Whale killing in Japan
editJapan has a long history of hunting whales, although the practice has declined in recent years. In the past, Japan has justified its whale hunting on the grounds of scientific research, but many critics have questioned the scientific validity of this research and have accused Japan of using it as a cover for commercial whaling. The International Whaling Commission has placed a moratorium on commercial whaling, but Japan continues to hunt whales under the guise of scientific research. This has led to international criticism and ongoing debates about the ethics of whale hunting. Japan has long been criticized for its whaling practices, which have been a source of tension between Japan and other countries for many years. Japan has historically justified its whaling as a cultural tradition, but this argument has been rejected by many conservationists and animal rights activists. Despite international opposition, Japan continues to hunt whales, and its whaling fleet has been the target of protests and legal challenges. In recent years, Japan has faced increasing pressure to end its whaling activities, and some Japanese officials have suggested that the country may eventually need to reconsider its stance on the issue. Just to put it in perspective in the span of 34 years Japan has killed nearly 9,000 whales of different species.[1] Whales as a species naturally migrate and one whale species, the gray whale, migrates near the coast of Japan which is dangerous since one of the easiest ways to hunt whales is when they are on the coastline.[2]The killing of whales all over the world has more impacts than you would think. It raises questions to the security of the worlds environment which leads to it getting political.[3] It has also created tension between the United States and Japan because environmentalist from the United States called out Japanese hunters saying that their resoning for killing these whales was for science is a terrible excuse and is not true.[4]. Some Japanese people claimed the only reason they did what they did was because of a deity they worshipped and they felt it was their responsibility.[5] This deity is called Ebisu-gami and fishermen believed it would bring them good luck.[6]
Whale killing
editThe killing of whales is a controversial issue that has been the subject of much debate and activism. Whales are large, intelligent, and highly social animals, and many people believe that they should be protected and preserved. However, some people believe that it is necessary to kill whales for various reasons, such as for food, scientific research, or to protect other marine life. The killing of whales is regulated by international law, but there are still many cases of illegal hunting and exploitation of these animals. The issue of whale killing remains a contentious one, and it is likely to continue to be a topic of debate for many years to come. Many people question the necessity of killing whales since there are not that many major benefits from it.[7] Many activists aim to have the whale killings be at the highest priority when it comes to stopping animal violence.[8] Some cultures and indigenous communities do hunt whales for food or other purposes, but this is often regulated by international laws and organizations. In general, the killing of whales is considered to be unethical by many people, and efforts are being made to protect and conserve these magnificent creatures. One of the main ways people hunt whales is killing them while they are close to shore since that is the easiest method.[9]Whales can be caught and sold on open markets in certain countries where it is legal.[10] Over time hunters have had to adapt and find new and easier methods to killing these whales.[11]Along with the creation of whaling came with the making of new weapons used to kill these whales. One major weapon that we are all familiar with is the harpoon.[12] Over time people have come up with more and more humane ways to kill whales to make it seem like less of a bad action like changing the firing angle of the harpoon so that the whale dies quicker.[13]
Solutions to whale killing
editThe solution to whale killing depends on the context and reasons for the killing. In some cases, stricter regulations and laws may be necessary to protect whales and prevent their illegal hunting. In other cases, efforts to educate and raise awareness about the importance of conserving whale populations may be effective in reducing the killing of these animals. Additionally, providing alternative sources of food and income for communities that rely on whale hunting may help to reduce the practice. Ultimately, the solution will likely involve a combination of these approaches, as well as continued research and collaboration among organizations and individuals dedicated to protecting whales. Scholars have come up with ideas like creating whale traps with plankton and placing them at lower sea levels so that they are less visible to hunters and have a lower chance of being killed.[14] Another solution to stop whaling is fairly logical. This solution would be to change the norm about whales being okay to kill since they have already been hunted for so long.[15]
References
edit- ^ Morell, Virginia (2007-04-27). "Killing Whales for Science?". Science. 316 (5824): 532–534. doi:10.1126/science.316.5824.532. ISSN 0036-8075.
