What can we do to get countries such as Japan to stop their immoral hunting of whales just to supply their diversified palate?

So wish I had a good answer :/

Why is killing whales immoral and killing cows or sheep or chickens not? Whales have it pretty good, they live free their entire lives and are killed quickly if the harpoonist is a good shot. The average western food sources live horrible lives in factory farms and stockyards. In India cows are sacred but they are not trying to make us stop eating beef. I think unless it is an endangered species, everyone should mind their own business. I also wonder why it is okay to eat the tuna but not the dolphins?????

Because unfortunately there are idiotic loopholes in the law. Science is allowed to kill something like 1,000 whales (per country) for “scientific research” and that’s exactly how the Japanese whalers get away with it. They literally have some of their men hold up signs that say things like, “For scientific research”, just to try and avoid getting in trouble. Which is obviously a complete lie because the meat processing ship is always following shortly behind.

If people want something done about it, they’re going to have to speak up and act out, otherwise the laws will never change and some whales will most definitely enter the extinction list.

@rooeytoo You’re trying to put this out of perspective here.

@DrasticDreamer I know, I’ve heard of this ersatz research that they do. I think it is just horrible that the world stands back and lets them do this.

Are whales endangered? (I honestly don’t know) If not, I’d have to agree with rooeytoo.

@augustlan

Yes, most of them are. Hence the 1000 for science limitation mentioned by DrasticDreamer

@Kraken Have you ever seen a show called “Whale Wars”? It’s pretty controversial, but it’s about what we’re discussing right now. There is a group of people that go out and chase down the Japanese whalers to try and intimidate them in any non-violent way they can think of. The group was actually started by the man who created – and was later on kicked out of – Green Peace. I think you would like the show a lot.

@DrasticDreamer Perhaps I have seen that show. I keep current with my National Geographics so I am well versed in world events & I do watch a good deal of non-mind-rot TV. I believe that I do have an inkling of what you are referring to here.

Ok, endangered animals should not be hunted for food unless there is no other viable alternative. I don’t know what we’d have to do to stop them, though.

Whales are not domesticated animals like cows and sheep and chickens so that isn’t a fair comparison, in my opinion. Additionally, whales are endangered like @TaoSan pointed out and that is reason enough not to hunt them anymore. Japan can resort to other food sources just like many other countries that don’t rely on whale meat for sustenance. I don’t like factory farming or slaughterhouses either but they’re not going away and that’s how we are going to keep getting a large amount of our meat here.

If Greenpeace had the resources to seek out each and every one of Japan’s whaling boats and sink them outright, I wouldn’t lose any sleep over knowing that. Sorry if that sounds callous but that’s my opinion and I’m sticking with it.

@Kraken – I don’t know what you mean about putting this out of perspective?

And according to google, not all species are endangered.

Greenpeace is on the news every other night here for pelting the whaling ships with rancid butter and other assorted garbage.

As I always say, I am gutless, I do not kill animals myself but I eat what others kill and I can see no difference between whale meat or beef or tuna or dolphin. Pigs are exceedingly intelligent creatures but I still eat ham.

@Bluefreedom That’s what I’m saying. It is not a fair comparison to make.

@rooeytoo

I do somehow follow your logic, but I think not everything that can be eaten must be eaten.

@rooeytoo There are other factors to consider. When someone blithely says whales are not an endangered species, clearly forgets to consider their breeding habits, habitat range and the various threats that they face to not only survival but to become a burgeoning population. Lest us not forget that there are a myriad variety of whales and to lump them into one grouping is unfair. It is invalid to compare them to game or domesticated animals. They are an entire different genre of creature and hence the scope of the analagy therefore is inherently flawed and hence specious at best.

@rooeytoo No, not all of them are endangered, but quite a few are. And the Japanese have no regard whatsoever for the whales that are endangered and they continue to hunt them, ruthlessly. If they don’t stop, some whales will become extinct, there is no question about it.

I don’t think it’s so much an argument about whale meat being any different than other kinds of meat, but it’s about whether or not we’re going to drive a species to extinction, just because people like the way it tastes.

@DrasticDreamer Indeed, well said.

Oh, and one last thought, you’re right, pigs are very intelligent. However, with pigs we know exactly how intelligent they are. When it comes to the large whale species we only start to begin understanding how intelligent these creatures really are, so there’s a potential “creep effect”.

As for the Japanese, they really prefer the big endangered species like Greys and Humpbacks for food purposes.

@TaoSan Right on! My point exactly.

I really just can’t understand the position. If any creature is not endangered then why should one be fair game and another not. And it is always people who are beef eaters who find eating whales repugnant. Also the argument about whales might be intelligent and I guess dolphins as well doesn’t convince me either, to say it is alright to kill a creature because it is stupid just doesn’t sit real well with me. I don’t know about how the Japanese choose their prey, if they target certain breeds, I have never read anything regarding that.

sigh…

@TaoSan Agreed with that. I am amazed that the Chinese consider anything that can creep, crawl, bloom or exist to be valid menu options. I know I am switching gears to different countries but seriously, must Tiger Penis and Bear claws be on the menu “For Health Reasons”? That is just superstitious BS and we need to care about protecting endangered species.

@rooeytoo

Your response sounds a lot like: Well since we kill “something” to eat it, we might as well kill “everything” to eat it.

@rooeytoo You’re right – if an animal isn’t endangered, it isn’t any different. But the whole point here is that the Japanese whalers hunt whales that are endangered, with no regard to that fact.

