Japan’s whaling industry looks forward to arrest of Sea Shepherd’s Watson

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Adam Westlake in Features, National with 105 Comments
Japan’s whaling industry looks forward to arrest of Sea Shepherd’s Watson

Those from the Japanese whaling industry have commented that they hope Paul Watson, leader of the marine conservation group Sea Shepherd, will be arrested and brought to justice this year. The statement seems to come as response to the activist group’s threats a little over a week ago about bringing their fight against Japan’s whaling fleet to the country’s territorial waters. Sea Shepherd’s goal this year is to prevent the death of even a single whale at the hands of Japanese fishers, however Watson is quite the wanted man this year after skipping bail in Germany while awaiting extradition charges.

Makoto Ito, a spokesman for the company that owns Japan’s whaling fleet, Kyodo Senpaku Kaisha, says that Paul Watson and Sea Shepherd have been engaged in illegal activities for years, such as ramming Japanese ships with their own vessels and throwing stink bombs at the crew. Ito adds that he looks forward to Watson’s arrest, as he poses a serious threat to the whaling crew and its research. The spokesman appears to have no comment about the fact that Sea Shepherd, and most of the international community, views Japan’s whale hunts as illegal and that “scientific research” is nothing more than a cover.

According to Ito, this year the Japanese fleet, lead by the flagship Nisshin Maru processing vessel, has a target of killing 900 whales this season, including 850 minke whales, and 50 fin whales, which are recognized as endangered. Should Sea Shepherd vessels enter Japan’s territorial waters, they would surely be under the jurisdiction of the Japan Coast Guard. However, Ito said he hadn’t heard anything about potential plans of action to deal with the activists should they arrive.

This is the first time Sea Shepherd plans to encounter Japan’s whaling fleet in the North Pacific Ocean, as opposed to waiting for them to get to Antarctica as they have in the past. Their ships are said to be off the coasts of Melbourne and Sydney, Australia, with some departing as early as this week. Readers, what do you think about these two sides and their threats? Do you agree with whalers that Paul Watson and Sea Shepherd should be taken into custody? Or, if you feel strongly against Japan’s whaling activities, do you think the conservationist group’s methods are justifiable?

[via Perth Now]
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  • Barbarella

    The Japanese have shown incredible cruelty in their methods. To begin with, they´re targeting species considered as endangered. And second, they´re doing it disregarding a global moratorium on whaling, in a WHALE SANCTUARY. Obviously, reason (a valuable human resource) isn´t present in their minds, and compassion absent in their hearts. Drastic actions require drastic measures. It´s just too much suffering upon other fellow Earthlings. Too much. Something has to be done, and someone has to do it. Bless you SS

  • sengleong

    Japan had used the reason for hunting whales for scientific research year after year. It is high time they should come up with some impressive scientific result by now failing which this reason for scientific research well become an international farce.
    I suppose Paul Watson and the crews of Sea Shepherd had to resort to this sort of aggressive action was that they realized that the company, Kyoto Senpaku Kaisha, is not fair dinkum about whaling for scientific purpose but merely whaling for profit only.

    • ddpalmer

      They have come up with a whole bunch of scientific results. Yet the IWC still says they don’t have enough information to determine the population of the Antarctic Minke and whether there is a safe sustainable hunting level. So Japan keeps going back to get more data for the IWC.
      I guess the IWC is the international farce that you need to whine about.
      Paul Watson and his crews lie. It is what they are best at and they admit they lie all the time as long as it serves their purpose. And Japanese whaling research doesn’t make a profit and never has, just another SSCS lie.

  • http://twitter.com/AriesKJJ AriesKJJ

    As the Japanese whaling industry continues to drain funds, most disturbingly designated for the tsunami survivors, in order to try and save face or ressurect the carcass of an industry that whaling has become, I just hope the public decide that enough is enough.
    When the Japanese people decide that they as a nation they want to end whaling, then whaling will end worldwide as Japan is Norways market. I only know a few Japanese people but they are not only good humans but care about environmental issues so no doubt the whales have a good future in the hands of the next generation but thank God that, in the mean time, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has taken it upon themselves to defend the whales right to have a place on the earth where they need not fear having a harpoon stuck through their or their calves heart.

  • Mike M

    The Japanese people must put an end to this barbaric practice of murdering whales. Paul Watson is a hero, not a criminal. Using legal tactics to silence critics is a disturbing new trend in the world today. Shame on Japan for making a mockery of legal processes. The Japanese people are becoming despised because of their farcical “scientific research” excuse to continue their barbarism.

