Comments - Latest Popular Stories, Instablogs Community by Debate

Grace Calderon

Grace Calderon — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Whaling shouldn’t be allowed in any waters! Japan can’t be stubborn on this. It has the reputation of overfishing. Anti-whaling is one of the more ’emotional’ issues in conservation today. There is no such thing as ’sustainable fishing.’

Grace Calderon

Grace Calderon — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Greenpeace says, ”Japanese delegates to the International Whaling Commission (IWC) constantly refer to a 1990 estimate of the Antarctic minke population of 760,000. But that figure was withdrawn by the IWC in 2000 because recent surveys found far fewer minkes than the older ones.

”The new estimates are half the old in every area that has been resurveyed. The IWC’s scientists do not understand the reasons for this and so far have not been able to agree a new estimate.”

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/oceans/whaling

Brandon

Brandon — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0000

I oppose any move favoring the whale hunting for the commercial purposes. Most nations do not go whaling. Only three have expressed interest in commercial whaling: Japan, Norway and Iceland. it should be put off in the name of cultural reasons or the so-called “scientific” takes. there is the need to stop this non-sense for any reason whatsoever.

Kelly

Kelly — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0000

I argue in favor of the culling but not in totality. this should resume only for the killer whales and the whaling commission should decide its level. The reason for that matter is as the end of commercial whaling may have forced scavenging killer whales to turn on smaller prey, such as otters and seals. And their dietary switch could be in part responsible for the current precarious status of some marine mammals – and the increased observation of killer whales attacking other whales.

Hiten

Hiten — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0000

this draconian exercise should end as soon as possible. this is against the natural food chain that we are disturbing by allowing to hunt whale for the commercial purposes. it should be totally banned with the strict measure.

Paul

Paul — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Yes!!! though I am a nature loving man and want all the species to prevail yet culling whale is necessary, but of course not all of them. I read all the comments above and find them full of ignorance. In my opinion the only thing we humans can do is to help save the Blue whales [approximately 1,150 to 4500 in the Southern Ocean] from going extinct. That is why is to cull the very overpopulated Minke whales (more than 500,000) is necessary to save the blue whales and to make balance.

Patrick

Patrick — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0000

whale hunt should stop no matter what are the excuses for that. they are turning to the smaller fish for their pray or scientific research could not and should not be an excuse for killing whales for the commercial purposes. i think they should stop hunting whales. no more whaling experiments in Iceland and Japan or anywhere else or else they’ll kill them until whales are extinct, too.

Andskotinn

Andskotinn — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0000

well, Iam straight forward person and love to express straight forward thoughts. I don’t have a problem with whaling but only if they are hunting the species that are going extinct. And the authorities in those areas should limit or regulate the hunting.

Chris

Chris — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Whaling has been condemned Worldwide and as a person involved in senior management in the tourism sector I can say that the backlash is starting and I would have to say both my colleagues & I are consciously identifying the nations wrecking this planet and making them pay dearly.

Already several major Japanese industries are indicating serious unease and the recent photos taken by the Australian Government in Antarctica have aroused a public backlash.It’s time to have the courage to say certain things are totally unacceptable!

Norm

Norm — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0000

yea there is no harm hunting whale in some areas of the world that nullifies the argument for whales going extent. The whale-population is killed only in a few areas, so that the gene pool is getting smaller and smaller by killing the whales. The ocean life is very complex and we should let the nature a few decades to regenerate. We can’t test it by extinction. Let the whales, seals and also fish have a chance. But thats utopia thinking I know. As long there will be possibilities to make profits with that, there will be no slaughter of animals.

Dan

Dan — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0000

killing whales for the scientific reasons is an insane argument by the insane ppl. The Japanese are also doing so in the name of science, when best practice in science is to observe the subject in its natural environment behaving normally, then move on leaving the subject for others to observe. It is time for the human race to take responsibility for its actions, the Japanese, Norwegian and aboriginal hunting countries are just the tip of the harpoon that is about to explode in our own faces. like humans the whales and other marine animals should be left in peace. humans have breed out of control, and in doing so have stripped the seas of their inhabitants, robbed the land of its wildlife. What we seem to be unable to understand is that when the last whale is dead, the last fowl shot from the sky, the last wild animal taken its last breath we the whole of the human race will then find our own hell. .

Tristan

Tristan — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0000

I’m in favor of whaling as long as Japan:

1.) Does it within their territorial boundaries.

2.) Does it within a legal framework.

3.) Is not hunting an endangered species.

I understand that many of you are disturbed by this practice but it is simply a different cultural practice that I think a lot of people are demonizing. In their view, killing a whale, that is not endangered, is simply like hunting/killing any other mammal that is not endangered (example: deer).

Niels

Niels — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Why not? And why should we stop the guys in Congo to shoot the mountain gorillas for meat or recreation or whatever. After all they can move to the other side of the border just as the whales can swim out of the territorial waters of countries like Japan or Norway.

Chandre

Chandre — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0000

I totally disagree with this concept. We are not going to teach the poor whales that this is the boundary and if you cross you can be harpooned. It is possible to put fences around game sanctuaries to stop protected animals from coming out of their sanctuaries. How is it possible to put a barrier the seas? It must stop. Floating this idea is dangerous.

Sonu

Sonu — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Yes please allow commercial whaling to countries within own waters. Please. That would keep the following countries from whaling those poor endangered animals:

Afghanistan

Andorra

Armenia

Austria

Azerbaijan

Belarus

Bhutan

Bolivia

Botswana

Burkina Faso

Burundi

Central African Republic

Chad

Czech Republic

Ethiopia

Hungary

Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan

Laos

Lesotho

Liechtenstein

Luxembourg

Macedonia

Malawi

Mali

Moldova

Mongolia

Nepal

Niger

Paraguay

Rwanda

San Marino

Serbia

Slovakia

Swaziland

Switzerland

Tajikistan

Turkmenistan

Uganda

Uzbekistan

Vatican City

West Bank

Zambia

Zimbabwe

That’s 44 countries. Not bad, eh?

Suranga

Suranga — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0000

I guess it seems like a good idea though it does not look good at first glance. The point is that whales would not stay within the territorial waters of countries for a long period. Now the situation is that whalers hunt them down in international waters. I am up for it.

Lyndelle

Lyndelle — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0000

“Should countries be allowed to resume commercial whaling in their own waters?”

This questions sends shivers down my spine. Despite all the arguments for it, why is it not possible to stop whaling altogether? Why do countries still buy products from those countries such as Japan when it is constantly violating global concerns?

Prasad

Prasad — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Whaling, environmentalists contend, if allowed to continue, will change the ecology forever. They believe that unrestrained whaling has led to unsustainable whaling where more whales are killed then nature is allowed to produce.

The above argument is rubbish.

It is the culture of India to have organ grinders with wild and exotic animals, some of them highly endangered as the sloth bear or the king cobra. Now when we can stop this, why not stop Japan.

Jayanta Bhattacharya

Jayanta Bhattacharya — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Why are we even asking questions like this one? This is not the United Nations where overpaid bureaucrats discuss moronic questions like this one.

For those who want to kill the whales, I suggest they see ’Happy Feet’, hoping that a little movie might change their mind.

Jayanta Bhattacharya

Jayanta Bhattacharya — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0000

While we sit at this high table discussing the matters of the world, much like armchair generals, why don’t we call the whales and ask them what they have to say on issue.

I hope the whales speak Japanese and Norwegian.