Message #244586

[Christiana Hanaman]

Butchering Their Catch

Photograph by Koichi Kamoshida, Getty Images

Japanese whalers butcher their catch in Chiba, Japan, on July 29, 2005.

Japan claims its "scientific whaling" obeys international law, but it does not honor its intent, according to governments and organizations that have filed protests, including the United States, Australia, New Zealand, the European Union, and the World Wildlife Fund. "There's no need in the 21st century for lethal research," Henry said. "They can get the same information from nonlethal research technologies."

In Japan many consider whales a fishery species that might be managed sustainably and view anti-whaling sentiment as culturally biased. The issue may also be partly generational, as polls have shown more support for whaling among older Japanese, particularly men, than from women and young people.

Published July 23, 2012