Japan's whaling fleet sets sail

[vladimir]

I wonder how the people in Alaska are going to feel when they start extracting the oil out of up to now protected areas, screwing up the local environment for a really short term benefit?

I'm sorry to say they strongly support the idea.

 

[dlndavid]

My original post was not to start an arguement, but why would someone want to kill such beautiful creatures, remember we are the one who can't dive on a reef with gloves as we might damage it, but Japan can take 1,000 whales for research, then eat them. Not attacking Japan, heck I'd be curious to taste whale, as long as it was being harvested like deer populations are here in the states to keep the herds healthy and in control. I have followed whales along the coast of Oregon, it is very exciting, and I believe the whales enjoy the attention and linger for a while to do some breaching for our enjoyment, awesome.

 

[Kim]

I'm sorry to say they strongly support the idea.

Really? That amazes me. Does that include the people from the affected areas? I might be mistaken but I thought I saw a documentary about this where the local populations were basically helpless in the face of this. Their whole way of life will be destroyed. Like I said though - I just recollect something about that and I'm not completely sure of it.

 

[jagfish]

David
I have never eaten whale. It has been oferred to me, but if I had, I'd never be able to admit the fact to most of my stateside friends without consequences.

I don't know your background, but you may just have to surrender to the fact (as I often do) that in foreign countries, people do things that do not make sense to us, and that does not neccessaily make the things wrong. This is despite the fact that they can seem so wrong from our perspective.

We all swim in the cultural water in which we were raised. It is all around us and very hard to see...

 

[Kim]

My original post was not to start an arguement, but why would someone want to kill such beautiful creatures, remember we are the one who can't dive on a reef with gloves as we might damage it, but Japan can take 1,000 whales for research, then eat them. Not attacking Japan, heck I'd be curious to taste whale, as long as it was being harvested like deer populations are here in the states to keep the herds healthy and in control. I have followed whales along the coast of Oregon, it is very exciting, and I believe the whales enjoy the attention and linger for a while to do some breaching for our enjoyment, awesome.

As far as I know current practices ARE designed to keep populations healthy and sustainable. The increased quota this year reflects that. FWIW I am not personally interested in eating whale. It's not in my culture and I don't need to. As posted earlier though my wife also used to eat whalemeat as a child and that's how she was raised. For me that makes the difference. It's simply a cultural thing. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder - some see a whale as a magnificent creature - some see it as a meal. Who is to be the judge that one viewpoint is more valuable than the other? Where would such a judgement lead us if applied to other forms of life that we eat? How about throwing live lobsters into boiling water for instance?

 

[dlndavid]

Hey my ancestors the Vikings were persecuted for pilaging and plundering, what's the big deal with a little whale hunting. I'm not squeamish about it, just can't understand why. That's all

 

[dlndavid]

mmmm...Lobster, I get them drunk first

 

[MarkH]

.

 

[MarkH]

My original post was not to start an arguement, but why would someone want to kill such beautiful creatures, remember we are the one who can't dive on a reef with gloves as we might damage it, but Japan can take 1,000 whales for research, then eat them. Not attacking Japan, heck I'd be curious to taste whale, as long as it was being harvested like deer populations are here in the states to keep the herds healthy and in control. I have followed whales along the coast of Oregon, it is very exciting, and I believe the whales enjoy the attention and linger for a while to do some breaching for our enjoyment, awesome.

A quick search of former threads regarding whaling should show you what most scubaboarders think of whales. Every time a new one starts up I have to wince with sympathy for the inocent poster who started the thread.

 

[Jacurley45]

Weird Fact: there are scientific evidences of those Lobsters are unable to not feel any pain; it is just their instinct to trying to escape. Invertebrates in general don not feel pain since they have very basic nervous systems and small brains.