Japan

Japan Japan
Whaling and whale meat have been an important part of Japanese culture anddietary habits for more than 2000 years. Immediately following World War II the consumption of whale meat was about 45% of the total meat consumption in Japan, after which it remained at about 30%. However, since the 1960’s the supply of whale meat has gradually declined and, accordingly, consumption reduced.

Today, the Japanese hunt both small cetaceans for commercial purposes and “IWC-whales” for research purposes.

Japan’s commercial catch of small cetaceans

In 2000, a total of 19,057 small cetaceans were caught, including species such as short-finned pilot whales (305), Dall's porpoise (16 172), Baird's beaked whales (68), Risso's dolphin (512), bottlenose dolphin (1 426), etc.
Various forms of hunting take place. Most whales are caught by hand-held harpoon hunt (16 551), some by driving (2 009) and a few by small type whaling boats equipped with a harpoon cannon (188).
The small cetaceans are managed by the Government of Japan, not the IWC. The IWC does not have any legal competence on small cetaceans.

Japan’s whale research

Japan has presented a new whale research proposal which includes the take of 50 sei whales and an additional 50 minke whales in the North Pacific.
Scientific research is of vital importance since the Convention prescribes that regulations adopted by the IWC shall be based on scientific findings.
The Convention specifically provides for IWC members to issue special permits for the killing of whales for research purposes and requires that the by-products of the research (meat) be utilized.
Although Japan’s whale research programs have been criticized by anti-whaling members of the IWC, the Scientific Committee has commended both the quality and quantity of the results from these programs.
These programs have been called “commercial whaling in disguise” by anti-whaling NGOs because the meat is sold on the market. This criticism ignores the comments of the Scientific Committee and legal obligation to utilize the meat. Neither is it “scientific whaling” in quotation marks implying that it is not science.
Japan’s research program in the Antarctic began in 1987 in response to claims of uncertainty of scientific information on whale stocks. Sampling includes the take of up to 440 minke whales per year from an abundant stock (estimated by the Scientific Committee at 760,000 animals in 1990). This small take does not pose any risk to the status of minke whales.
More than 100 data items and samples are taken from each whale
Japan has also been conducting whale research in the western North Pacific since 1994.
In the waters around Japan, whales are consuming huge quantities of at least 10 different species of fish that are also targeted for commercial fisheries. Japan plans to conduct a longer-term program that includes the take of 150 minke whales, 50 Bryde’s whales, 50 sei whales and 10 sperm whales. Sei whales have been added to the program beginning from this year. The catch of minke whales includes an additional 50 minke whales to be taken in inshore waters. The objective of the research is to provide data on fish consumption by whales to include in models of the western north Pacific ecosystem to improve the management of all the marine resources in the area.
Multi-species and ecosystem models have been recognized by international fisheries organizations, including the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, as a necessary means to improve fisheries management.