Western develop countries believe that they have the right to continue to dictate how earth,s resources should be used. When whale oil was an economically valuable asset , whale hunting was never questioned with the varosity as it is being questioned now; even though these large animals were then endangered as against now when the populations of most whale species are clearly at sustainable harvestable levels.

Britian, Australia and their European allies should realize by now that no amount of duplicity and self righteousness can hide their continued imperialistic mission of dominance over the exploitation of Earth's natural resources. The new leaders and professionals in the developing world will never again concede leadership and ownership to these resources to those nations that have benefited and prospered in the past from the economic use of these resources at the expense of people of the developing world.

A Caribbean nationalist

Zanzi Brown, St Johns, Antigua

The reason most Japanese are unaware of their country's policy and practice of whaling is because it is not reported in their press. Very few want to eat whale meat but are taught in school that, as Stirling from New Mexico believes, this is simply an issue of Westerners' attitudes towards whales. The standard response is, "But you eat cows, don't you?" I don't even know how to respond to that kind of muddled thinking.
Having lived in Japan for 25 years, I see that Japanese policy on issues like whaling, bluefin tuna and turtle shell importation is not directed by the average citizen. Products from these animals are nowhere to be seen in everyday Japanese life. Policy on these issues is directed by a nationalistic section of the very wealthy who can afford those products.
Without economic pressure from abroad, I don't think you will see any change from here.
Finally, the baseline for these decisions should be pre-whaling numbers.

D Del Raye, Kyoto, Japan

I run Whale watching in Sydney and am obviously against any hunting of whales. I have nothing against the Japanese, and in fact , we get many on our tours. Most are not even aware that Japan hunts whales, some are horrified and some just shrug. Japaneses Fisheries however, I do have issue with.

I note some of the other comments here, and one thing that strikes me is that the groups like Japanese Fisheries and others ,continue to use outright lies and bribery to get their way, does the use of such methods not highlight the lack of any moral compunction.

Can whales be hunted on a sustainable basis, no doubt scientist agree, just as they agree that you could , if you wished, punch your mother in the face, but should we? The rest of the world would say no.

Scientist do agree there is no way of humanly 'switching off the lights' . Whales are not eating all the fish, and if you think they are 'cows with fins' then I challenge you to try milking one.

W Ford, Sydney, Australia

Issues such as the shipping-related pollution of the world's oceans, the use of anti-fouling agents on ship hulls, land-based pollution of oceans, off-shore drilling and construction, the mostly unregulated nature of marine-based tourism, human disturbances of marine wildlife and their habitats, regional changes in oceanographic, long -term impacts of commercial fisheries of species whales may be dependent upon, such as krill, as the above poster has stated, and ever-increasing and unregulated noise-pollution of oceans are all issues that are much more pressing than whaling is.

Whatever the dubiousness of Japan's whaling politics and dishonesty, addressing the issues above is imperative, yet they don't get enough half so much attention as Japan-bashing does.

It must just be easier to polarise the debate, demonise Japan and to always resort to senationalism and hysterics.

Is it whales we love or Japan whom we love to hate with a united front -and feel righteous about doing so??

A Marine Policy Student, Sydney, Australia

Linking Whale conservation to climate change is illogocal. That killing individuals of an endangered species will lead to extinction is an indisputable fact. There is still much scientific debate on the causes of global warming, which is not regarded as man-made by a significant number of reputable scientists.

Confusing the two issues is not enlightening.

PR, Cornwall,

My parents ate whale during the War, it was an austerity measure. They said it was hateful and would repeat on you for hours. The Japanese maintain that they kill the creature so as to enable research. This research has been in train since time immemorial but little in the way of papers or other research findings has ever been published. Whales, as a species, are under vast pressures within their own environment. Electronic warfare and other forms of ocean pollution are having untold effects (since the Japanese seem to have no viewpoint on the subject despite their 'monitoring' activities.) There is hardly any Whale product, apart from its meat, that cannot be synthesized. Despite the fuel price we will never return to Whale oil for lighting; the use of Whale organs for curtains, perfume or ornaments, are too self-indulgent, insubstantial reasons for murdering such a majestic beast. The Blue Whale is the largest creature that has ever inhabited the world, how passive, how instructive.

Malcolm Turner, Alsager, England

dont buy japanese goods or any thing to do with japan . but i know that is out. because people are greedy and only think of them selves . the english car business went bust because japanes cars i would never buy japanese if i never had a car because of ther cruelty dureing the war but the people in this country cant think back a few years just look at the japs with whaleing they are brutal in every way and liars

xhas, coventry, uk

The majority of whales are on the endangered species list revoking the ban on whaling will put those species in even greater jeopardy, and the idea of whaling is a pretty inhumane and unneccessary. We need to learn to consume responsibly and in a sustainable manner, driving a huge gas powered boat to shoot a harpoon at whales is not what I would consider as being "responsible" or "sustainable".

