Japan Whaling: Country Says It Caught 195 Whales In Pacific Ocean Under Research Program

TOKYO -- Japan says it has caught 195 whales in the Pacific Ocean this season under a research program opposed by activists who call it commercial whaling in disguise.

Japan's Fisheries Agency said Thursday that the fleet harvested 49 minke, 95 sei and 50 Bryde's whales and one sperm whale during its three-month Pacific expedition.

Japan also hunts hundreds of whales in the Antarctic Ocean as part of its research program, which is exempt from a 1986 whaling ban.

Critics say the expeditions are a cover for commercial whaling because meat from the harvest is sold for domestic consumption.

Japan's annual whale catch has declined in recent years due to violent protests by conservationist groups.

Comments

[Silken17]

10:34 AM on 09/22/2011

As I understand it, the Japanese are wrong for feeding their millions with whale meet because they should be buying Texas grown beef from the US. Nah, I think they should hunt and eat the critics....but that's just my opinion.

[Brooklyn I]

10:47 PM on 09/20/2011

Weren't they all radioactive...? Seriously.

[TXLiberAL7]

04:05 PM on 09/19/2011

Hard to understand those that would go to so much effort to criticize environmental causes. As many questions and controversies as you may choose to fabricate. The bottom line is that the net result is a win for planet earth and mankind. If you want to live on a polluted planet and watch beautiful creatures being massacred you are sick.

[jtookers]

12:01 AM on 09/18/2011

g

[Jules Rothus]

06:13 PM on 09/16/2011

The Japanese are a "Defiant" race. Nobody not even God can tell them they are cruel, callous and self absorbed. WW11 and other numerous conflicts for gain and not survival tell the true story of this mean spirited people. They are like the rich in this country, who tint their windows so they do not see the truth. Obviously there are good people in Japan.
BUT ALL IT TAKES FOR FOR EVIL TO SUCCEED IS FOR GOOD PEOPLE TO DO NOTHING. Edmund Burke.
May The Lord reincarnate these killers back as Dolphins and Whales until they see themselves as we see them.

Lord Forgive Them for they do not know what they do. Jesus

My favorite show is Whale Wars.

May the Lord guide me to help these wonderful creatures.

[thelatescottbaio]

05:32 AM on 09/17/2011

god isn't real, whale wars is fake. try doing some actual research on the topic of whaling. did you know the whaling done in america has more of an environmental impact than the whaling done by the japanese? have you taken into account the population numbers of sei, minke, and brydes whales? you do understand the take amount is far less than the yearly population growth of these species right? you understand these species are listed as having least concern populations right? what don't you take a look at the rates of whales in by-catch in korea. and while you're busy loving whale wars why don't you check out the video of paul "pretend to get shot" watson in 1986 throwing oil and magnesium flares at whaling vessels. or how about his 1995 attack on costa rican fisherman where he dumped fuel in the water and set it on fire. it's disgusting you anthropomorphize whales and support terrorists with no regard for human life. you're a sick person.

[TXLiberAL7]

03:52 PM on 09/19/2011

One dead whale is too many. Paul Watson is a hero. The japanese are the terrrorists and you are a sympathizer.

[TXLiberAL7]

04:28 PM on 09/21/2011

I have no problem with Capt. Watson's past behavior. I fully support his actions in defense of our planet.

[KMBerger]

04:31 PM on 09/16/2011

It is high time that Japan stop playing the rest of the world as fools. The so-called scientific research is simply a ruse for continuing a sunset industry that should have died a long time ago. Unfortunately, politicians in Japan are constrained by a constitution that guarantees one's livelihood and a fear among politicians to make hard choices on what industries are really in Japan's best interests for bringing their deficit nation and stagnant economy forward into the 21st Century.

[userjoe1020]

05:52 PM on 09/16/2011

If they had any brains they'd focus their resorces on locating new sources of rare earth since the Chineese shut them down, rather than killing off species in an industry that needs to die off itself.

[KMBerger]

06:11 PM on 09/16/2011

I don't disagree with you. On the other hand, Japanese are not dependent solely on the Chinese for rare earth metals. You'd be surprised at the multitude of contracts they have with other countries. They are far more strategic in thinking about where they can get resources than we have ever been, because aside from people power, Japan is mineral-resource poor except for some minor deposits of coal.

[ddpalmerr]

05:36 AM on 09/19/2011

And just how many of the species of whales Japan hunts are declining? Might the answer be zero? Might the truth be that all those species have increasing populations because the Japanese hunting levels are set low enough to ensure the continued growth?

[thelatescottbaio]

05:34 AM on 09/17/2011

why should it have died? it's not affecting the number of whales in the wild at all. haven't you done any research? or do you just like to pretend whales are magical creatures who sing pretty songs. who are you to tell someone to change their culture. how about the indians come over here and take away your steak and hamburgers.

[KMBerger]

11:38 AM on 09/17/2011

@thelatescottbaio -- I lived in Japan for more than 10 years, I've eaten whale meat, I'm a Japan-specialist by training and I know something about the whaling industry. This is not an issue about culture as it is about saving jobs in small fishing towns, and politicians who are incapable of being leaders and bringing new industries to these towns. The amount of whale meat that is actually eaten or sold in the country at the retail level does not even cover the costs spent whaling the animals. It's subsidized by the Government. While you make a very emotional appeal, that appeal falls upon deaf ears as it is a well worn argument that just doesn't cut it anymore.

