Whaling from various perspectives -- An Eskimo's point of view

The following are profiles of people who have unique perspectives on the whaling issue. Some of the people are fictional and others, such as Dora Arey, are real people whose account has been creatively constructed. In the case of Dora Arey, I have written in her voice, and therefore her perspective, as the wife of a captain of a whaling boat.  I used factual information from this article:

Neher, Jake. "North slope residents joyous as whales are landed." Arctic Sounder. 3 May 2011:  Web. 5 May 2011. <http://www.thearcticsounder.com/article/1118north_slope_residents_joyous_as_whales_are>.

Yuyan, K. (2020, March 26). People of the Whale – a portrait of traditional hunting in Alaska. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2019/feb/04/people-of-the-whale-a-portrait-of-traditional-hunting-in-alaska

My name is Dora Arey. My husband and I are eskimos living in Barrow, Alaska. The day before yesterday I had some very good news. I found out that my husband, who is the captain of one of our local Eskimo whaling teams, caught the first whale of the season for us. That's important because we live in a cold, harsh environment and whale meat is an important part of our diet. We'd have trouble surviving without it.

You may imagine that whaling boats are huge ships, and the "whalers" shoot gigantic harpoons at the whales using canons. That's very different from the way we catch whales. The techniques we use are the same ones that our ancestors used thousands of years ago. Small crews set out in tiny seal-skin boats when they see whales come close to shore. The whales are harpooned by hand by strong men at close range. It's dangerous work, especially when the whales get angry. We are only given a certain number of "strikes" by the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission. If a whale gets away or we miss hitting it, that's counted as a strike.

When I heard that my husband's crew caught a whale, I said, "Thank you, Lord! We receive it. We receive the blessing." We hold a big celebration to commemorate the first whale of the season. The whale will feed our whole community for a long time. We use every part of it. We consider whales to be our brothers. We can't live without each other.

If you take a look at the whale hunt on the following YouTube video, you'll get an idea of how our whale hunt looks.

Echospaces (2009, February 25). Iñupiaq Whale Hunt. Retrieved May 31, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAqEK7K5oCQ

Japanese government's position on whaling

In the following posting, I’ve used my imagination to show the views of an imagined senior bureaucrat in Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

Some of the information backing up the point of view was taken from an English website hosted by Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

"The Position of the Japanese Government on Research Whaling." Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. N.p.. Web. 6 Jun 2013. <http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/q_a/faq6.html>.

Japan has a long tradition of whaling that goes back to the 12th century. Starting in the last century, we started to do commercial whaling. Many Western countries, such as the US, Britain, and Portugal--who now protest our whaling--were involved in commercial whaling long before we were. Japan didn’t get started in modern, commercial whaling (with exploding harpoons and power-driven ships) until we learned the craft from Norway during the Meiji Period.

Whales may be seen as cute and intelligent animals by Australians, British people, and Americans, but to Japanese they are a source of protein and we see them as part of our traditional sea-based diet. Much beef is eaten in the US and Australia. Would it be right for us Japanese to protest that cute cows are sacrificed needlessly for selfish purposes. Of course not, we respect that Americans and Australians eat whatever they want to eat and make their own decisions about what they consider to be suitable for food. Why aren’t our food preferences respected?

Some say that we should not kill whales because they’re becoming more and more rare. In fact, as you may know, there has been a moratorium on whaling since1986 by the International Whaling Commission. This means that whales cannot be hunted for commercial purposes. Japan strongly supports the international protection of endangered whale species such as blue whales.

However, our government has also supported, since 1988, the harvesting (that means killing) of whales for research purposes so that we can find out, scientifically, if a sufficient number of whales exist for commercial whaling to be reestablished. Each year, we send whaling ships to Antartica and to the North Pacific to kill a sample of hundreds of whales. They include Minke whales, Bryde's whales, Sei whales, and sperm whales.

It is true that whale meat from these research whaling expeditions ends up in our markets and restaurants, but the sale of the meat does not create a profit; the funds that are generated are used only to fund a portion of the research program.

