no longer sell the meat. Most of the people of Japan especially the younger generations are against whaling. Thats why storehouses are full of bad meat. These store loads have been assigned to the school kids as part of their school meals. A few months ago entire school populations went sick with food poisoning probably caused by said whale meat. The Japanese government seems to be putting their own citizens at risk trying to prove they have the right and the need to continue whaling.
What hope does the rest of the world have with this government when it won't listen to its own people?
I hope the film footage of the mother and calf pushes the whaling commission into acting and banning all whaling and encourage our government to actually stop them.
Ok end rant

[El Kabong]

I so agree with you Adeena.
It pisses me off no end. Our Navy and Coast guard etc are doing what they can up off the north coast with the Indonesians (only allowed to burn their boats if the boat is a health hazard but then again, most can barely float and are disease ridden). I just don't understand why our government wont let our Navy/Coast guard etc do more when it comes to the Japanese whalers. I get that the whalers can't just be burned to the water line because their too big and more importantly we have no legal loop holes to protect ourselves (hide behind) but why are we not doing more? Before this war the Howard government had navy warships patrolling out in the antarctic to 'persuade' the whalers to stay out. It did help. Why aren't we doing that again and why can't we chase them out of our waters. Fine they don't 'acknowledge our waters being protected but the rest of the world agrees they are our waters to protect so why can't we protect them and the creature in these waters?
As to the crap about science we all know thats bullshit ,the whales that are slaughtered are used to make products and sold as meat for high end restaurants, who can no longer sell the meat. Most of the people of Japan especially the younger generations are against whaling. Thats why storehouses are full of bad meat. These store loads have been assigned to the school kids as part of their school meals. A few months ago entire school populations went sick with food poisoning probably caused by said whale meat. The Japanese government seems to be putting their own citizens at risk trying to prove they have the right and the need to continue whaling.
What hope does the rest of the world have with this government when it won't listen to its own people?
I hope the film footage of the mother and calf pushes the whaling commission into acting and banning all whaling and encourage our government to actually stop them.
Ok end rant

Technically, there is nothing that Australia can do. By saying it's for scientific purposes, Japan are using a loophole in the International Whaling Commission that allows them to legally hunt the whales (It's illegal to commercially hunt whales). They claim things such as they use the money they get from the selling the whale meat and any by-products to fund their scientific research.

Notwithstanding anything contained in this Convention, any Contracting Government may grant to any of its nationals a special permit authorizing that nation to kill, take, and treat whales for purposes of scientific research subject to such restrictions as to number and subject to such other conditions as the Contracting Government thinks fit and the kill, taking, and treating of whales in accordance with the provisions of this Article shall be exempt from the operation of the Convention.

So if Australia were to try and stop the Japanese vessels, they'd be causing one hell of a shit storm. It's easy to say, "yea, we'll go in there and stop them.", but that's not the way the world works. Technically, Japan aren't breaking the law, so all Australia can do is monitor the whaling, and if Japan were to start killing whales other than the Minke, or they went over their quota, then something could happen. Until then, it's just a case of the Australian government putting pressure on the Japanese government to stop.

[Adeena]

http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-01-15-voa10.cfm

A judge in Sydney has ruled that Japanese whalers in Antarctica are breaking Australian law, and has ordered them to stop their activities. The Federal Court decision applies to an Australian wildlife sanctuary that Japan does not recognize, and is unlikely to affect Japan's annual whale kill. The ruling does raise the volume, however, in the dispute over what the Japanese call science, and the Australians call a slaughter. From Sydney, Phil Mercer reports.

Federal Court Justice James Allsop ruled that the Japanese fleet has contravened numerous sections of Australia's Environment Protection Act by killing and injuring minke and fin whales.

He ordered the company that carries out Japan's annual whale hunts, Kyodo Senpaku Kaisha Ltd., to stop its activities in a large part of its regular hunting grounds off Antarctica.

The ruling applies to an Australian whale sanctuary that was established in 2000 around the Australian continent, and off the country's Antarctic territory. Japan, like most nations, does not recognize the sanctuary, however, and the ruling is not likely to force the whalers home.

Justice Allsop himself noted that the injunction is not enforceable unless the Japanese whaling fleet enters Australian jurisdiction, where the ships could be seized.
Nevertheless, Rebecca Keeble of the Humane Society International, which brought the court action, says the judge's ruling has set a precedent.

"It was a huge test case of Australia's environment legislation," she said. "It was a test of the validity of the whale sanctuary itself and it's the first time a Japanese whaling company has been taken to court for whaling activities and those activities have been found to be illegal."

The ruling does add to the war of words between the two countries. Japan insists that its whaling program in the Southern Ocean is for scientific research. The Japanese fleet plans to catch 935 minke whales and 50 fin whales over the current Antarctic summer.

Critics say the Japanese activity is commercial whaling in all but name. The Australian government has been among the most vocal critics of the whale hunt, rejecting the claim that it is for scientific purposes, and calling it a slaughter instead.

[Dima]

Probably the best thing anyone can do is to try their best to draw attention to what's wrong. Artwork has always been a great method of getting attention. Support the political leaders who feel the same as you. Support the artists who try to make a difference. Make your own art, in whatever form that may be (and that could be anything from baking treats at a green peace convention to something like "A Beautiful Lie" video).

For any of us to make a real difference in this world, we will need to dedicate our lives to it. Maybe it sounds dramatic, but it's not something that can be done without full and complete focus. Take Our Favorite Front Man Jared as an example: he's dedicated his life to his art, that's why he's gotten as far as he has. Now he's doing his best to make a difference in this world by bringing attention to the sad state of our Mother Earth.

Other artists have done the same: Matthew Barney & Bjork made a movie on a Japanese whaling ship, and there is an Essay coming out entitled "the Green Zone" which several of my classmates provided artwork for.

No one is powerless, even if all you can do is give support to your local green peace.

[The Valhalla]

Japan hunts whales & sells their meat labeled incorrectly as fish. They use the excuse that they are doing scientific research which, any idiot with half a braincell should know, is complete & utter bullshit. The japanese make a lot of money from selling whale meat & they don't care how many lives they wipe out in the process.