Japan threatens to quit whaling forum - Reuters

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Japan threatens to quit whaling forum
POSTED: 10:45 p.m. EDT, May 31, 2007

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
• Japan is allowed to take more than 1,000 whales per year for
  scientific research
• Japan has wanted IWC to review quotas for Japan's coastal
  villages
• Greenland agreed to give up a proposed new hunt quota of 10
  humpback whales

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) -- Japan threatened to quit the
International Whaling Commission Thursday after fierce opposition
from anti-whaling nations forced it to scrap a proposal to allow
four coastal villages to hunt the animals.

Japan had argued its proposal to catch minke whales should fall
under the umbrella of community whaling because whaling has
been part of its culture for thousands of years.

It did not call for a formal vote on the proposal when it became
apparent it lacked the votes to get the measure passed.

The 77-member IWC voted earlier in the week to allow aboriginal
whaling for indigenous people in the United States, Russia and
Greenland. Japan endorsed those whaling quotas and had asked
for the same consideration.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/05/31/japan.whaling.reut/

[Art_from_Ark]

1. This is ludicrous

Japan stands to lose far more than it gains by insisting on this ridiculous position. There is no need for such an advanced country to adhere to such a barbaric custom, especially in this day and age.

[Kagemusha]

2. Clearly it has nothing to do with need, only political desire to give the West the finger

And I write those words as someone generally opposed to Sea Shepherd's pirate schtick. It's not a need thing at all - and that's even if Japan can make an adequate case that it's not killing nearly enough whales (of the wrong kinds) to do ecological damage. The 'need' argument is a joke, end of story.