I think that is a false premise because, whales are cetaceans and cannot be bred domestically for human consumption. Whales are endangered worldwide and their decline is now closely linked to global warming.
As for Norway's export of Minke whale meat to Japan.
The decision allows Norway to resume export of an unlimited amount of meat and blubber from minke whales, to Japan, Iceland, Peru and other nations. Norway's decision was condemned by World Wildlife Fund as damaging to Norway's reputation as an environmentally friendly nation and as a move that could provoke the collapse of global protections for all whales. "Norway's reckless bid to re-open trade in whale products puts international protections for all whale species at risk," said Richard N. Mott, vice president at WWF. LINK
Norway's decision was condemned by World Wildlife Fund as damaging to Norway's reputation as an environmentally friendly nation and as a move that could provoke the collapse of global protections for all whales. "Norway's reckless bid to re-open trade in whale products puts international protections for all whale species at risk," said Richard N. Mott, vice president at WWF. LINK
Japan to Import Norwegian Whale Meat TOKYO , Japan March 6, 2002 (ENS) - Japan is planning to import whale meat from Norway for the first time in about 11 years, Japanese Fisheries Agency officials said Wednesday. The imports of Norwegian minke whale meat could begin as early as May [2002]. The officials say they intend to import up to a hundred tons of whale meat once they have obtained permission from Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. LINK
The officials say they intend to import up to a hundred tons of whale meat once they have obtained permission from Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. LINK
This
equals this To thine ownself be true. W.S. CANADA
I think that is a false premise because, whales are cetaceans and cannot be bred domestically for human consumption.
And? I just don't see the point. So what?
If anything, this counts in favor of whaling, as I have said many times by now:
(1) The animals roam free in the wild until caught, as opposed to festering in captivity; (2) Hunting is many times less energy-demanding than the keeping of livestock; (3) Hunting is indefinetely cleaner and less polluting, especially with respect to greenhouse gases.
Whales are endangered worldwide and their decline is now closely linked to global warming.
You are repeating this mantra over and over. Where are your specific facts as pertains to the specific population of the specific whale species in question, considered with respect to the specific quotas set by Norwegian researchers based on empirical study and an internationally approved formula devised by the IWC?
Unfortunately for Norway, the trade did not go well when the meat was found to be contaminated by toxins like PCB's.
So you now concede that there is no export of whale meat to Japan? How does that leave your charge that Norway "kills whales as an expensive export product to make money"? Let alone, your claims of 'enormous profit'? Are you prepared to retract all this?
For the record, my understanding is that the blubber, not the meat, is dioxin contamined, dioxin being a so-called lipidophile chemical entrenching itself in fat. And in any case, the meat (as opposed to the blubber, never eaten around here anyway) is approved for sale by the The Norwegian Food Safety Authority, not noted for its flexible approach. So that's good enough for me; and I suspect Japan is declining the meat for protectionist reasons. They have enough of their own. But this is incidental to whether the minke whale hunt is legitimate. The world's northernmost desert wind.
