Japan Again Killing Giants

The Japanese government stops pretending it is conducting science and admits it is now allowing a fleet to hunt whales for profit

- Diego A. Garcia (UW360)

The Japanese government has pulled out of decades-old international agreements, parting ways with the International Whaling Commission, and is now openly hunting whales for commercial purposes for the first time in 30 years. How has it come to this?

The head of Japan’s fisheries ministry, Shigeto Hase, said: “The resumption of commercial whaling has been an ardent wish for whalers across the country.” The statements were made during a ceremony in Kushiro for the departing fleet. He said the resumption of whaling would ensure that “the culture and way of life will be passed on to the next generation.” The statements appear out of step with reality, however, as the fleet is clearly a commercial whaling operation of the modern era.