  • WhirledPeas

    Fortunately, eating whale meat is not that common in Japan today, more a niche market. Whale used to be an important source of protein for the Japanese, whose diet is still largely plant-centered. On the whole the Japanese diet results in far less killing of animals than some other diets. Of course, I understand whales are an endangered species and cows, pigs, lambs and fish are not. (Hm flashback to Animal Farm!) As Japanese environmentalists themselves find effective ways to educate the public about the whale industry the Japanese people will pressure the government to stop whaling. The key is persuasion from within. Actions like Sea Shepard’s by themselves can be seen as the West bullying Japan to stop a centuries-old cultural practice. I believe the Chinese feel a bit like this when it comes to shark-fin. But get a spokesperson such as the wildly-popular Yao Ming to advocate and people will be persuaded! Check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJG7RaLX-DM

  • whirledpeas

    I’ll try again. Last post didn’t go through, maybe because I posted a hyperlink.

    Whale meat used to be an important source of protein for Japanese people whose diet was and continues to be largely plant-based despite the influence of Western meat-eating habits. On the whole, the Japanese diet results in the killing of far fewer mammals than some other diets — though of course, whales are actually endangered and cows, pigs, and lambs are not (flashback to Animal Farm equality!). Fortunately, whale is now eaten as a delicacy by only a small niche market. The key to eliminating the eating of whale and the whaling industry is activism from within. Actions like those of the Sea Shepard just by themselves can be viewed as Western activists bullying an Asian country to eliminate a centuries-old cultural practice. I think Chinese people feel a bit like that when it comes to shark fin soup with its connotation of health, wealth, and luck. But with famous people like Yao Ming and many internationally-known Chinese chefs speaking out against eating shark fin (see Yao Ming’s great YouTube video) people are being persuaded to eliminate shark fin from banquets. Japanese environmental activists could launch a similar campaign of consciousness-raising.

    • Henry Marx

      “whale is now eaten as a delicacy by only a small niche market.”

      That is completely untrue. You can find whale meat in the local grocery store, where it is bought by average people. While it is expensive, it is by no means a “delicacy”.

      • Whirled Peas

        Hm. I don’t know any Japanese who eat whale meat, but if what you say is true, all the more reason to encourage people not indulge.

        • Henry Marx

          “all the more reason to encourage people not indulge.”
          Oh? Why is that? Because it’s expensive?

          • Whirled Peas

            If whales are truly endangered, then it makes sense that the less demand for whale meat — whether by encouraging people not to eat it (see Yao Ming on shark fin soup) or limiting consumption by making it even more expensive — the better chance for whales to survive as a species. Once a species is gone, that’s it. I apply this same thought to the dwindling supply of maguro (tuna). It used to be that Japanese people ate nigiri sushi only on special occasions and it was made at home. Now maguro is eaten everywhere in the world, and people have an insatiable appetite! People should be limited to eating maguro the area of a pack of playing cards once a month (just kidding!) Short of establishing a successful whale breeding program with strict controls over the number culled I can only think that demand must be reduced. Of course some people think no whales should be killed period because they are intelligent mammals (Orwell: some animals are more equal than others) and I am not prepared to address that conundrum here. But while I’m on this topic I want to say that I object to attempts by people from other countries to paint the Japanese people as unusually barbaric and unfeeling because a whale-industry exists in Japan. Whaling exists in other countries as well. Such attempt are self-righteous and racist, and I might add, opportunistic since I suspect there are some individuals who don’t even care about environmental issues, but just want to Japan-bash. It’s easy to criticize another country from the sideline. It’s infinitely harder to work toward constructive change in your own country because that “politically correct” stance is more likely to come smack into conflict with your or your family’s personal interests. End of rant, I need a soothing cup of tea!

          • Vic

            Open your eyes. Whaling is protested in many other parts of the world you just don’t see it because your media wants to keep you in the dark about it and hold that as a stick to use against the activists.

          • Whirled Peas

            I’m an American. My media is the US media, and a number of international media like Al Jazeerah, DW TV, BBC, RAI, etc. And I am fairly environmentally aware. I just don’t hear such virulent generalizations about the people of other countries when their government or a single agency or ministry of that country does something considered ecological incorrect. In other countries the people are seen as individuals. But when it comes to Japan and other non-white countries people are often not accorded “individual” status. They are the general “other.” As progressive as people in the green movement tend to be on many issues, when Japan does something not considered ecologically correct I start hearing generalizations like : “the Japanese are cruel and barbaric the way they treat animals” What, all of them? Or is it a specific policy that needs to be changed or a certain sector of the population that needs convincing. Check out the attitude. It’s there, deep and maybe even unconscious. And it will hamper efforts to win over people to the cause of solving many of our pressing environmental problems. The other day I read that in Australia there were a number of homeless dogs that were supposed to be placed by a rescue agency, but instead they were secretly killed. So do we conclude that Australians are a barbaric people? Of course not. It was a specific agency which was at fault. In organizing around an issue it is important to narrow the target and WIN OVER people that can be won over, not speak in condescending, superior tones of those “backward” people. Doing the latter is a luxury the environmental movement can ill afford.