As for eating highly intelligent animals… Well, you’re going to get very different responses from each individual. Personally, it bugs me. The more intelligent something is, the harder of a time I have trying to eat it.

@ taosan – That is not at all what I said. What I said was I don’t understand the selection process, it seems emotional and illogical. Whales might be smart so we shouldn’t eat them, well lambs are cute and we eat them and pigs are highly intelligent, much more so than dogs but we eat them. Dogs are another example, Koreans eat them and we find that repugnant and I have read of groups who want to outlaw that but again no probs with beef etc.
@ drasticdreamer – perhaps you don’t eat pork, but if you do, that doesn’t quite fit…

@rooeytoo

I’m sorry, what I wrote came across too generalized.

As a matter of fact, you are dead on. For me, the “moral” decision is more emotional than rational.

@rooeytoo I actually don’t anymore. It bothers me too much. The more intelligent something is, the more guilty I feel about eating it. So would you eat an animal that was completely different than humans, but just as smart, rooey?

@DrasticDreamer – I can’t quite visualize something just as smart as humans, so is hard to answer. But I have known cows I really liked and I have a pet chicken who lives a life of luxury in a house I should sell but keep because I can’t have her where I live now, but I nonetheless eat beef occasionally and chicken frequently as long as I don’t have to kill it.I really think all cultures have their own particular tastes and it is so presumptious to tell others they shouldn’t eat one creature when we are eating ones that they consider sacred. The aboriginal people eat wallabies here all the time, I hate seeing their tails sticking out of the fire but who am I to criticize a habit that been practiced for thousands of years.

I have to say I’m really torn over this. I whole-heartedly want to disagree, but can not deny the compelling logic of rooey’s argument.

Whales are so majestic and beautiful, how could you eat them with plenty of alternatives available? But then, who am I to judge.

I even feel really bad writing this, because it “feels” all wrong. But she has a point there, logically speaking

@rooeytoo When it comes to eating different animals regarding what one culture believes to be sacred, or another to be cute, or another to be intelligent, I fully agree with you to say it’s hypocritical that, “you should eat this, but not that”. But that isn’t what I was arguing about. I was specifically arguing that I think it’s wrong for people to hunt animals that are endangered and/or on the brink of extinction. I asked you the question, out of pure curiosity.

That’s why I pointed out, when it comes right down to it, you’re going to get very different, varied answers about eating or not eating animals based on their intelligence. Personally, I don’t like to do it. I do not like the idea of eating things that may have similar levels of intelligence or emotion.

Since I live in the Pacific Rim, I hear this discussion almost daily in the media. The Japanese claim they do not hunt the endangered species, Greenpeace says they do. I don’t know personally and I am not sure if anyone except the guys cutting up the whales do know for sure. The Japanese love to point out at every opportunity that Australians eat the creatures on their national seal, that is the emu and the kangaroo, but the aussies say they are not endangered and the Japanese say they don’t hunt the endangered whales and the beat goes on and on and on.

I remember reading somewhere that Mary Tyler Moore said she would not eat anything that “has a face.” I am such a softie and love most all animals, if I had the courage of my convictions I would adopt her criteria, but alas I am weak and I love chili mango chicken and fish with lemongrass and chili, etc. etc. etc.

There’s been documentation – on film – that the Japanese do hunt the endangered whales. They say they’re doing scientific research, which is how they get away with it. However, the actual proof is the fact that the whale meat (of endangered whales) shows up in Japanese markets. Even though the law allows science to kill a certain number of endangered whales, one of the stipulations is that no part of the endangered whale can be sold in the markets. So… How does it get there? The people proclaiming to be killing for “scientific research” are in fact, just Japanese fisherman. The price they get for killing a single whale it astounding – so they will never stop unless the laws change.

Anyway, I know how you feel about eating animals. I love them, too. I was a vegetarian for quite a while, but I started becoming weak and tired all the time, so I went back to meat. I may try to be vegetarian someday again, because I just really can’t stand the idea of eating animals more and more.

Spread the rumor that eating whale meat causes impotence.

@DrasticDreamer Chicken isn’t an animal, it’s just a walking vegetable! I agree with you here totally. Sad to say but not every animal is on the same level and it just happens that whales are on the higher end and hence deserve to be treated accordingly with more care & attention to them.

@Lupin I heard that Cialis Bob gets a big bout of ED when he has Tuna, err Whale. That’s why he likes the thin women. OK this was an insensitive fat joke but that’s the only way I could make your answer play out.

@Kraken

walking vegetable, LOL, Lurve

Hmm. I have to agree with rooeytoo on this. But I have to ask, how long have the Japanese been eating whale? I’m guessing a long time. If they are endangered then I could understand only eating a limited amount of whale. Maybe instead of punishing the Japanese, they should be given a choice to help repopulate the whales or whatver in return for more freedom to hunt them. Idk…

Why aren’t we cloning whales and other endangered species? Aren’t we scientifically capable now? Back when Dolly, the sheep was cloned, gas was $0.87 cents. I figured we would have made some progress by now.

@alossforwords and the money comes from where?

@Kraken where does the money for anything these days come from?

@nayeight Yes we can!!!

@Kraken Well in a book that I once read, Next by Michael Crichton, he suggests corporations that benefit from the animals survival should sponsor an animal to save. We could offer tax deductions. Think of how much money every country around the world wastes on things less important than science and the environment.

@alossforwords Crichton was a very wise man and I agree that this would be a very noble step on the corporation’s part.