Monday September 28, 2009, 9:56 am
It takes agonizing minutes for a harpooned whale to die. Not instantly, as Japanese whale hunters have claimed since the twelfth century.

I’ve seen horrific and indisputable YouTube footage of Japanese whalers engaged in their vindictive and bloody hunt in the Southern Ocean and it only reaffirms my belief that whaling is, and will always be, unadulterated cruelty.
In a number of murky scenes, taken by a hand-held camera by a crewmember of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, harpooned whales are seen alive and fully conscious, thrashing distressingly in the water and even attempting to dive against the harpoon line in a desperate attempt to escape. It’s a heartbreaking sight.

The World Society for the Protection of Animals released a statistic last year that estimated up to 60 percent of whales hunted by harpoon do not die immediately.

Still whalers continue to hunt.

Last Wednesday Japan’s new government, in power for a week under Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, urged the Australian government to help thwart the Sea Shepherd’s valiant efforts against its whaling operations in the Southern Ocean -- the very same ocean that was once a whale sanctuary. Japan still hunts in the waters off Antarctica for whale meat under the disguise of "scientific research."

Few people outside of Japan believe lethal research is legitimate or even now necessary. Japan’s Institute of Cetacean Research has posted very little, if any, conclusive scientific findings on its website since it began its deadly studies in the early 90s.

It utterly bemuses me that Japan would have the audacity to urge Australia such a request.

Of course the Japanese would be keen to have a clear and uninterrupted run right throughout the Antarctic killing grounds this summer, rather than have to deal with the whale-saving tactics of the supposed "eco-terrorists" of the Sea Shepherd. The Nisshin Maru -- described by the Sea Shepherd’s captain, Paul Watson, as the "most evil ship (on) the ocean" -- was responsible for killing 551 Minke whales during last year’s whale hunting season.

Commercial whaling is an insupportable practice, proven by the near-extinction of the entire humpback whale species from our oceans in the early parts of the twentieth century.

Greenpeace has claimed for years that the government of Japan has long used overseas development aid, particularly fisheries aid as incentive for developing nations to join its plot to gain majority control of the International Whaling Commission: the intergovernmental body responsible for conserving whale stocks.

As recently as July, the landlocked nation of Ghana joined the IWC, following encouragement by Japan. Ghana was named by Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs as one of the 11 developing nations invited to a fisheries seminar in Tokyo; these developing nations are Japanese puppet members of the IWC. Still, Ghana’s decision confirms that there is a deeply divided "vote race" going on within the organization.

A total of 17 developing nations from Africa have joined the IWC since 2001, where they are voicing the strongest support for Japanese claims that whales are in fact endangering worldwide fisheries.

"To push forward with a very transparent policy to buy up a majority of votes at the IWC whilst at the same time asking governments like Australia to compromise on their strong anti-whaling position is sheer hypocrisy from the Japanese government," said Greenpeace spokesman Reece Turner.

The IWC does not nearly go far enough to protect whales and enforce their own laws. A little over a year ago Japan had the humpback whale on it’s hunting list. It was only through immense international condemnation, led by the United States, that they removed the still-endangered whale off their list. According to The Associated Press, 2008 estimates put the humpback whale population at a low of 1,500 animals before hunting was banned worldwide. Since then, their population has grown to between 18,000 and 20,000.

Had Japan hunted the humpback, the IWC would have been powerless to stop it -- and, unfortunately, it still is.

The IWC needs to reform into a genuine whale and conservation body, if the whale stands any chance of a continued existence.

It can no longer be a body that provides proper conservation of "whale stocks" and thus make it possible for the orderly development of the "whaling industry."

There is no need for a whaling industry anymore.

A modern-day whaling industry is unsustainable. Because of whaling, the North Atlantic Grey whale species has already been wiped out.

This little-known extinction is a great crime man has committed against nature.

The IWC also needs to enforce stricter entrance rules for its members. It is absurd, even illogical, to have landlocked members as part of its conservation plans for whales. Under a new commission, only member nations that border the ocean, or who have recognized ocean territory, should be able to join. This will stop Japan’s attempt to secure votes in an effort to bring back commercial whaling.

The IWC also needs to ban the harpoon altogether.

The removal of the whale from our world’s ocean would have far reaching and catastrophic effects on our global marine ecosystem. Moreover, whales and humans are said to be linked; the anatomical record believes that "certain cetaceans and hominids (early humans) may have evolved side by side."

Monday September 28, 2009, 10:44 am
My nation, USA, is hypocritical in the extreme about conserving wildlife; Japan raises hypocrisy to a truly heinous level: "Cetacean Studies" indeed! This is equivalent to the Nazis claiming the concentration camps were branches of a center for "Jewish Studies." Genocide is genocide - species-cide is murder of a whole species. LIES ARE LIES AND VICIOUS KILLERS ALL AROUND THE WORLD SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE OF VICIOUS LIES AND HORRIFIC HYPOCRISY.

Monday September 28, 2009, 11:52 am
I just found out from my son in the Navy, how many whales are killed by accident, in Navy war games, I am heart broken.

Monday September 28, 2009, 12:08 pm
This is just heartbreaking it has to stop!

Monday September 28, 2009, 3:02 pm
TY Claudia,for this important info.

Monday September 28, 2009, 4:31 pm
thanks claudia the i w c is no use to whales only whale hunters

Monday September 28, 2009, 5:54 pm
noted thank you

Monday September 28, 2009, 8:34 pm
Thank you so much for sharing Claudia
I really got a lot out of this everything that is going on out in our waters. It's ashame what our finned friends have to go through. Between the ships and people hummmmmmm

Tuesday September 29, 2009, 6:45 am
I have not supported Greenpeace for a long time now. I only support Sea Shepherd. Thanks Claudia.

Tuesday September 29, 2009, 7:01 am
I think we should gjust get our own ship and go help the sea shepard.....!!!!

Big Gorilly Hugs

Thursday October 1, 2009, 8:14 am
Arrrgh. We have to do better than this! We have to behave better than this!

Friday October 2, 2009, 6:44 pm
Humans and their need to kill. Why and when will it stop!! Go ~ heros! Sea Shepards & Claudia too ;-)
Tx dear Claudia