Japan Whaling - Dangerous Waters!

Commenting on Japan's whaling is certain to take me into dangerous waters! Emotions run high on both sides.

The issue is back in the news as Japan's hunt of up to 1000 minke whales gets underway in Antarctic waters, ostensibly for research purposes. Protest groups have harrassed Japanese whalers, with 2 protestors from Sea Shepherd dramatically boarding a Japanese ship. The pair have since been transferred to an Australian custody after high-level diplomatic intervention.

Now at the risk of offending both sides, here is my view. The International Whaling Commission is the legally constituted body that has legally sanctioned the research hunt. From that perspective, the activities of Japan are legal. Australia tried to declare a sanctuary zone in Antarctic waters, but no other nation (as far as I am aware) recognizes Australia's authority to do so. But here's my advice to Japan: Give up whaling. Putting aside for now morale questions about killing whales, the hunt provides no particular economic or scientific value. Whale meat, while nostalgic for some, isn't particularly special and it certainly isn't necessary for anyone's diet in Japan. The hunt does nothing but bring codemnation from most other nations. Japan is country that wants to be liked, and wants to be taken seriously as a world leader. The aggressive pro-whaling efforts undermine that. On purely practical grounds, the whole things is a massive waste of time and not in Japan's long-term self interest.

As for the activists who chase after the Japanese fleet every year, it is perfectly fine to shadow the fleet to track activities and collect video for us in a public relations effort. However, interfering directly with the lawful activities of Japanese ships in international waters is tantamount to piracy. Boarding a ship and threatening the crew with acid (as the two Sea Shepherd activists appear to have done) is terrorism. The two perpetrators should be remanded to Japan for trial on charges of piracy and terrorism. Those who wish to stop whaling, must take their arguments to the political arena, both at the IWC and in the court of public opinion in Japan. Such aggression in international waters is neither heroic nor romantic. It is a criminal and should be treated as such.