Abstract (Summary)
Japan going a-whaling is, to borrow from Oscar Wilde, the unspeakable in pursuit of the almost uneatable. As with foxhunting in Britain, views seem irreconcilable. Since 1986 the International Whaling Commission (IWC) has imposed a moratorium on commercial whaling. Yet every Antarctic summer, Japan sends a whaling fleet south to catch hundreds of whales for "research". The slaughters have damaged Japan's standing among ordinary folk abroad. Now relations with Australia, Japan's closest friend in Asia, are at risk. Australia's prime minister, Kevin Rudd, has threatened to sue Japan in the International Court of Justice if it does not give up whaling by the start of the next season, in November. In response, Japan's pro-whaling position appears only to have hardened. A proposal named after its head, Cristian Maquieira, aims for a big cut in catches in return for limited commercial whaling by those already taking whales, while bringing "research" whaling under IWC control. Japan appears interested, though details will become clearer only with the IWC's annual meeting this summer.
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I am increasingly interested in the impacts of "research". How many samples can we take before our research becomes destructive or deleterious on the environment? In this case it has become an issue for the environment with removal of a large amount of whales AND an issue for the relationships Japan has with several countries. At what point does research cross the line?
-Katie (KFM1990)
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