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6/18/2012

Who's eating whale meat? -- Doesn't seem to be selling well

Earlier in my blog, I wrote about The Institute of Cetacean [whale, dolphin, and related creatures] Research, the quasi-public organization in Japan that coordinates whale hunting expeditions in the name of "research." According to a commentary I found on a site that offers news and information for the cattle industry, The Institute of Cetacean Research has reported that "75 percent of the more than1,000 tons of meat from whales harvested as part of the country’s (alleged) deep-sea 'research mission' was passed over by buyers, despite repeated attempts to sell it off.." I was surprised that people in the beef industry in the States would be interested in following news on the consumption (or, in this case, non-consumption) of whale meat. But, I suppose they feel that one less meal of whale may mean one more potential serving of U.S. imported beef.

The commentator notes the paradox that while whale consumption has gone steadily downward, the public support for whaling in Japan remains high. He believes that to be the case because of the provocative and escalating tactics by whaling opponents such as Sea Shepherd. This is an organization that sends ships, helicopters, and inflatable speed boats to the Southern Ocean to pester whaling crews until they can't take it any more and head back to Japan earlier than planned. Although the activities of Sea Shepherd have put Japan's whaling operations in the Japanese media spotlight, Sea Shepherd is portrayed as a racist, violent band of eco-terrorists targeting innocent crews of "research ships" sent out to prove that whale stocks can support managed whaling.

So, the weird situation arises where Japanese, who don't wish to eat whale meat and who would not otherwise support such a wasteful and highly subsidized industry, come out in favor of it in the name of patriotism and in defense of a mythologized whaling "tradition." The author suggests that the "power of positive public and peer pressure" to bring pro-whaling nations (such as Japan and Norway) in line with the world consensus is more productive than provoking them to stubbornly continue killing whales for nationalistic reasons that have nothing to do with consumer demand, genuine needs, or cultural continuity (after all, Britain and the U.S. had "cultures" of whaling that are now part of their historical legacies).

I agree with the commentator up to a point, but I think that persistent interference with the whaling operations--WITHOUT the hurling of butyric acid or attempts to entangle the propellors of ships with rope--are necessary because they show that the world is watching and that whalers will not be able to quietly go about their "business as usual." As soon as the protest activities turn violent, hearts become closed to the plight of whales and defensive stances solidify into nationalistic posturing and a willful desire to defy the world.

Murphy, Dan. "Commentary: Whale of trend." Drovers CattleNetwork News. 14 June 2012: 1. Web. http://www.cattlenetwork.com/cattle-news/Commentary-Whale-of-trend-159057315.html?ref=315.

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