Now *this* kind of "science" we do NOT need ...

[Nihil]

BBC: "Japan puts whale burger on menu"



"Japan has said it will double the number of whales it kills for
scientific research, a move that was opposed by an IWC vote on
Wednesday.

The chain of restaurants, on the island of Hokkaido, said the burgers
were selling well.

All of Japan's whale meat comes from the 700 or so it is allowed to
kill every year for research purposes."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4122800.stm


Except this other article shows that they're aiming for a record ...

"Japan's whaling fleet has set sail for Antarctic waters where it
will make its biggest catch in 20 years.

The boats will aim to catch nearly 1,000 whales over the coming
months."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4417462.stm

Bastards.

[Spinzonner]

1. They're researching how many whales they can kill

To be fair, the whales should be allowed to take an equal number of Japanese.

[Orrex]

2. Yes, but by weight, rather than number (nt)

[Nihil]

3. No, should be ...

... an equal body mass of Japanese!

:grr:

(PS: And Icelandic and anyone else who indulges in the kind of "science"
that sells burgers & steaks ...)

[benburch]

5. How to make this a fair fight!

The japanese can take the whales, IF they take them from leathern boats with bronze harpoons.

Sound fair?

Then the whale has a fighting chance of having one of the Sons Of Nippon for lunch, rather than vice versa.

[GrpCaptMandrake]

6. I like sushi as well or better than the next guy

but I draw the line at sentient critters.

And is that barbecued moby in the picture? Wrong. Wrong. WRONNNNNGGGGG!

:blecccchhhh: another one for the new emoticon list.

[n2doc]

4. oh puke...

:puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke:

So much for my lunch...

[Codeine]

7. I'm assuming you're all vegetarian, right?

Otherwise wailing (or should the be whaling) about which animals people choose to eat is rather hypocritical. I choose to eat no animals, and wish that others would do the same, but I don't see the difference between killing a cow versus killing a whale.

[benburch]

8. Cows...

Cows are not endangered wild animals.

Cows are not suspected of harboring sentient minds.

[northzax]

16. in all honesty, neither are Minke whales

in fact, you can reasonably suggest that Minkes are overpopulating the Southern Ocean, reducing the growth of other, larger whale species.

My problem with this is that Japan is basically buying off the IWC (Mongolia is a member, for instance, sponsored by Japan. Mongolia doesn't have much of an oceangoing presence, as I recall, and yet, in exchange for financial support, they vote the way Japan wants. I can't blame them, they need the development aid.)

Also, most of the whale meat actually goes to waste, there isn't, despite Government protestations to the contrary, much of a market in Japan for Whale met, and what there is is fufilled by artisanal fishing/hunting in the Sea of Japan. It's so unwanted, in fact, that the government serves it in schools, trying to reawaken a taste for whale meat.

There is no evidence that Minke Whales are any smarter than cows, or sentinent. These aren't humpbacks, or blues, or rights, they are Minkes, which have returned to their estimated population in the early 20th century, before industrial whaling. Frankly, I have no issue with a well regulated Minke fishery, although I despise government sponsored fishing or hunting, if people don't want the meat, don't catch it. sheesh.

[enlightenment]

9. Seems to me that the OP was incensed as much with the

method as the motive -- culling for "scientifc research" when the motive is to increase the amount of whale available for food.

[Nihil]

11. Thank you

> culling for "scientific research" when the motive is to increase the
> amount of whale available for food.

Hence my placing of this post in the "Science" forum rather than the
"Environment" one or "General Discussion" or ...

The Japanese "scientific" whaling has nothing to do with science and
everything to do with selling food.

[NNadir]

10. I am a vegetarian and I do see a distinction.

Cows have not been hunted nearly to extinction.

[northzax]

17. sure they have

when's the last time you saw a wild cow?

[Nihil]

12. The adage about "assume" proves true once more.

> I choose to eat no animals, and wish that others would do the same

Whoopdedoo. My wife's a vegetarian. I am an omnivore.
Neither of us support factory farming of any animal.
Neither of us support illegally slaughtering sentient creatures under
the pretence of "science".

> I don't see the difference between killing a cow versus killing a
> whale.

You don't see the difference between a domesticated creature that was
raised for the sole purpose of providing food and a wild creature who
swims free in the ocean?

You don't see the difference between deliberately bred variants that
populate several continents with literally millions of animals and a
few slow-growing sparse populations that have been almost hunted to
extinction?

Perhaps in your case there is no point in trying to "convert" you from
your chosen adopted faith as you have apparently welded the blinkers
to your eyes.

[Phoonzang]

13. Are there actually any scientific studies..

That show that whales are sentient? Anyone have links?

[Meldread]

14. Well, in their defense...

...I don't support using science in this manor or killing endangered species... but I have no problem with them killing animals for food.

I mean, let's face the facts. If science has proven anything, it's that life isn't all that precious here on Planet Earth. As the dominate species we should act responsibly, but swearing off eating other animals simply for... whatever reason... well Humanity evolved to eat animals. We are not separate from the web of life, we are a part of it.

I would encourage the Japanese to create Whale Farms or something, rather than going out in the wild and hunting them. After all a Whale Farm can't be any worse than Sea World... and at least at the Farm you'd be serving a higher purpose than just our amusement.

Nothing wrong with killing and eating other animals. We likely wouldn't be the way we are today if our ancestors didn't do just that.

[Odin2005]

15. Japan needs to be punished for this.