          • Henry Marx

            “If whales are truly endangered”
            Thank you for your reasonable comment. There are many species of whales. Some are indeed endangered and their populations are dangerously low. However, the species of whales in question, minke whales, are nowhere near endangered. There’s at least 500,000 in the Antarctic.
            The U.S. currently hunts Bowhead whales that they, themselves, consider to be “endangered”. However, they insist that the hunt is carried out in a sustainable manner that does not put the whales at risk of extinction. So, seeing that it is possible to hunt whales sustainably, there is no reason not to.

          • Whirled Peas

            Oh, and I’m NOT saying you yourself are a Japan-basher. Not at all. Just didn’t want to write a separate post so included my rant in the same post in response to yours.

          • Vic

            Yes and based on cruelty. Or is compassion a trait you would rather not be tarnished with?

  • Long Live Sea Shepherd

    It seems like if it’s a marine mammal, the Japanese want to slaughter it… I’ve always had an admiration and respect of Japan until I started learning more and more of the brutal and disgusting ways they treat animals, especially marine mammals. The Japanes people should hang their heads in shame, especially the govt who is taking money WE donated for their tsunami victims, and are using it to continue their neanderthal practices. We have been boycotting EVERYTHING Japanese and will continue to until they stop their horrible actions… from Taiji to Antartica. WE look forward to the day they arrest Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and the whaling fleet owner Kyodo Senpaku Kaisha for their horrendous crimes.

    • whirledpeas

      I’m for narrowing the target. Not all Japanese people are slaughtering whales and other marine mammal, just as not all Americans condone the common practice of factory farming where animals are crammed by the thousands into filthy, windowless sheds and confined to wire cages, gestation crates, etc. Would you boycott American goods until this disgusting practice ends? Now, if the Japanese gov’t has taken money intended for tsunami victim and used it to pay for whaling,I agree that’s something reprehensible, and I’m sure the Japanese people themselves will have something to say about that!

    • Jerry

      It is a total lie that money DONATED to Tsunami victims was used for anything other than help for those victims. the donations were handled by the International Red Cross and some smaller NGOs so if you have an accusation against the red cross lets see the evidence. Sea Shepherd is deliberately confusing DONATIONS with the government relief fund raised through taxation to further their anti Japanese racist agenda. This is just yet one more lie from them.

      • VIC

        Government money went to support the last hunt so simple money money out logic there nothing complicated. But the media would have you believe otherwise.

        • Scientific research

          The money used for Scientific research is what we paid to our government and which is nothing to do with you or that chicken eating fat vegan. Your type of cult people are fooled by little smarter guy than you are. Which is fat fugitive.

  • Terry bull

    Research it is NOT , to continue to deceive the people of Japan and divert funds intended for the rebuilding of homes into continuing this damaging practice is unforgivable , sea shepherd will continue to defend the southern ocean whale sanctuary against what can only be described as an insult to humanity …

    • ddpalmer

      The research has been published in respected international science journals. Sorry if I believe that they are better able to judge the validity of the research than you are.

      • http://www.facebook.com/ivy.lee.3367 Ivy Lividity

        Bullshit, talk about being brainwashed. Or do you just like eating whale meat?

        • ddpalmer

          Typical lie from a fanatic. There are easy to find lists of hundreds of peer reviewed published research based on the Japanese whaling research program. Your claiming that is a lie is very transparent proof of your brainwashing.

        • Peter

          Or you are just love to be a terrorist?

  • willem

    It’s about time Japan would stop all this madness and cruelty to these warm blooded, intelligent creatures. And all this under the big lie called researche….
    The right name for all this killing is GREED, because it is all for money and nothing else.

    • ddpalmer

      Cows are warm blooded, intelligent creatures as are pigs and veal. And they don’t make a profit. But nice false arguments.

      • stopthegreed

        Well Japan eats cows, pigs and veal also, oh and dolphin. That argument is lame.

