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07-13-2011, 01:51 AM
Whaling has very limited cultural history or value except in some fairly specific areas. If you wanted to use the cultural part as justification to continue whaling then why do they not hunt the whales in traditional waters around the Japanese coastline? Why do they hunt the whales in the southern ocean around Antarctica? Is that part of their cultural heritage?
Demand for whale meat is pretty low. From all accounts there are huge stockpiles of frozen whale meat that they struggle to sell. They've tried making it a compulsory part of lunches in many schools but that doesn't seem to have gone down too well. Overall whale it an aquired taste (I've had some) with limited appeal. The industry is heavily subsidised by the government as it is not profitable at all. In my own opinion the government continues to support the industry purely for political reasons and nothing whatsoever to do with scientific or cultural reasons. 
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07-14-2011, 05:21 AM
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The whaling industry is heavily subsidised. If it wasn't it would have gone broke many years ago. You have to ask the question why is the government propping up this industry that doesn't really employ all that many people anymore and causes such international condemnation? It doesn't make good economic sense at all. The domestic market for the meat is only very small (much smaller than the amount they catch) and is declining. Culturally there are only a few towns that could say they have a long history of whaling and I doubt any of them would be devastated if the industry were to discontinue. The current industry isn't like some indigenous culture maintaining a hunting practice that has huge cultural significance. If it was about that they'd be hunting whale in their traditional hunting grounds wouldn't they? The only reason to continue whaling I can see is a political one. Primarily I think it's an easy way for the government to appease the ultra nationalists.
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07-14-2011, 07:34 AM
I very much like your points GoNative.
Also, I'm curious. How is whaling considered cultural heritage? That may seem vague, but it's hard to explain. Like... what part of whaling is cultural? It's not unique to Japan... all it includes are some boats and some big factories... I just don't see what part of it is considered cultural. I may be looking at the word 'culture' the wrong way, but I just don't see how that's a valid reason, plus the other points you said. I would have thought whaling was cultural if they were catching them with bamboo spears, nets and via traditional means (not trying to sound racist lol).
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07-14-2011, 10:48 AM
Well, whatever the reason, it's legal for Japan to hunt whales. So we have no right to stop them.
For some strange reason I don't really care if the whaling continues even tough I love whale as an animal, not food.
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07-14-2011, 06:16 PM
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07-14-2011, 10:11 PM
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Animal cruelty is more or less the same thing. In the case of japan, if the demand is really low (as someone mentioned), then they ought to stop, since they are simply misusing resources and threatening ecosystems just 'because'. I know it's hard for Japanese people to change their cultural behavior, however in this case they should at least breed their own whales, so it doesn't affect that much the ecosystems.
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07-14-2011, 11:14 PM
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