[cat lover]

04:28 PM on 09/16/2011

25 Years of research, and I have yet to see any proof of there so call research, Such an advance culture, that can make micro robots, have yet to figure out what whales eat and there traveling patterns. How is killing them, able to give them all this data! If they claim research, show the world what they have gather in 25 years of studies and research. They must have a very extended data base of all the different studies they have gather through out all this years!

[thelatescottbaio]

05:38 AM on 09/17/2011

actually they do have a database of all the research from throughout the years i'm glad you did such research and didn't just act like an uninformed moron. http://www.icrwhale.org/NewPublication.htm wow

[rdk927]

02:41 PM on 09/16/2011

THE DIFFERENCE MR TOMMY PETERS, IS THAT IT'S NOT KOOL TO KILL A LIFE FORM WHICH IS CAPABLE OF COGNITIVE THOUGHT! NOW YOU KNOW, IF YOU STILL DO NOT UNDERSTAND, MOTHER NATURE MAY HELP YOUR OFFSPRING INTO A HIGHER THINKING BUT YOU MUST MATE WITH SOMEONE MUCH SMARTER THAN YOURSELF. THIS WILL BE THE BEST WAY TO ASSURE YOU OFFSPRING SURVIVE, SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST,,,SORRY THE WEAK ARE NOT WEEDED OUT IN OUR SPECIES DUE TO "CIVILITY" OFFSPRING OR LAWYERS, THERE ARE NO LAWSUITS IN THE WILD.

[greengrl]

03:25 PM on 09/16/2011

NO NEED TO YELL! TURN OFF THE CAPS PLEASE!

[thelatescottbaio]

05:40 AM on 09/17/2011

actually whale researchers have proven that a whales brain is much less complex than a deer or dog. people seem to think that because whales brains are so big they're smart. not true. a whales brain is .0003% of it's body weight human brains are 1.7% an animal that propels itself by its tail has no need for a complex brain, unlike moneys which skillfully use 5 limbs

[Tommy Peters]

01:58 PM on 09/16/2011

What is the difference between, whales, cows, lambs, swine, birds, dogs, cats, or whatever. Either people eat meat or they do not. I eat meat and I do not see the difference.

[MicheleO]

02:30 PM on 09/16/2011

Are you saying the you would eat a dog? You do realize that even in CHINA they are trying to make eating a dog or cat illegal. It's called becoming a more compassionate civilization. As far as Whales go they can not be replaced as easily as a cow, or pig because they don't breed frequently. I believe it was Ghandi who said that "in the end a society will be judged by on how it has treated its' lower creatures".

[greengrl]

03:26 PM on 09/16/2011

The difference is we are not eating cows and pigs to extinction!

[thelatescottbaio]

05:40 AM on 09/17/2011

we're not eating whales to extinction either, do some research

[Hugatreetoday]

12:20 PM on 09/16/2011

Until the "research" loophole is closed this harvesting by the ICR will continue.

[Rick Paul]

11:55 AM on 09/16/2011

typically oil from them more than eat. If its research then why does it take so many over and over and over? They are killing @ 6 a day. And its a very very slow process to make up the lost numbers.

[ddpalmerr]

05:44 AM on 09/19/2011

No sorry, the Japanese use them for meat. It was countries like the USA, UK, Australia and the USSR, who did hunt them for oil, who drove many species closer to extinction. And when researching a species continued sampling over years or decades is normal. Ever heard of the Census? In the USA every 10 years a research sample of the population is taken. Now why do they have to redo it every 10 years? Might it be to track trends and monitor changes?

[jhnatsgc]

11:31 AM on 09/16/2011

Just a spoon full of sugar helps the medecine go down!

[Joe Turner]

11:11 AM on 09/16/2011

Just another reason I have Japan and Japanese. We won WWII but still they prosper and have won the economic trade war over us.

As a people, with some individuals excluded just as in the USA, they have an infinite drive to dominate this planet. Its there "1000 Year Plan". We ignore it at our own peril.

Someday the Earthquake will just sink the whole island. Maybe then I will believe in "messages from God"

[MicheleO]

02:35 PM on 09/16/2011

Well they aren't doing all that well. It isn't too many years ago that their previously booming economy tanked and has yet to fully recover. (This happened before the recession that thas hit the entire world). Japan actually dropped interest rates to 0% trying to help their bad economy. Anyway, it's China that MAY sink us if we don't do something about our own economy.

[Gabriele Vaitkeviciute]

11:04 AM on 09/16/2011

Don't they mean a ''conservation group''? Sea Shepherds done all the work and that organisation is the reason why Japan don't meet their quota anymore. Yey Sea Shepherds!

[thelatescottbaio]

05:42 AM on 09/17/2011

disgusting. sea shepherd is a terrorist group and had no affect on japan's whaling www.seashepherdlies.com

[Gabriele Vaitkeviciute]

12:28 PM on 09/17/2011

If killing is ''legal'' it's still killing. I would like Sea Shepherds to sink all of the whaling ships in the world (only ships, not people). Whaling is a disgusting thing. Not those who are trying to stop it.

[jdwlor]

10:57 AM on 09/16/2011

When people stop buying then they'l stop killing.And it's not going to happen anyway soon.