        • ddpalmer

          Your response is lame and the argument that whales shouldn’t be hunted because they are warm blooded and intelligent is even lamer.

  • Henry Marx

    Of course SS’s actions are not justified. They are no different from anti-abortion protesters. They both use violence and threats of violence against people engaged in a legal activity in an attempt to force their views on them. And the ICR’s research IS legal. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in the U.S. clearly stated, in a recent hearing between the ICR and SS, that the ICR’s whaling program was completely legal.
    As for as Watson being arrested. That’s not very likely. He can hide out for quite a while with all the money that people have donated to SS.

    • http://www.facebook.com/ivy.lee.3367 Ivy Lividity

      Yep and we’re going to continue to keep him safe.

  • http://www.facebook.com/timothy.hodson.33 Timothy Hodson

    Whether people agree or disagree with what the Japanese do, its not illegal. The actions of Paul Watson have earnt him two red notices from Interpol. End of the day Paul is not a hero but rather, a coward running from the consequences of his actions.

    • http://twitter.com/AriesKJJ AriesKJJ

      He has dedicated his life to fight for the environment, Time magazine chose him as one of the heros of the 20th century, recipient of the Jules Verne award, co founded Greenpeace, the Dalai Lama wanted ro meet him and gave him a gift, goes into the most forbidding habitat on the planet every year to save whales who are deprived of an earthly sanctuary, has saved literally thousands if not millions of lives of marine mammals …

      But you say he is a coward and the japanese whaling industry and their propaganda machine say he is a criminal … There is truley much cowardice going on but nothing so pathetic as claiming that harvesting these creatures is in the name of anything other than greed and profit. Watson and SSCS can settle the matter in a neutral court after the whaling season.

      • http://www.facebook.com/timothy.hodson.33 Timothy Hodson

        So much for the “Arrest me or shut up” rhetoric. Settle the matter in a neutral court. I thought Interpol was neutral and unbiased; why were two red notices were issued? Jumping bail I would say categorises him as a coward.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=689720739 Ima Adey

    Japanese “research “whaling is a sham…a lie…Sea Shepherd will be doing their best to stop them from whaling, again in Antarctica, and this is starting to wear on the whalers who are losing $$$ . They know that if SSCS keep up their actions, then Japanese commercial whaling will sink to the bottom of the ocean.

    • Henry Marx

      The ICR’s whaling program has ALWAYS lost money. From the very start way BEFORE SS ever showed up they have been losing money. Why? Because, like it or not, it IS a research program. Whether or not you believe that the research is valid or not doesn’t change the fact that it is, indeed, research. So, Watson’s claim that the ICR is “losing money” is totally disingenuous because, once again, the ICR has never made money due to the fact that the program was never meant to make money.

      • VIC

        Research with a commercial goal is open to all sorts of corruption. Corruption the whalers themselves have been found to engage in.

        • ddpalmer

          And the corruption of a few members still didn’t involve a profit motive. So what is your point?

      • Scientist

        Henry Marx, you are absolutely right. But those cultists are blindly believing their fat chicken eating vegan cult leader. “ICR had never made money” is true and which is nothing to do with that cult group interference.

      • http://profiles.google.com/evoldeth On Dre

        Research like how many harpoons does it take to kill an endangered Fin whale. The fact is that whale numbers are at fractions of their pre-whaling numbers. The whalers targeting endangered Fins among the Minke shows that they do not understand the fundamental principles of conservation. Thus it was never true “science” expedition as to expand human knowledge but simply a commercial venture. As an unsustainable practice give credit to Watson pointing out that its a bad commercial venture…nevermind its inhumanly cruel.

        • ddpalmer

          Your post shows you don’t understand reality. they have taken fewer than 10 Fin whales in the last 20 years and the Fine whale population is still showing an increase.

          And why would the fact that a research activity is a bad commercial venture be a revelation? The NASA missions to the moon was a bad commercial venture, the CERN hunt for the Higgs Boson is a bad commercial venture, most research is bad commercial ventures.

  • Nat

    Research? Bullshit! Watson should use more force buy some Torpedoes Sea Sheppards

  • Glenda H

    I have no time for Japan, shame on them!!! Paul Watson and the crews of Sea Shepherd, i salute u and stand behind u and give u all my support. Crush the Japs…Ban the slaughter of the dolphins and the whales, its disgusting, cruel and just plain bloody murder. Greed at its best.!!!