Some of the money that was supposed to go to recovery efforts after the 3/11 tsunami and earthquake also went toward funding the research whaling in the Antarctic. More money is necessary to cover security because of the increasingly aggressive actions of Sea Shepherd. Although they call US eco terrorists, it is THEIR organization and members who are the true eco-terrorists.

Thank you for reading our side of the story.

Taro Kujiramoto (Assistant to the secretary of the vice minister of Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries)

Introducing Paul Watson of Sea Shepherd

This is written from the perspective of someone on the extreme anti-whaling perspective. It was written as if Paul Watson himself was introducing himself, but it was actually created based on facts about him listed on the Sea Shepherd website:
"Captain Paul Watson's Biography." Sea Shepherd's Home Page. Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Web. 31 May 2013. <http://www.seashepherd.org/who-we-are/captain-watsons-biography.html>.

My name is Paul Watson and I’d like to introduce myself to you. You may only know me as the crusader against Japanese whaling but, actually, the campaigns I’ve been involved in have been quite diverse, from protesting against nuclear bomb tests to trying to protect harp seals against cruel hunters in my home country of Canada.

My worldview is biocentric, meaning that I think all creatures on this earth have equal value and should not be dominated by man. The more usual anthropocentric worldview is that man is at the pinnacle of creation and can do whatever he wants to “lower life forms.” A biocentric view helps us to see the profound interrelationships we have with all other life forms on this planet. Because of this belief, I have spent a good part of my life defending all sorts of animals who were being slaughtered needlessly. This started early in my life, when I was just nine years old. As a member of the Kindness Club, which was founded by Aida Flemming in New Brunswick, I helped to destroy leg-hold traps that were used to trap and kill beavers. I also tried to interfere with duck and deer hunters.

I eventually went on to become one of the co-founders of the Greenpeace Foundation. My first work with them involved organizing a voyage on the U.S. and Canadian border to protest against the nuclear testing at Amchitka Island by the Atomic Energy Commission. That action resulted in the delay of the test.

In 1974, I collaborated with other Greenpeace activists in the first campaign by Greenpeace to oppose whaling. In the following year, I served as First officer on a voyage to confront the Soviet Whaling fleet. [So, I clearly am not taking action against Japanese whalers these days due to prejudice against Japanese and I am not picking on them to the exclusion of others. My first actions to defend animals were in MY OWN country, in fact.]



In 1977,  I returned to my own country to oppose the seal hunt off the coast of Labrador. I brought the movie star Brigitte Bardot to the hunting grounds, where harp seal pups were mercilessly slaughtered, to bring international attention on the seal slaughter.

Having some disagreements with other members of Greenpeace about tactics, I went on to form another organization, called Sea Shepherd, which used more direct action. In 1979, our ship, the Sea Shepherd, set out for the Gulf of St. Lawrence to bring more attention to the Canadian seal hunt by directly engaging with the hunters.

These direct action tactics were continued in the fight to make the Japanese stop their illegal “research whaling” in the Southern Ocean. The TV reality show, Whale Wars, on animal planet, chronicles these efforts. I have developed some enemies over the years. Some of the actions that my colleagues and I do may seem extreme to others. We have thrown objects onto the decks of whaling ships and we have used lines to tangle up their props as well. Our actions have been successful in shortening the whaling season for Japanese whalers and saved the lives of hundreds of whales.

We consider the actions of those who hunt whales in the name of “research” to be extreme. By comparison, our actions are tame. We are not eco-terrorists.

Hearings in the Hague about Japanese whaling

In 2010 Australia took legal action against Japan over the whaling that it has been doing in Antarctica. Despite the ban on commercial whaling that was decided by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) about 25 years ago, Japan has caught an average of approximately 1000 whales each year for what it considers "research purposes." Scientists in other parts of the world do not agree that whales have to be killed into order to conduct "research" on them. There are many non-lethal methods of research. For example, whales have very distinctive fins and, since they're mammals, they must come up to the surface for air every so often. So, if we want to know how many whales there are, they can be counted just by observing them. Also, the meat from the whales that Japan hunts usually ends up on dinner plates and in pet food, so there is a commercial dimension of the hunt.

