Quote:
Originally Posted by chiuchimu
The method of killing is wrong? Do you have any clue what goes on 24 hours a day in the meat industries of the west?
Not about culture? whale meat has been on a part of the diet in Japan for centuries. At some point we might stop eating whale meat just as we stopped walking around with swords. But that will be our decision to make, not the decision of foreigners.
If your against whaling, promote your views in the west. In coastal waters, what we do is non of your business. besides,the vast majority of whales aren't even in Japanese waters, and as I understand it Japan was no unique species of whales in its coastal waters. These anti-whalers always try to paint the picture that the worlds whale population all depend on what Japan does of its coastal waters. That's a flat out lie.
killing whales is not human? I agree. but you missed a serious point. Killing any animal is not human. You ever killed a chicken, pig or goat? Any farmer can tell you, the animals know whats happening, to be aware of and recognize danger is a primitive trait of animals. Does it matter? Nature is about eat or be eaten. So, whatever is good enough for the beef is good enough for the whale.
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There are a lot of terrible things going on in 'our' industry... but just because everyone is doing bad things, doesn't mean you should too. Battery hens, for one is a terrible way to treat animals. I don't buy eggs at all because we have pet chickens, but they are free to roam and we don't kill them. We only buy 'freedom food' RSPCA approved chickens because they have been free to roam and have been killed in humane ways. I know I'm doing my bit, and I also campaign against battery hens and the like.
The thing is, the animals that we kill are bred and farmed to be eaten in England. They are sustainable. Whales ARE NOT YOURS - they are wild. That's the difference here. That's not to say that terrible, illegal and wrong things happen here, but similarly it doesn't excuse the fact that what Japan is doing is wrong.
Killing animals to be eaten is a fact of life and needs to be done. However, we can kill smaller animals in ways that can be considered more humane. This is not to say that it happens all the time, and it's all roses and peaches. But killing a chicken in a very quick manner, and killing a whale which dies very very slowly and painfully, is different. Neither is good, but one is the lesser of two evils.
If you found a way to kill whales sustainably and to kill them in a way that is not so inhumane, painful and takes a lot of time, I think people would be less bothered about it. The fact is, it's very difficult/impossible to do this with a creature of this size.
EDIT: I see you've edited your post so... here's my edit. Look above, I acknowledged the fact that in some cases, we are no better. I'm not really speaking for England here, I'm speaking for myself and what I know. What's in the past... is the past, and is also wrong. It's still inhumane to kill whales by the methods the Japanese are using... I think that's the point.