  • sengleong

    Dear Makoto Ito San,

    I just received good news from Henry Marx that there is 500,000 minke whales at the antarctic ready to be harvested before they go extinct. He also mentioned that your current venture is not making any money, that’s not good but you are in luck I have just successfully completed my scientific research in Flame grille wasabi burger, it is very delicious. I reckon there is big money in it especially if we advertised it as scientifically researched flame grille wasabi burger with made in Japan label the public and the international community will love it. This could turn your current loss venture around.
    We can do a deal yours truly will handle the marketing part emphasizing on the phrase scientific research seeing that it has been so successfully used to con the international community with. On your part you can managed Paul Watson and the crews of Sea Shepherd, but just a word of warning the last time they served you with a few sting bombs this time round they might wag you with a 4×2

    • Henry Marx

      Dear Ito-San,
      Both sengleong and myself agree that there are plenty of whales in the Antarctic and that reasearch whaling is a waste of money. Please resume commercial whaling as soon as possible. Thank you.

      • sengleong

        @ Henry Marx

        You are stretching our association a bit far. I just merely conveying your claim of 500,000 minke whale at the Antarctic to Makoto Ito San. Seeing that both of you are talking the same lingo. Sound like you have decided to betray the Japanese Whaling Industry by advocating them to drop the con-man phrase of WHALING FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH to the real objective behind whaling that is WHALING FOR PROFIT.

        • Henry Marx

          “You are stretching our association a bit far.”
          Oh? You think so? So then, you DON’T think there are plenty of Minke whales in the Antarctic and that the ICR’s research is a waste of money?
          “betray the Japanese Whaling Industry”???
          Not at all. Clearly the primary purpose of the research has been completed. It has proven that the population of Minke whales in the Antarctic is large enough and healthy enough to sustain limited commercial whaling. Therefore, there is no reason not to end the current research program and resume commercial whaling.

  • http://twitter.com/AriesKJJ AriesKJJ

    Live stream of Taiji dolphin hunt documented by SSCS

    Sea Shepherd ‏@SeaShepherd

    Taiji: killing boats are in formation and appears they have found a pod. We will be LIVESTREAMING soon at http://Taiji.ezearth.tv #tweet4taiji

  • Whirled Peas

    It’s hard to watch ANY animal caught and slaughtered and short of everyone
    becoming vegetarian (not happening soon) slaughter of sentient animals will
    continue. It’s a cultural matter as to which animal is lucky enough to be
    placed at the top of the list of sentient, intelligent beings and untouchable. For some Indians it is the sacred cow. For Mongolians it is probably the horse. For Americans it may well be the dog and DOG is indeed their co-pilot and may receive an inheritance once the owner is dead! Now, just to put things in perspective.

    Japan, Norway and Iceland all together kill around 1600 whales per year (correct me if that figure is wrong). But some activists have decided that whales are at the top of the world Animal Farm hierarchy and since there is no way to “humanely” kill whales ALL commercial hunting of whales must be eliminated. For Japan and other countries that have communities and families who have whaled for generations no whaling would mean elimination of an affordable source of animal protein as well as the occupation and way of life of a sector of the population (similar to Detroit when the auto industry went kaput). “Sorry, whalers, you’re out of luck. Maybe you can get hired to clean up the Fukushima nuclear plant. Or better yet, just move to Canada, Australia or the US and work in one of their beef slaughterhouses, which cater to the west’s huge consumption and world-wide promotion of the sacred cow.”

    Typically, the Japanese raise and eat very small amounts of mammals. Their diet is mainly fish and land and sea vegetables and of course rice. Their animal-slaughter “footprint” is miniscule compared to that of some countries and their glutton-ish appetite for huge slabs of meat!

    Example: Australia’s cattle herd is 26.6 million and the industry is worth ~$8.1 billion gross. To be fair, Australian animal activists have done a great deal to make the industry more humane, if killing of animals in any manner can be called humane. But what you don’t see is activists working to COMPLETELY eliminate their cattle industry — as some people are unreasonably doing with whales. People in other cultures might argue that the cow is sacred and killing even one is a sin or dangerously bad karma, but you don’t see them imposing that value on the West. And since there is no way to ensure that slaughterhouses will conform to regulations of “humane” killing maybe no cow should be slaughtered, period? Well, just try eliminating the Australian cattle industry and see how long you live!

    Can you imagine how a Queensland rancher’s would react if Australian activists came on their land to “free their cattle” or tried to block them with tanks from sending cows to slaughter. Now imagine how they would react if a group of foreigners who didn’t speak English or even bother to try to communicate did the same! Whaling activists, I recognize your good intentions and I recognize that Capt Watson has the courage of his convictions, , but you need to work from a standpoint of unity with the native population of you target country in any kind of conservation venture — be it whales or pollution — or you will be seen as a bunch of privileged foreign hippies, who stand to lose nothing as they ruin the livelihood of people in other countries. (I’d list some helpful organizing tactics, but this is getting way too long, and I need to go eat my mainly vegetarian dinner).

