Jennifer, humans are omnivores which means that we are designed to eat anything. Our canine teeth and incisors are for meat. Without an ability to tap into bone marrow it is unlikely that our brains would have developed to the size that they are today and if we had not domesticated animals to keep in pens in one place we would not have figured out that certain crops can be grown in cycles and developed agriculture, which was ultimately aided by pastoralism. Therefore, without a humans latent ability to adapt, aided by eating meat, you would not be sat at your computer or possibly even have the brainpower to formulate the idea that you rhink eating meat is bad, so let people live their lives and make their own decisions rather than spewing out clichés and faux-liberal rubbish. Regarding the Japanese question, whale meat has long been a popular dish in Japan and, although whales are endangered, we should try to understand their point of view. Culturally, it is as Japanese as roast beef to us

Gavin Le Boutillier, Hull, East Yorkshire

Jen, you are certainly passionate about all non-humans. What is your view on the exploitation of humans?

Julian, San Francisco, US

Jennifer's argument is simply out of place and just compromises the effort to save whales most of which are an endangered species. Her obvious vegetarian lifestyle is a matter of choice and the outcry against the selfish and despicable Japanese actions should not be hijacked by the likes of her to convert the rest of us to vegetarianism.

Philemon Dordoe, London,

Dont think for one moment that meat is the only product of commercial whaling. Whale blubber renders both omega-3 fatty acids and spermaceti found in supplements and cosmetics, respectively - even in Europe.

steve, essex,

Jennifer the difference is that we don't go hunting chickens, sheep and pigs which are endangered and in an international wild life reserve. Your argument just holds no parallels with farming, but then the militant vegetarians and vegan often seem to lack the ability to hold rational arguments. An equivalent would be the English going into India and hunting there tigers and elephants on the basis that we used to do it and then adding some quasi-research mumbo jumbo to the argument, purely so we could eat the animals. for the sake of your animal welfare cause, please at least compare like with like.

Jason, York,

Brilliant news. But as I watched the news last night and the outpouring of dismay at the killing of such intelligent, family oriented, sociable creatures, I was suddeny struck by our moral schizophrenia. Pigs, cows, chickens et al are ALL intelligent, family oriented, and sociable creatures. Yet we still allow them to suffer terribly simply for our eating pleasure, not need, just pleasure. When people talk to me about the horror of killing whales, I ask them if they eat meat. If they do, then I have no other feasible option than to treat them as hypocrites, and tell them to visit a modern farm and slaughterhouse in order to understand their hypocrisy. I for one, detest the exploitation of ALL nonhumans, and I only wish that my fellow humans could do the same, instead of the selective compassion that they in fact show.

Jennifer Hynes, Barry, Cymru