Japan proposes expanding commercial whaling to fin whales, a larger species than the 3 allowed now

schizoidman@lemm.ee to World News@lemmy.world – 130 points – Japan proposes expanding commercial whaling to fin whales, a larger species than the 3 allowed now
apnews.com

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/38982154

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95% of Japanese rarely or never eat whale.

for good reason; i tried it in japan, its pretty gamey and tough.

Japanese eat between 4000 and 5000 tons annually, only one ounce per person per YEAR on average, and the country throws away 3500 to 4000 tons per year, about 40%.of all harvested whale meat

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/japan-considers-leaving-international-whaling-commission

They sell it at my supermarket in northern Japan. I've had it at a restaurant I think twice and it was ok; nothing to write home about but I didn't find it gamey or anything.

"nothing to write home about" is very accurate for how I felt after eating whale meat, too.

Why buy it and directly support such a devastating industry?

First, as I stated in another reply, I've never directly/intentionally purchased it. The times I ate it, it was as a part of some set meal that I got. I ate it rather than let it just be thrown away.

Second, as long as they're not hunting threatened/endangered species, I don't know that there is an argument to be made by someone who already eats animal products.

It's so funny to me when people are like 'oh yeah I participated in and helped fund this disgusting thing, it's wasn't that great so I did it again...'

Most people seem to have no personal morality or shame, it's so weird.

I never specifically ordered whale. In Japan, there are places you go and get whatever set menu is being served that day. I did, it contained whale, and either I ate it or it went in the trash. As such, I ate it.

A lot of people would eat human if it was cooked and in front of them

My japanese partner says most people have tried it once or twice but don’t eat it regularly

I think it was often in school lunches through the early post-war period but was replaced by other things so some boomer era folks are it a lot growing up.

I remember on QI, Jeremy Clarkson said he ordered whale in a restaurant in Iceland and they asked him if he wanted grated puffin on it.

What the fuck is up with the Japanese and whaling? Do they eat that much whale meat? Or what?

It's often (but not always) available at supermarkets, but it's not commonly eaten. Hopefully the tradition will die off with the older generations.

I think that it's been a thing for a while. Japan's an island nation, and harvesting sea life has been important. Probably some people who want it just for tradition.

kagis

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_whaling

The oldest written mention of whaling in Japanese records is from Kojiki, the oldest Japanese historical book, which was written in the 7th century CE. This book describes whale meat being eaten by Emperor Jimmu. In Man'yōshū, an anthology of poems from the 8th century CE, the word "Whaling" (いさなとり) was frequently used in depicting the ocean or beaches.

One of the first records of whaling using harpoons is from the 1570s at Morosaki, a bay attached to Ise Bay. This method of whaling spread to Kii (before 1606), Shikoku (1624), northern Kyushu (1630s), and Nagato (around 1672).

Kakuemon Wada, later known as Kakuemon Taiji, was said to have invented net whaling sometime between 1675 and 1677. This method soon spread to Shikoku (1681) and northern Kyushu (1684)

Using the techniques developed by Taiji, the Japanese mainly hunted four species of whale: the North Pacific right, the humpback, the fin, and the gray whale. They also caught the occasional blue, sperm, or sei/Bryde's whale .

In 1853, the US naval officer Matthew Perry forced Japan to open up to foreign trade. One purpose of his mission was to gain access to ports for the American whaling fleet in the north-west Pacific Ocean. Japan's traditional whaling was eventually replaced in the late 19th century and early 20th century with modern methods.

https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/big-fish-history-whaling/

People have been whaling for thousands of years. Norwegians were among the first to hunt whales, as early as 4,000 years ago. The Japanese may have been doing so even earlier.

It's not the most popular but it is eaten. My local supermarket sells it.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, whose electoral district is traditionally known for whaling, said Thursday the government supports sustainable use of whales as part of Japan’s traditional food culture and plans to promote the industry. 

“Whales are an important food resource and we believe they should be sustainably utilized just like any other marine resources, based on scientific evidence,” Hayashi told reporters. “It is also important to carry on Japan’s traditional food culture.”

I think Cabinet Secretaries are an important food resource that should be sustainably utilized.

Isn’t whale really unpopular cheap trash meat in Japan?

They added whale meat to vending machines last year to boost consumption. https://edition.cnn.com/2023/01/24/asia/japan-whale-meat-vending-machine-intl-hnk/index.html

With some things the Japanese just have the worst fucking ideas. How have they still not understood that overfishing is a problem?

Great idea Japan. Artificially trying to fuel consumption of a product you KNOW is controversial and unpopular instead of just... stopping

That's the impression I'm getting front reading this thread. Most people don't care about it yet they still insist on killing and fishing whales

Americans own piles of guns. Russians drink themselves into the ground. Rich people the world over pay for 'exotic' hunting trips to shoot endangered animals. All of these things are bad.

The Japanese aren't the only ones clinging to outdated traditions despite controversy.

It's not just the controversy though. Hardly anybody actually eats it, and it's apparently not very well liked by those that do. For your listed examples they have very fervent supporters who strongly resist any changes, whereas here I can't see any reason why they don't just stop

The Japanese have clearly ignored the threat of an alien probe showing up 200 years from now and sucking away the oceans looking for the missing whales.

The whale in the picture is at the natural history museum in Ueno. It's a really nice place to visit if you're ever in Tokyo and you can see taxidermied Hachiko (⁠ ⁠⚈̥̥̥̥̥́⁠⌢⁠⚈̥̥̥̥̥̀⁠)

Those savages

Anyway, who's up for eating a bucket with the wings of 30 chickens that were killed in the same box they were born in

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