Japanese Whaling

By:Rita Sharma &Valerie Washington

Sperm Whale 

The archetypal

whale,hunted for

its… •Fine oil, •Unique

spermaceti •Mysterious ambergris.

Minke Whale•The

smallest of the baleen

whales, and the only one still being taken in

large numbers

Blue Whale

•The largest animal ever, and among the most

endangered after

decades of intense whaling

Right Whale

• Slow• Rich in blubber

Considered the "right"

whale to hunt — until mere

hundreds remained.

Humpback Whale

The most charismatic and beloved of whales, yet subject to centuries of intense and illegal hunting.

Fin WhaleKilled in greater

numbers than any

other whale during the decades of industrial whaling.

Who Whales?• Canada• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines• Faroe Islands• Greenland• Iceland• Indonesia• Japan• Norway• Russia• United States

Many of these countries have

stopped whaling due to the

moratorium (suspension) of

commercial whaling.

Although many countries have

stopped the main countries that

continue to whale are • Japan

• Norway • Russia

Why do the Japanese hunt whales?•Japan has had a very long history of whaling.

•More than half a dozen towns can trace their whaling history back hundreds of years ago.

•These were times when whales were driven into nets, harpooned repeatedly and then dispatched with either a long sword or a wooden plug driven into the blowhole.

Continued•During the 20th century, Japanese coastal whaling received a boost with the introduction of steam ships and grenade-tipped harpoon guns.•In 1934 Japan expanded its whaling business to Antarctica. •Whales helped keep Japanese citizens fed both during and after World War 2. •In 1947 whale meat made up almost half of all animal protein consumed by the country. •Nearly 20 years later, whales continued to make up nearly one-quarter of the Japanese diet.

Why?

Japanese whaling history is an important part of why the Japanese continue to hunt whales. Attempting to stop Japan’s whaling business is perceived by many as a threat to the Japanese culture. According to some, eating whale meat is an old and impenetrable Japanese tradition.

"No one has the right to criticize the food culture of another people" --said Matayuki Komatsu of Japan's Fisheries Agency.

Whaling Controversy•In 1986, Japan withdrew its opposition to the International Whaling Commission's (IWC) moratorium on commercial whaling. •In 1987 Japan announced a large-scale scientific whaling program designed to assess whale stocks. (Keep track of whaling #’s)•Many people question the scientific validity and honesty of this program. Some suggest Japan's research is nothing more than a lie and cover for whaling purposes. •Japan insists that its methods are valid. •Japan's scientific whaling program continues to this day and has expanded greatly.•Activist groups like the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society claim that Japan's whaling practices violate international law.•Japan states the action taken by Sea Shepherd’s are illegal, and is a form of eco-terrorism.

Whaling ProtectionPelly Amendment to the Fishermentec's Protective Act of 1967- restricts the "importation of fishery or wildlife products from countries which violate international fishery or endangered or threatened species programs."

Packwood Amendment to the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act-demands that economic sanctions be imposed against any foreign country that conducts fishing operations in such a manner as to "diminish the effectiveness" of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW).

Protection•International cooperation in whaling regulation began in 1931 •Resulted in the signing of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW) in 1946. •Their aim is to

"provide for the proper conservation of whale stocks and thus make possible the commercial whaling and the orderly development of the whaling industry".

•The IWC was set up under the ICRW for making decisions on quota levels and other matters based on the findings of its Scientific Committee. •Countries which are not members of IWC are not bound by its regulations and conduct their own management programs.

•The meat was used as food. •In some countries the meat is a delicacy, in others it is only used as animal food. •The blubber was used as fuel •Grease (used to oil engines and machines)•Material for make-up. •Bones and teeth were used as building material. •Some people cook the bones to make glue or they grind them for fertilizer. •Teeth are used for tools or souvenirs. •People also discovered ambergris. This material comes from the digestive system of the sperm whale and is used for very expensive perfumes.

Almost every part of a whale was once used…

Videos & PicturesProducts from whales

Seriousness of whaling

Whaling Video

Whaling #2

Works Cited

http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0215471/whales.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whaling

http://animal.discovery.com/tv/whale-wars/meet-the-whales/