International Court Bans Japanese Whale Hunting in the Southern Ocean

losthorizon

Australia brought a case against Japan to stop get them to cease hunting whales in the Southern Oceans around Antarctica. Its been a whale sanctuary for years.
The International Court of Justice ruled that Japan should immediately cease all whaling activities under its current "scientific programme." The decision is a major victory for whale protection efforts and a clear call for the end of hunting in the Southern Ocean.

The judgement cannot be appealed.

This is great news for those of us who are interested in the welfare of these magnificent creatures. But will Japan stick to the judgement?

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/apr/01/japan-smaller-whale-catch-court-ruling-antarctic

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/04/01/opinion/safina-japan-whaling/?hpt=hp_bn7

DrumSteve

Id hazard a guess and say no.

kneemos

We need a whale farm.

wendell borton

The pokemon will starve.

Links234

Now for Norway and Iceland to follow suit

Cian92

Links234 wrote: »

Now for Norway and Iceland to follow suit

After tasting some Minke Whale in Iceland I have to say they are too tasty not to hunt. Like a really good steak, and cheap too.

Spring Onion

Nuke em if they kill any more whales!

orestes

And what happens if they just completely ignore the ruling?

Fratton Fred

What "scientific reason" does whaling serve.

No reason at all for anyone to hunt these magnificent creatures.

snubbleste

Who else hunts whales in the Southern Ocean?

Once it's done in a controlled way I don't see the major issue.

REXER

orestes wrote: »

And what happens if they just completely ignore the ruling?

We organise a boycot of Japanese cars and othe products!

end of the road

orestes wrote: »

And what happens if they just completely ignore the ruling?

maybe the australian or any other navy could legitimately disable the japanese whaling ships? i don't know but it could be a guess?

c_man

Spring Onion wrote: »

Nuke em if they kill any more whales!

Nukes, their only weakness.

Wacker The Attacker

A whales penis is called a dork.

For this reason alone we should probably stop eating whales

SEPT 23 1989

where will i get the oil for my lamps now?:(

R P McMurphy

Fratton Fred wrote: »

What "scientific reason" does whaling serve.

No reason at all for anyone to hunt these magnificent creatures.

They claim that the scientific data they collect is used to inform them of whale numbers and fish stock patterns. Have not released data. Absolute rubbish

poundapunnet

Deleted User wrote: »

Once it's done in a controlled way I don't see the major issue.

Hunting endangered animals in a designated sanctuary ain't that controlled. Maybe the moratorium on commercial whaling could be due a review but it's hard to call that seeing as it's never been adhered to by Japan and a few other outliers. There's provisions for scientific research and for certain aboriginal populations but Japan are half-arsing the job of even pretending that it falls under the scientific protection by selling the meat for consumption in shops and restaurants. whatever one thinks of whaling in principle, they're taking the piss.

sdanseo

Just treat it like any other type of fishing - stop until there's a way of controlling the stocks, and then fish them in a sustainable manner.

If anything this will drive the price up for the consumer and the whalers get paid more for what they catch. The only person who loses is the consumer and to be fair, it's not exactly a staple.

poundapunnet

poundapunnet wrote: »

Hunting endangered animals in a designated sanctuary ain't that controlled. Maybe the moratorium on commercial whaling could be due a review but it's hard to call that seeing as it's never been adhered to by Japan and a few other outliers. There's provisions for scientific research and for certain aboriginal populations but Japan are half-arsing the job of even pretending that it falls under the scientific protection by selling the meat for consumption in shops and restaurants. whatever one thinks of whaling in principle, they're taking the piss.

As far as I can see they hunt 3 species and 2 of them aren't threatened. The one that is is hunted more by Iceland it seems.

I think Japan have done a decent job of pretending it for scientific reasons, they've gotten away with it for decades, I don't think they're worried about actually convincing people.

Outkast_IRE

Honestly don't think whale hunting of any species should be allowed, they are highly intelligent creatures who form strong emotional bonds with each other.

Honestly a few posters on here could do with doing some research on the topic or at the very least watch "blackfish" as an insight into one particular whale species.

Cienciano

orestes wrote: »

And what happens if they just completely ignore the ruling?

€100 fine

Galwayguy35

They should nuke those bastards in the Faroe Islands first, someone posted a link on FB about what goes on there and the way they kill the whales, made me sick.

jacksie66

This post has been deleted.

poundapunnet

Deleted User wrote: »

As far as I can see they hunt 3 species and 2 of them aren't threatened. The one that is is hunted more by Iceland it seems.

I think Japan have done a decent job of pretending it for scientific reasons, they've gotten away with it for decades, I don't think they're worried about actually convincing people.

There are other countries at fault here and I'm not saying there aren't, but the ruling is against Japan hunting in these specific waters.

The moratorium (afaik) is on commercial hunting of all whales. There's never going to be a chance for this to be realistically reappraised if it wasn't implemented and adhered to to the fullest possible extent in the first instance.

I'm not inclined to automatically believe the people who say they're only hunting three species when they're so blatantly disregarding the rules, and I'd imagine a lot of people feel the same way. If their argument is that the time has come to reassess the situation and that there's no problem with responsible, sustainable whaling that's a whole other argument and one they're not furthering by operating outside the pale like this. It's impossible to assess their argument on its merits when, like you say, they're more concerned with getting away with continuing to whale than convincing people of diddly squat.