    The Japanese killing of a limited number of whales at sea is no more
    “barbaric” than the raising, transport, and slaughter of millions of
    cows and other farm animals by the US, Canada, and Australia. So animal activists should be careful to contain and oppose chauvinistic rhetoric in the animal rights movement . I’ll conclude with a few more disturbing videos for your viewing displeasure:

    USA’s Smithfield pig farms: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_vqIGTKuQE

    Australia cattle slaughterhouse http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tBY6_GdJLI

    Canada’s animal transport system problem: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yYxAG_G-bE

    • stopthegreed

      The problem with that argument is that Japan doesn’t want to just hunt small numbers of Whales and have in the past been very open about wanting to hunt threatened species like humpbacks and Fin Whales. I remember when the Japanese fishery minister a few years back told a reporter he wasn’t concerned if Whales were hunted to extinction and that his children would learn to adapt and the Japanese people would learn to adapt without Whales. Japan also does import a lot of chicken, beef, pork and Seafood. You will find Japanese companies in almost every foreign fishing industry around the world.

      • ddpalmer

        The problem with your argument is that it is a lie. Japan does only want to hunt a small number of whales and they do hunt threatened species but at such low numbers that it doesn’t threaten their recovery.

        What you believe you remember someone saying a few years back is just thrilling. It has no relevance to the discussion, but still thrilling.

      • ziggy2013

        Now that a new species of giant squid has been discover, I wonder how long it will take the Japanese fisheries to have them to the brink of extinction? Living at a depth of 900 meters, they will find a way!

        • ddpalmer

          Except it isn’t a new species, it has been know about, studied and filmed before. The news was that it was the first time it was filmed in its usual environment.

          Some day the racists may actually read and understand something before looking really stupid trying to force their biases into every new story.

  • badatcards

    and the rest of the world looks forward to Japan’s last whaling season

  • Scientist Group

    ICR have never made profit out of whaling. So the people who are protesting “Japan is doing it for money” is already bankrupt. Because it is strictly “Scientific research” by using Japanese tax payer’s money. Japan and Japanese tax payers are spending their money to research the marine ecosystem. This is the proper things to do to live with ocean. How could that fat chicken eating vegan know the ecosystem without research? That fugitive is nothing but cult.

    • http://www.facebook.com/ivy.lee.3367 Ivy Lividity

      Research my arse! Pride goes before a fall Japan.

      • ddpalmer

        No. Whale research. I doubt there is anything anybody wants to study about your arse.

      • Peter

        And the fall of terrorist like you

  • Scientist Group

    Barbaric practice? Go to your nearby slaughter house and stay there for 15min. Then say those nonsense against the workers at the slaughter house. Who is making money? That fat chicken eating fat vegan is the only one making money and you anti-whaling guys are all fooled by the fugitive cult leader. DONATE NOW!

    • http://www.facebook.com/ivy.lee.3367 Ivy Lividity

      You want to talk cults?? What about the ridiculous “cult of pride” that some in Japan live and die by? To the point that they will lie and destroy whole species to preserve it? You’re pathetic.

      • ddpalmer

        And what species would that be?

      • Peter

        Moron! That is what you are

  • m.b.

    I hope the arrest will be successful.

  • Daimaru

    It is very interesting how all of you generalized us the Japanese as barbaric. I am a Japanese who lives in Japan my entire life aside from several years in college, and not a single person I personally know eat whale meat nor do they want to try it. I have several Indian friends who told me cow are sacred animal, yet they do not call others who eat cows barbaric.

    Worse of all, most of the comment I see is not even targeting specific group (like whallers) but flat out racist towards the Japanese. I cant speak for other Japanese, but I never held an entire population of a country responsible for act committed by some individual.

    How unfortunate :(

    • http://www.facebook.com/ivy.lee.3367 Ivy Lividity

      Are you and your friends pressuring your government to stop whaling? Or turning a blind eye? You are either part of the problem or part of the solution.

      • ddpalmer

        Or they don’t think there is a problem.

        It is amazing how many ostensibly intelligent people still insist on seeing the world in black and white.

      • Peter

        It is disgusting that you can say that to a person and prejudge them. SS is nothing but a terrorist organization. Hurting another human being is a crime. Shame on you to even justified it.