- ^ Omura, Hideo (1984), "History of Gray Whales in Japan", The Gray Whale: Eschrichtius Robustus, Elsevier, pp. 57–77, retrieved 2022-12-15
- ^ 1965-, Stoett, Peter J. (Peter John), (1997). The international politics of whaling. UBC Press. ISBN 978-0-7748-0604-6. OCLC 144085384.
{{cite book}}:|last=has numeric name (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Sato, Kazuo (2019-06-10), "Trade Relations between the United States and Japan: The Past and the Future", The Problems and Prospects of American-East Asian Relations, Routledge, pp. 129–158, ISBN 978-0-429-30309-8, retrieved 2022-12-15
- ^ Naumann, Nelly (1974). "Whale and Fish Cult in Japan: A Basic Feature of Ebisu Worship". Asian Folklore Studies. 33 (1): 1. doi:10.2307/1177501. ISSN 0385-2342.
- ^ Sakurai, T. (1968-01-01). "The Major Features and Characteristics of Japanese Folk Beliefs". Journal of Asian and African Studies. 3 (1–2): 13–24. doi:10.1177/002190966800300103. ISSN 0021-9096.
- ^ Gales, Nick; Leaper, Russell; Papastavrou, Vassili (2008-05). "Is Japan's whaling humane?". Marine Policy. 32 (3): 408–412. doi:10.1016/j.marpol.2007.08.004. ISSN 0308-597X.
{{cite journal}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Moore, Michael J.; van der Hoop, Julie M. (2012). "The Painful Side of Trap and Fixed Net Fisheries: Chronic Entanglement of Large Whales". Journal of Marine Biology. 2012: 1–4. doi:10.1155/2012/230653. ISSN 1687-9481.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link) - ^ Rodrigues, Ana S.L.; Horwitz, Liora Kolska; Monsarrat, Sophie; Charpentier, Anne (2016-07-19). "Ancient whale exploitation in the Mediterranean: species matters". Antiquity. 90 (352): 928–938. doi:10.15184/aqy.2016.109. ISSN 0003-598X.
- ^ Lukoschek, V.; Funahashi, N.; Lavery, S.; Dalebout, M. L.; Cipriano, F.; Baker, C. S. (2009-10). "The rise of commercial 'by-catch whaling' in Japan and Korea". Animal Conservation. 12 (5): 398–399. doi:10.1111/j.1469-1795.2009.00313.x.
{{cite journal}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Suydam, Robert; George, J.C. (2021), "Current indigenous whaling", The Bowhead Whale, Elsevier, pp. 519–535, retrieved 2022-12-15
- ^ Byers, Edward (1983). "The History of Modern Whaling. By J. N. Tonnessen and A. O. Johnsen. Translated by R. I. Christophersen. (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1982. xx + 798 pp. $45.00.)". Business History Review. 57 (4): 582–583. doi:10.2307/3114821. ISSN 0007-6805.
- ^ ISHIKAWA, Hajime; SHIGEMUNE, Hirohisa (2005). "Improvements in More Humane Killing Methods of Antarctic Minke Whales, <i>Balaenoptera bonaerensis</i>, in the Japanese Whale Research Program under Special Permit in the Antarctic Sea (JARPA)". Japanese Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine. 10 (1): 27–34. doi:10.5686/jjzwm.10.27. ISSN 1342-6133.
- ^ Moore, Michael J (2019-01-10). "How we can all stop killing whales: a proposal to avoid whale entanglement in fishing gear". ICES Journal of Marine Science. 76 (4): 781–786. doi:10.1093/icesjms/fsy194. ISSN 1054-3139.
- ^ Gregory, Alan; Tharyan, Rajesh; Tonks, Ian (2011-06-06). "More than Just Contrarians: Insider Trading in Glamour and Value Firms". European Financial Management. 19 (4): 747–774. doi:10.1111/j.1468-036x.2011.00608.x. ISSN 1354-7798.