Japan's whaling fleet sets sail

[jagfish]

...Lobsters are unable to not feel any pain...

My mind reels...more confusing than the ending to Matrix 2...

 

[dlndavid]

My mind reels...more confusing than the ending to Matrix 2...

Be nice, first post

 

[jagfish]

No offense meant...but Yeah, that's true...

I was really traumatized by that ending though...I didn't know who I was for weeks...

 

[Kim]

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.

Actually I believe that the conclusion is that they 'probably' don't feel pain. They can sense heat differences as they follow warm currents to migrate in the sea. If it was their instinct to escape then I think you'd also have to ask yourself why they want to escape if they can't feel pain in the first place? Still....this is a bit of a 'red lobster' away from the main thread. I only used this example to try to demonstrate that it's tricky trying to make moral judgements when it involves telling other people what they may or may not eat.

 

[Kim]

I'm not squeamish about it, just can't understand why. That's all

I think the main reason is because they really enjoy the taste! It would be a bit silly otherwise.

 

[Kim]

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.

Actually I'm not sure if most scubaboarders would agree with that. For my part I have no problem with people who don't want to eat whale - I wouldn't eat it myself. I confess though to getting slightly irritated whenever the topic comes up as it generally always involves some kind of attack on the Japanese at the same time. I'm not accusing David of this in this thread, but the fact is that it's such an emotive topic that it generally happens (and did again in this thread). When it's coupled with a seeming unawareness about ones own cultures practices then I can't help catching a whiff of something that smells a little like hypocrisy. I don't usual quote religious things but I believe it was Jesus who said-
"Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."

Judging others by your own standards can be a very dangerous thing to do.

 

[archman]

Well, this is fairly absurd. I can professionally say this.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4282627.stm

The Institute of Cetacean Research in Japan has proposed that minke whales used to be rare and have only become abundant in recent times. They estimate that numbers have increased from around 100,000 to approximately 800,000 just in the last hundred years.

This, they claim, is hindering the recovery of other Antarctic whale species - pointing to the need for resumed whaling.

Culling minkes to help other whale stocks recover. Even if the genetic evidence didn't discount it, ecological tampering on a spatial scale like that has never been attempted. Someone is being irrationally optimistic.

Given the current population size and minke generation times, taking 1,000 or so a year should be sustainable. There's little need to bolster public opinion by fronting an ecological theory that's not only silly but dangerous to experiment with. It's going to bite them in the butt.

 

[fishb0y]

I think the main reason is because they really enjoy the taste! It would be a bit silly otherwise.

Like I said earlier, my wife remembered having it once as a child, and she really liked it. I think I would try it if offered.

 

[Kim]

Like I said earlier, my wife remembered having it once as a child, and she really liked it. I think I would try it if offered.

I don't want to eat it myself, but that's just me. On the other hand I prefer to argue the case for tolerance of those that do rather than try telling my wife that she shouldn't because I don't think she should! :11:

 

[fishb0y]

I don't want to eat it myself, but that's just me. On the other hand I prefer to argue the case for tolerance of those that do rather than try telling my wife that she shouldn't because I don't think she should! :11:

Well whales are "cute" animals... It seems like the only reason my wife lets me dive now is because I bring her back a taco every once in a while. For those of you not in the "know" a taco doesn't come from Taco Bell, but is in fact an octopus (which are good by the way).