        • http://www.facebook.com/stevenchr Steve Christianson

          Care to describe what person’s been hurt? calling SSCS a terrorist organization is an insult to those killed and their families in 9/11.

          • Peter

            Acid attack, thats a chemical btw

            http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8511988.stm

            Terrorist! nough said!

          • http://www.facebook.com/stevenchr Steve Christianson

            Rancid butter, hmmm? is that like the equivalent to plutonium or sulfur mustard or phosene gas? if your definition of someone throwing rancid butter makes them a terrorist, your a stange individual.

          • ddpalmer

            It isn’t rancid butter.

            And as suggested days ago, you might want to actually look at the definition of terrorist.

          • ddpalmer

            You might want to look up the definition of terrorist.

            You claim is like saying someone doing 40 mph in a 35 mph area isn’t a speeder because someone else was doing 100 mph.

    • PODGASS

      Speak Out Against it.

    • The Gardener

      It’s interesting to understand that you Japanese are so blind.
      Nature will strike you again without fail.
      Japan deserves it.
      Hard to accept but it’s the truth.

      • ddpalmer

        Nature isn’t sentient. What nature does will happen no matter what humans do.

        Hard to accept it but it’s the truth.

      • Whirled Peas

        You sound like Paul Watson, who believes he’s got a direct line to Poseidon. There’s a circle in Dante’s hell for megalomaniacs and another for those who wish ill on others.. Proceed with caution.

    • jap hater

      Shut up

  • John

    I love whale meat and wish we could get it here in the US we are the fools!

    • http://www.facebook.com/ivy.lee.3367 Ivy Lividity

      Well I agree with half of that – yes, you are a fool.

    • Andrew

      it tastes like nothing O.o Like tasteless rubber…. I’ve had it myself.

  • contradictory

    So if they develop a way to mass ‘produce’ whale like how we do our beef, chicken, turkey and whatnot, its ok? o_O as long as their not endangered, its ok to put on the dinner table :D I wonder how many of these anti whale hunters actually gorge on butchered animal meat…

  • PODGASS

    So what happens to the Poor Whales Meat?
    The Real Reason is Money from the Sale!

    Hang your Head in Shame Japan.

    • ddpalmer

      It gets sold to pay for the research, just like the international regulations requires.

      Of course they lose money every year so the money can hardly be the reason. Unless they are as illogical as Podgass.

  • Guest

    It is against Japanese law to interfere with Japanese commerce. Japan should arrest Paul Watson if he is interfering with Japanese commerce. Here’s the catch. If whaling is commerce, then it isn’t RESEARCH. And if it isn’t research, then the loophole in the law cannot be exploited, making Japanese whaling illegal. so which is it Japan? Commerce, or Research?

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1372707446 Scott Smith

    It is against Japanese law to interfere with Japanese commerce. Japan should arrest Paul Watson if he is interfering with Japanese commerce. Here’s the catch. If whaling is commerce, then it isn’t RESEARCH. And if it isn’t research, then the loophole in the law cannot be exploited, making Japanese whaling illegal. so which is it Japan? Commerce, or Research? If it’s “Commerce”, then by all means, arrest Paul Watson…and then be faced with world sanctions against Japan for illegally killing whales. If it is “Research” then you cannot charge Paul Watson with any crime since he isn’t interfering with Commerce (he would be interfering with “research” of which there is no criminal statute). Japanese law is very articulate about this, yet no one seems to read the law (or Japan doesn’t want you to read the law, more likely). I’m very familiar with Japanese law. Don’t get confused by emotions for either side. Understand the facts before speaking out. Understand Japanese law on this specific issue. Once you read the law, it’s easy to understand the facts…and THEN decide if the charges are legitimate based on the crime and the verbiage of the statute.

    • ddpalmer

      ” If whaling is commerce, then it isn’t RESEARCH.”

      Yeah that is a funny but illogical attempt to sway ignorant people.

      If a research companies pays their employees that is commerce, if they buy supplies that is commerce, if they rent a building that is commerce.

      And if your encyclopedic knowledge of Japanese law was true then everything you hypothesize would have happened when Peter Bethune was charged and convicted of interfering with commerce 2 years ago.

      Better luck next time.

  • Kelly

    This whale hunting BS NEED TO STOP! How long has it been they been doing “research” to damn long I tell you! Whale hunting and dolphin killing NEEDS to STOP! Breaks my heart seeing animals get hurt. While do we need to know about whales?! Do damn research on your damn ass people! That’s what you need! While animals?! Why?!?! America should do “research” on Japanese people and hunt there damn small ass! Take that Japan! Hope you burn I hell! Hope the A-bomb drops on you 10 times!!!!! Harder!!! STOP THE KILLING!!!!

