Exploited Whale Shark in Japan

[sailingk8]

I received this and if anyone else is interested in getting involved here are the details:

A whaleshark was caught by Japanese fishermen off the coast of Tateyama - Chiba prefecture, on July 25 and it is currently held in a 50x50 meters space that is cordoned off by a net. While waiting for an aquarium to buy the whaleshark, facilitators are taking the opportunity to profit by letting 40 divers and a glass bottomed boat inside the enclosure daily, creating a lot of stress to the whaleshark. In addition, the tiny enclosure forces the shark to make a lot of sharp turns, causing it to burn off it’s energy very fast. The man-made environment can also not cater to a whaleshark's special feeding requirements. In short, its inability to adapt to this captivity will drastically reduce the shark’s lifespan.

We are urging the local major to release this shark immediately AND HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN DO:

* Open a new e-mail.

* Copy the e-mail address and Japanese title in the link below in your e-mail. (as the major doesn’t speak English, we’re sending this letter in Japanese).

* Then open the .pdf and with the cursor tool, copy the letter in your e-mail (you can read what you are sending in the English translation below the Japanese letter).

* Add your name and send.

Please also share this link and urge your contacts to do the same?

LINK TO THE INFO AND LETTER TO COPY: PDF Letter asking for the release of captive whale sharks in Chiba, Japan Pangea Seed

 

[sailingk8]

Note: If you notice that you can't copy the Japanese signs and only get squares, then please save the .pdf to your computer and send it as an attachment with your e-mail.

 

[Jupiter31]

Are you suprised?

Japan is a country that engages in and promotes whaling, the killing of whales under the guise of "research" - and I've never seen a good or even compelling reason for them doing so.

 

[sailingk8]

I don't believe in calling out an entire country on the actions of a greedy minority. There are plenty of greedy opportunistic people all over the world. I just happen to want to draw attention to this particular group. Pointing fingers at an entire nation will not solve problems, it only alienated supporters in that country.

I tend to look at traditional problems as like dealing with head hunters, most of the planet sees the actions as cruel and wrong but a few stand firm to their old traditions and don't like being told they can't. It's up to the people of their area to stand up with the outsiders and say, Hey this isn't acceptable any more. But lumping an entire nation into the problem only makes them all defensive. JMHO

 

[Jupiter31]

Sorry, I have to (respectfully) disagree -

If there was more outrage from the citizens involved, and pressure put on the government to end the practice, maybe - just maybe - something would be done. Its sure not for economic reasons, or because they like the whale meat, much of which goes to schools for lunch's and is not enjoyed or appreciated - at least from what I have seen and read.

Japan, for all its positives, shares a belief prevelant in many Asian societies that any creature who's back "faces heaven" is fair game to be consumed.

Its also a place that sanctions things like the dolphin slaughter that was the subject of a documentary not too long ago.

I get your point about calling out an entire country, but the fact that things happen there that I find personally repulsive (like the point of your original post) does not mean we should not comment about it.

Final point - in our own country, we have sanctioned the right of native americans in Alaska to "harvest a whale or 2 per year, as a gesture to their beliefs and traditions - I don't like it, but understand why - but hardly the same as commercial whaling, or other types of slaughter engaged in countries like Japan.