The news about Japan stopping whaling this year is great news!! I wanted to share some information with you about the real reasons behind Japan’s early cessation of their yearly whale “slaughter.”
According to the Fisheries Minister, “We had no choice but to end (the season) to ensure the safety of lives (from Sea Shepherd etc.), assets and our ships,” Fisheries Minister Michihiko Kano told a news conference. (Quoted from Washington Post) But as you can imagine, this is a propaganda.
There are several reasons for Japan (needed to) to stop whaling early this year.
1. The Institute of Cetacean Research (I.C.R.) is in the red.
The I.C.R. incomes are as below in 2010:
For whale research, our tax money is used as subsidy, the amount is
¥900,000,000. The profit of whale meat sales which is about ¥6,500,000,000.
However the Government Revitalization plan to screen budget and cut substantial amount of expenses, the subsidy for I.C.R. was greatly reduced. Also the whale meat consumption has kept declining, therefore I.C.R. can not longer keep the body as it is, as of December 2010.
2. They system of Amakudari (the practice of rewarding government officials with cushy, post-retirement jobs in the area of their official responsibility) Personnel at I.C.R. was demolished as of December 2010.
According to the list of staff of I.C.R. in November 2010, there are no amakudari employees in the list, in order to reduce expenses. They are seriously in the red.
3. A decrease in Japan Whaling Association activities.
The long term Chairman at Japan Whaling Association, Nakajima resined. He was a very strong advocator for supporting whale hunting. This changes the culture and strategies of the association and they are planning to greatly reduce their activities (and researches.)
4. Simply, people do not eat whale meat anymore.
Whale meat is not popular at all. There is no need to spend so much of our tax money into such insignificant activities, which they claim as “scientific researches.”
So they stopped whaling, not because of Sea Shepherd’s aggressive protest, but there are also many other factors that influenced in bringing about the stop.
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/news/Blogs/makingwaves/japan-cuts-its-whaling-hunt-short-will-it-be-/blog/33374
February 19, 2011
Maho