Public hearings about Japan's whaling activities in the Antarctic will take place in Holland next month. Representatives of both Australia and Japan will give their views on the issue at the hearings. According to Australia's attorney-general, Mark Dreyfus, Australia will try to argue that "Japan's whaling hunt is not for scientific purposes and is against international law." It will be interesting to see the result of these hearings.

Australia to face japan over whaling in UN court. (2013, April 12). BBC News (Asia). Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-22119410

Have you ever eaten whale meat? Watch this BBC video and give your opinion about whether you think the eating of whale meat is worth the damage to Japan's reputation--not to mention the damage it causes to whale populations?

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.

Is Sea Shepherd's work productive in the long run?

Paul Watson, and the group Sea Shepherd which he represents, have become infamous in Japan due to their aggressive tactics, not only against Japanese whalers in the Southern Ocean, but also against fishermen who kill huge numbers of sharks for the shark fin trade, and coastal whalers (such as those in the Faroe Islands who hunt small whales that come near their shores). When passing through Frankfort Airport in Germany recently Watson was arrested because he was wanted in Costa Rica for a 10-year-old charge against him for the alleged endangerment of the crew of a fishing boat that was doing illegal shark fishing. He claims that the whole incident was on film and the film shows that the crew of the boat that Sea Shepherd was escorting to port was never in danger. But, he may have to be sent to Costa Rica for trial. He has made many enemies over the years since he and his group have interfered with lucrative business interests. Although I question some of Sea Shepherd's methods, they are good at stirring up controversy, and they have been successful in getting Japan to end its annual whale hunt in the Southern Ocean early. What Sea Shepherd does, brings up the question of whether methods which sometimes put people in danger are justified if it means our oceans and the creatures in them are protected? We also have to ask whether their methods can lead to long term benefit for whales, dolphins, sharks, and the oceans where they live? Or, might Sea Shepherd create resentments--as they seem to have done in Japan--which make people more determined to continue doing what they are doing?

Balmer , Etienne. "Anti-whaling group leader ordered held in Germany." Yahoo News. (2012): Web. 31 May. 2012. http://news.yahoo.com/sea-shepherd-anti-whaling-founder-arrested-germany-023752253.html.

Here's a Sea Shepherd PR video in support of Paul Watson's release from house arrest in Germany:


 Sea Shepherd. (2012, June 6). Entourage’s Perrey Reeves Speaks Out for Captain Watson [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqcrFo-3LhA

The video embedded below shows the official view of the Japanese government, and unofficial view among some Japanese citizens, of the actions of Sea Shepherd:

Prowhaler. (2008, January 26). “Eco-Terrorist” Sea Shepherd and Australian Media (English) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX7GDq4FLSI

Whaling is History

An idea I came up with for an NGO/ NPO in Japan related to saving whales from annual "harvests," is one that would conduct campaigns that show whaling as a proud part of Japanese HISTORY. It's possible to honor one's history and culture but acknowledge that times have changed and old-fashioned practices (such as whaling) need not continue. I got this idea when I borrowed a CD from Prof. Pounds which features whaling and sailing songs, sung by a wonderful folk singer named Paul Clayton, whose ancestors engaged in whaling themselves. Some of the whaling/ sailing songs that he sings, he learned from his grandfather, and others he discovered in the logs from 19th century whaling ships. He found these ships' logs at a whaling museum in New Bedford, Massachusetts on the East Coast of the U.S. This town was famous as the starting and ending point of whaling expeditions. Even the author Herman Melville, the writer of Moby Dick, set out on some of his whaling journeys from there. And, surprisingly, a log from a whaling ship based in New Bedford lists a "Joseph Dias," perhaps a relative of mine from Portugal, as being the 2nd mate of a ship called "Sun." That information was made available by the New Bedford Public Library.

Here's the CD cover of the whaling/ sailing songs on the CD that I mentioned above. It's very soothing music. It seems that singing was an important part of the life and work of men who labored on whaling ships. Crew members who were good singers became popular onboard the ship and they were appreciated by the captain and officers.

So my plan is to create an NGO in Japan that would honor Japanese whaling traditions but make it clear that it is a practice that belongs IN THE PAST. It isn't suited to the modern world because it is not sustainable and there has been a long-time (since 1986) moratorium on whaling by the International Whaling Commission (IWC).