    • ddpalmer

      Nice racist rant.

      Are you that virulent about the killing of cows, chickens, deer, pigs, lobster, herring, etc.?

    • Whirled Peas

      It strikes me that shouting “Stop the killing” (of whales) while expressing the desire for the annihilation of a whole nation of homo sapiens (humans) is rather contradictory.

  • ziggy2013

    I strongly support this cause, Paul Watson and Sea Sheppard group, please keep doing what you are doing, you are doing amazing work! Hopefully, one day it will sink into the Japanese minds what they are doing is completely wrong. Like sengleong, I would like to see the results on these so called scientific testing. My god man, do they really need 950 whales on a yearly basis to conduct this so called “scientific testing”?

    • ddpalmer

      “Like sengleong, I would like to see the results on these so called scientific testing.”

      Then use the computer you are sitting at and you can see them, rather than whining about what you would like.

      “My god man, do they really need 950 whales on a yearly basis to conduct this so called “scientific testing”?”

      Yes they do. Their research plan uses the well know mathematics of statistics to arrive at the appropriate sample size.

      • ziggy2013

        You are an idiot ddpalmer! Why don’t you do us all a favor an head down
        to the whale sanctuary and work your way in front of an engaging harpoon!

        • ddpalmer

          Now why do you believe I am an idiot?
          Could it be because I use facts and you don’t? No, because that makes you an idiot.
          Could it be that I have posted lies? No I haven’t done that.
          Could it just be that you don’t agree with my position? That must be it. But believing someone is an idiot because you don’t agree with them just makes you foolish and an idiot, not me.
          So I guess you have it backward ziggy. You must be the idiot.

          • ziggy2013

            No, I got it right! your the idiot!

          • ddpalmer

            Until you show some facts I am sorry but the general belief will be that the clueless fool ziggy is the idiot.

  • The Gardener

    Of Course!!
    After those whale hunters harpoon their own daughters & mothers.
    Tsunami will return & nature will reclaim.

  • ziggy2013

    Now that a new species of giant squid has been discover, I wonder how long it will take the Japanese fisheries to have them depleted to the brink of extinction? Living at a depth of 900 meters, they will find a way! Of course, it will all be done in the name of science!

    • ddpalmer

      What, posting this uniformed racist comment once wasn’t enough?

      Not a new species, it has been know of for years.

  • jap hater

    I hope the japs see another nuclear bomb and tsunami all in one day.

    • troll hater

      We hope your family gets slaughtered on christmas day ^_^ hey it rhymes!

  • david puzzler

    …as we read another real life horror story here..
    witness the bottomless-hole that is the japanese whale slaughtering industry people, and the brainless scum sucking drones over there and abroad who would puke their guts out of every orifice if they were forced even one day to be on a japanese ”whale research” slaughter boat and made to see bodies being ripped apart for their meat and the gorey horror film way body after pile of bodys of dolphin’s die at these peoples hands.
    with a smile.

  • Gassmann Consulting

    I lived in Japan for almost 7 years. I understand that this is a nationalist and a national identity issue. But Japan needs to understand it overfished it’s own waters long ago and is well on the way to doing so to the entire Pacific. The image that they have tried so hard to change around the world is being cemented as backward, selfish, nationalistic, cruel and evil. They have to understand it is time to stop this aggression. The stupid cow argument doesnt work anymore. We know whales and dolphins are sentient and endangered.

  • Rongtr

    Are the Japanese doing anything illegal according to the courts of law? Not morally, just legally. Just Wondering. Seems an international court may get things done quicker if so. I am ignorant on all the facts. I admit to this.

  • http://www.facebook.com/doug.roncek Doug Roncek

    On the one hand fishing for whales sounds like a lot of fun, like landing a real lunker! But on the other hand it seems totally unnecessary and cruel… and you can’t really practice ‘catch and release’ here… I’m kinda rooting for the good-guy pirates as long as they don’t hurt any people, it sounds like it’d be fun to be a pirate too… And I think the general rule here is that killing animals is okay as long as it serves a good purpose and the animals are ugly. You can’t be killing cute animals. ex. Dolphin safe Tuna, what about the poor non-cute Tuna? I love Tuna, its delicious. And whales are too big and awesome to be eaten’, its like eating elephant only worse… You know thats what happens, ‘scientific research’ my arse, researching which whale tastes the best most likely