Japanese whaling fleet sails again,

[H2Andy]

actually, Ahab was a wicked king in the Old Testment, something all of Melville's
readers would have been aware of.

Moby Dick was white, the traditional color of purity and holiness.

i think the villain is easy to spot in this one

 

[Mr.X]

actually, Ahab was a wicked king in the Old Testment, something all of Melville's
readers would have been aware of.

Moby Dick was white, the traditional color of purity and holiness.

i think the villain is easy to spot in this one

I agree. Where are my Cliff Notes? X

 

[Mr.X]

Here's some of the latest news on the current hunt and the "scientific" data gathered by the scientists:

http://www.themercury.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,19284413%5E401,00.html

I do hope the AUSSIE's and other anti-whaling nations can muster enough votes to turn it around. However, I would expect the Japanese to sway votes by paying off cash strapped countries like Togo. grrrrh. X

 

[wardric]

In Melville's Moby Dick the antagonist was a white Sperm whale. The protagonist was probably Ahab though the distinctions may not be all that clear. What stands out is that in olde' days that men actually whaled in an environmentally sound and ritual respected manner. They didn't sit bow high with some explosive tipped, pneumatically powered gun firing into a whale run to near dead exhaustion with some overseer gorilla of a corporation slapping you to make quota.

I don't fault harpooners. Most abhor their jobs.

yeah, respect out of fear mostly coz they had as much chance of dying than the whales themselves, but respect nonetheless.

As for Ahab, he had his own sad part of the story. At one point, we can empathise with him. He's a man filled with rage and a desire for personal vengeance. very far from some modern whalers.

Speaking of Whalers, I really miss them. I liked the team. Hartford is not the same without em'

 

[RikRaeder]

Sweden quit a while ago. Norway still hunts Minke Whale.

The efforts were to enlist good folk to write petition letters to Gorton USA, owned wholly by Nissui Corporation. In addition, folks living in New Zealand could probably petition SeaLord of New Zealand also owned by Nissui. Nissui owns a significant portion of the Japanese whaling fleet.

What's encouraging is that the good folks of Japan have seem to have lost their taste for whales. It'll be interesting to see how the industry tries to move meat that is no longer in demand. The latest was to process meat into pet foods, or move meat into the hospitals.

Next time you start a letter writing campaign, let me know. I'm up for that.

I think scientific whaling is a sham, personally. I know that they do feed it to people in the hospitals here. Reminds me of the chicken crate I saw in the University Basement at home: "Chicken, institutional-for use in Penitentiaries and Universities only"
I like to think California prisoners eat very well. Don't blow my delusion please.

As to Japanese school lunches, they are actually pretty darned good! I've eaten at some kindergartens and elementary schools. Never saw whale meat but did see a lot of very wholesome fresh cooked meals for the kiddies. No instant potatoes and ketchup=vegetable action here. I can believe they feed them whale sometimes, but just haven't seen it. "Whale, institutional-..."

As far as cost-benefit ratio, I agree that whaling can't be a self-sufficient industry. Must be that rebellous Japanese spirit. The people I've talked to who've tried it say it's really good, but maybe they were just Gaijin baiting.

 

[sasscuba]

Makes me sick:mad1:

 

[Mr.X]

Next time you start a letter writing campaign, let me know. I'm up for that.

As to Japanese school lunches, they are actually pretty darned good! I've eaten at some kindergartens and elementary schools. Never saw whale meat but did see a lot of very wholesome fresh cooked meals for the kiddies. No instant potatoes and ketchup=vegetable action here. I can believe they feed them whale sometimes, but just haven't seen it. "Whale, institutional-..."

Fellas - Greenpeace and others have petitions which you can sign which are relayed to Gorton's. Seems like NISSUI may have divested itself somewhat which does show that public opinion matters. Here's the site:

https://ctk.greenpeace.org/od-en/ctk-letters/get-info?letter_id=1217756

In addition this little site has been trying to collect one million signatures. Not sure how effective it is - but at least they are trying.

http://www.whalesrevenge.com/

Cheers, Mr. X


p.s. I did like the Whalers hockey team logo. I think I saw them play a long time ago? Also, interesting to note your observations on the Japanese school lunch. I have to say the food prep. there is far better + the presentation is always more appealing. If the US adopted some Japanese school lunch methods I bet some issues related to obesity and diabetes would be addressed. Cheers X and out!

 

[RikRaeder]

The schools I've been to have kitchens with old ladies actually COOKING food. I've also seen boxed lunches, but much better than what we think of. Actual complete, nutritious, delicious meals. The lunches I've had were REALLY good. (Fried pork cutlets, curry rice, long line caught fish with fresh cabbage and rice, etc)

 

[MaraGirl]

What really ticks me off is that the IWC & the international media still refer to Japanese Whaling as scientific. There's nothing scientific about it really. The Japanese Government buys their IWC votes from Antigua-Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts-Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent-Grenadines {http://www.cdnn.info/eco/e030618b/e030618b.html} so they can sustain an obsolete whaling industry.

I'm all for sustainable development and in the long term. Some very strict fishing regulations have to be enforced in International waters in order to stop the destruction of the seabed, etc. Immediately however, we should pressure these Carribean countries economically by influencing others not to dive or visit these countries. Same goes for Palau and other Pacific Countries that took Japan's bribes.

Let me start by saying that I abhor whaling and hate that Antigua sold it's vote. However, I take great exception at your suggestion of an economic boycott of us and our neighbours. Our government, for better or worse, sold it's vote for money because we need it - we're a thirld world country, for pity sake. Did you know that there are still families that live in houses with no running water and no electricity. People live on next to nothing here, what little we do have comes from our tourist based business and you want to wreck that.

It might be a far better to suggest that people contribute to causes that will educate the islands as to the horrors of whaling and provide solutions for the loss of money that will come from not selling our vote.

Finally, if you want to take a stand - then donate some money or time and don't buy anything that is Japanese, afterall, they are the ones that want to go whaling.

 

[H2Andy]

Mara, you're basically saying that your vote in that commission is a
commodity, and your country chose to sell that commodity without regards
for the well-being of the fishery they are supposed to be watching over?