R P McMurphy

sdeire wrote: »

Just treat it like any other type of fishing - stop until there's a way of controlling the stocks, and then fish them in a sustainable manner.

If anything this will drive the price up for the consumer and the whalers get paid more for what they catch. The only person who loses is the consumer and to be fair, it's not exactly a staple.

There is not a sufficient market for whale meat In japan anyway. Whaling is heavily subsidisied ntd the industry cant find an indigenous market anymore

Cookie_Monster

Fratton Fred wrote: »

What "scientific reason" does whaling serve.

isn't the reasoning that it's to determine a sustainable level of hunting? Or something else ridiculous like that.

Very hypocratic attitude from Australia though at the same time given the number of sharks they want to kill.

osarusan

I would say that the Japanese are happy that they can appease the resot of the world by abiding by the decision as a 'law-abiding nation' (or whatever the words were) and happy that they can appease whaling zealots by telling them that 'they made us stop it'.

bodice ripper

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

Honestly don't think whale hunting of any species should be allowed, they are highly intelligent creatures who form strong emotional bonds with each other.

Honestly a few posters on here could do with doing some research on the topic or at the very least watch "blackfish" as an insight into one particular whale species.

Killer whales aren't whales. Surely they mentioned this in Blackfish?

upstairs for coffee

Why pick on the Japanese and their overfishing of whales?

Ireland overfish - http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/ireland-named-and-shamed-over-fishing-limit-breaches-26405075.html - Get your own house in order before getting on your high horse and galloping toward 'social justice'

Galwayguy35

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

They should nuke those bastards in the Faroe Islands first, someone posted a link on FB about what goes on there and the way they kill the whales, made me sick.

Look out for a programme called Whale Wars, it was on one of the documentary channels.

Paul Watson has been a conservation activist for many years and his vessels, which are seriously impressive, played a game of cat and mouse with the Japanese. They also went to Faroe Islands during their annual massacre of the whales. Very good show.

osarusan

Strawberry Milkshake wrote: »

Paul Watson has been a conservation activist for many years and his vessels, which are seriously impressive, played a game of cat and mouse with the Japanese.

Watson is a campaigner who sees violence as a solution, has warrants out for his arrest, and suggested that the earthquake/tsunami in 2011 was divine punishment for Japan's whaling.

He may be the enemy of your enemy, but he is not a nice guy.

Galwayguy35

Strawberry Milkshake wrote: »

Look out for a programme called Whale Wars, it was on one of the documentary channels.

Paul Watson has been a conservation activist for many years and his vessels, which are seriously impressive, played a game of cat and mouse with the Japanese. They also went to Faroe Islands during their annual massacre of the whales. Very good show.

I've seen a few episodes of Whale Wars, very brave people trying their best to save the whales, what goes on in the Faroes is just cruel.

bumper234

end of the road wrote: »

maybe the australian or any other navy could legitimately disable the japanese whaling ships? i don't know but it could be a guess?

Yeah.

Lets attack a sovereign nations fishing fleet in international waters to save some whales :rolleyes:

Canis Lupus

Deleted User wrote: »

Once it's done in a controlled way I don't see the major issue.

I was of the impression the problem people have is there's no easy and humane way of killing them. At least that's my hangup otherwise I'd be all up in dem whale steaks.

BizzyC

bumper234 wrote: »

Yeah.

Lets attack a sovereign nations fishing fleet in international waters to save some whales :rolleyes:

Or we could just arrest them for breaching international laws....

bumper234

BizzyC wrote: »

Or we could just arrest them for breaching international laws....

No problem with that, It's when people call for the disabling of ships in international waters by another nations navy (act of war?) that i have issues.

Save the whales? Yes!

Start a war? No!

Shame,
Im going to Japan later in the year and was looking forward to tasting some whale.

Dravokivich

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

Honestly don't think whale hunting of any species should be allowed, they are highly intelligent creatures who form strong emotional bonds with each other.

Honestly a few posters on here could do with doing some research on the topic or at the very least watch "blackfish" as an insight into one particular whale species.

So are pigs.

BetterThanThou

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

Honestly don't think whale hunting of any species should be allowed, they are highly intelligent creatures who form strong emotional bonds with each other.

Cows are known to form emotional bonds with each other, as well as rabbits. Many species of birds too. And bears, And sheep, and probably many many other animals we farm/kill for their meat. I don't see why whales get priority.

Links234

Canis Lupus wrote: »

I was of the impression the problem people have is there's no easy and humane way of killing them. At least that's my hangup otherwise I'd be all up in dem whale steaks.

Yeah, they've been using explosive tipped harpoons as a more 'humane' way of killing them

Links234

BetterThanThou wrote: »

I don't see why whales get priority.

Because cows aren't endangered? I don't think it's hypocritical for someone to eat meat, and not support farming an entire species to death.

Cookie_Monster

Dravokivich wrote: »

So are pigs.

trying to ban bacon would lead to WW3 though, people don't care that much about whales and whale meat

keeponhurling

Wacker The Attacker wrote: »

A whales penis is called a dork.

For this reason alone we should probably stop eating whales

Why does theirs get its own word ?
because it deserves it

R P McMurphy

urbanledge wrote: »

Shame,
Im going to Japan later in the year and was looking forward to tasting some whale.

There are large consignments of whale meat that remains unsold each year so you could easily get what you want. Do a little research on the contents of the meat to make an informed choice though. There are a few reasons why japanese people are rejecting whale meat