Cyrus, Toronto, Canada

Our persepctive is somewhat different. Sustainable whaling means harvesting nature's surplus. It provides good and healthy food in harmony with nature. It does not destroy nature as is often the case with other means of producing food. The whales are dispatched instantly, it's like swithching off the light. Scientists agree that several whale stocks are abundant and can be hunted on a sustainable basis. The whaling debate is similar to the climate change debate in the sense that the scientists agree, but the politicians fail to act, they simply ignore the knowledge and refuse to cope with the issue in a reasonable and rational manner. Both issues should be dealt with on the basis of knowledge. We should reduce CO2 emissions and we should encourage more sustainable whaling.

Rune Frøvik, High North Alliance, Lofoten, Norway

There is a rational argument for limiting the harvest of any given whale species to a sustainable level. Blues and sperm whales are probably still too scarce for sustained commercial hunting.

There is absolutely _no_ rational argument for this pseudo-religious reverence for whales as such.

They're just big cows with fins.

The Japanese, Icelanders and Norwegians are a welcome counter to the squishy sentimentality, hysteria and wooly-mindedness so evident here.

It would be a good thing if everyone was compelled to live on a small farm for a while in their childhood, so they'd be used to killing their own food.

Knock-knock! We're predators! We always have been predators!

S.M. Stirling, Santa Fe, New Mexico

As Japan has continued to hunt whales during the ban on the industry, it seems wrong that the country as a whole should have an bearing on what happens in the future. Japan should be allowed no involvement in any resolution (which should clearly be that whaling remains banned, but is also enforced).

Emily, Northants, UK

To quote, Spock, 'hunting a species to extinction, is not logical', to quote the marine biologist, "who said humans were logical?".

Perhaps the greater crime, is that a nation that is easily one of the richest in history, should be the leader of this unspeakable crime. Since money is not the objective, what is?

Robert Boyd, Oakville Ontario, Canada

I'm with Homer, Goh B S. Can you explain how the decreasing age of fertility is 'compelling' evidence that minke whales are doing 'too well'? It suggests the opposite to me and I'd be interested to hear how your research suggests otherwise.

KJD, Chelmsford,

I love whales too. Amazing beasts.

But I wonder which is worse, hunting whales or hunting people?

John Chuckman, Toronto, Canada

whale, as the biggest animal in the world, is so fragile in face of human beings. Lose it, we'll regret for a millennium.

florence, shanghai, china

acoustical polution by the old industry and by the navies of the world kills a hundred times more whales than the whale fisherman of Japan.

I do not defend killing healthy whales with harpoons and deplore the death of any healthy marine mammal. However, I have evidence that the drive fisheries for smaller toothed whales near shore in Japan and in the Fareo Islands may indeed by environmentally sound and humane.

I say go after the navies and the oil industry with both barrels, and then, if we can stop the acoustical slaughter, we can move on the lessor offender in Japan and Norway.

David Williams, Negros Oriental, Philippines

Whaling is simply indefensible - 'tradition' is no excuse. The defence of tradition could have been applied to most evils in the world. In fact Britain could have one of the biggest claims on this tradition, but happily we have turned our backs on it.

It is also a strange paradox that the richest nations, Japan and Norway, are the biggest defenders of this cruel practise; I suspect if the world really cared we could stop them by focusing on their substantial exports making this tradition simply uneconomic to persist.

Alan, Spalding, UK

Couldn't the decrease in Minke whale fertility age equally suggest that the popoulation is having to become fertile at a much earlier age to enable them to have a chance to breed before they are killed?

Homer, London,

whaling should stop

kelly, chch, new zaeland

I participated in a working group of the Scientific Committee of IWC in a year before 1986 as an applied mathematician. I was the first person in the world to use rocket mathematics in the management of fisheries. My only book is "Management and Analysis of Biological Populations".
As I see it the important factor in this debate on the conservation of whales is to manage the whale populations as a Multi-Species System. Evidence that by 1983 the Minke whales age of fertility had decreased from 14 yrs to 9 yrs suggests in a compelling way that the Minke populations are doing too well. On the other hand the blue whales populations have not significantly increased.
This suggests that some culling of the Minke populations may be desirable in the overall management of ALL the whale populations.
A more serious threat to the whale populations in the Southern Oceans is to ensure that the krill populations are not significantly depleted by harvesting for food to feed animals.

Goh B S , Sydney, Australia

Thank you for the information. I am writing to the Japanaese Embassy to express my indignation and that I plan not to purchase a japanese car nex year.

Best regards,

Bruno Schremmer, Philadelphia, PA USA

A brilliant and thought provoking write up...I'm reminded of a world reknown wild life photographer, and the only person bestowed with the coveted Green Oscars three times....Mr. Mike Pandey. In his movie "Shores of Silence" he picturised the gruesome killing of whale sharks and brutal and most unspeakable methods of whale hunting by the trawlers around the shores of Indian Ocean. Equally so Japanese are also responsible of killing whales , more as a culinary speciality and extracting oil and fat as a by product. This reckless process of killing spree to gain commercial benefits shall bring this mammoth mammal to the level of extinct and endangered species. Marine oceanographers have predicted that this shall create a huge ecological imbalance in the marine fauna and ocean life. Our generations ahead shall just talk of Whales as we do about dynasaurs. People like Mike Pandey play a crucial role as crusaders, in creating public awareness and also conserving our nature and planet.

Sandy, New Delhi, India