Whaling

14. TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- The international moratorium on commercial whaling was imposed 15 years ago, but Japan wants to end the ban, because many Japanese have a taste for whale. The Gaibo Hogei Corporation, for example, produces a kind of teriyaki jerky from whale. Owner Yosinori Shoji believes international pressure to continue the moratorium is unreasonable. His ancestors have been hunting and eating whales for generations and he will pass the tradition to his children, he said. Other customers include restaurants that specialize in whale dishes. The cuisine is not widespread, but Japanese consider it a part of their culture and feel the rest of the world should respect that. "I've grown up eating whale meat," said Takashi Sato, owner of a whale-meat specialty tavern named Taru-Ichi. "And when commercial whaling starts up again, more Japanese will eat it." But the resumption of commercial whaling would threaten endangered whales, according to critics. Using advanced genetic analysis of whale meat from Japanese markets, researchers have shown that Japan's restricted scientific whaling, limited to three relatively abundant species, actually covers the sale of other whale meat from unknown, illegal sources. "Our results suggested in fact a number of protected species -- Humpback, the Asian North Pacific Gray Whale, Sei whales, Bryde's whales and Fin whales -- are sold routinely in the market," said C. Scott Baker of the University of Aukland. For those opposed to Japan's policy, the genetic surveys are evidence that scientific whaling creates a market for the illegal killing of whales, including endangered species. On the nation's Pacific coast, local economies depend on the sea. And it's not always fish -- whale meat is still harvested and sold in Japanese markets. Despite the restriction on whaling, Japan claims the right to kill whales for scientific research. The government covers much of the cost by selling the meat to whale meat processors. TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- The international moratorium on commercial whaling was imposed 15 years ago, but Japan wants to end the ban, because many Japanese have a taste for whale. The Gaibo Hogei Corporation, for example, produces a kind of teriyaki jerky from whale. Owner Yosinori Shoji believes international pressure to continue the moratorium is unreasonable. His ancestors have been hunting and eating whales for generations and he will pass the tradition to his children, he said. Other customers include restaurants that specialize in whale dishes. The cuisine is not widespread, but Japanese consider it a part of their culture and feel the rest of the world should respect that. "I've grown up eating whale meat," said Takashi Sato, owner of a whale-meat specialty tavern named Taru-Ichi. "And when commercial whaling starts up again, more Japanese will eat it." But the resumption of commercial whaling would threaten endangered whales, according to critics. Using advanced genetic analysis of whale meat from Japanese markets, researchers have shown that Japan's restricted scientific whaling, limited to three relatively abundant species, actually covers the sale of other whale meat from unknown, illegal sources. "Our results suggested in fact a number of protected species -- Humpback, the Asian North Pacific Gray Whale, Sei whales, Bryde's whales and Fin whales -- are sold routinely in the market," said C. Scott Baker of the University of Aukland. For those opposed to Japan's policy, the genetic surveys are evidence that scientific whaling creates a market for the illegal killing of whales, including endangered species. On the nation's Pacific coast, local economies depend on the sea. And it's not always fish -- whale meat is still harvested and sold in Japanese markets. Despite the restriction on whaling, Japan claims the right to kill whales for scientific research. The government covers much of the cost by selling the meat to whale meat processors.

16. Since 1998 commercial shipping entering northern right whale areas has been required to radio the US Coastguard, which gives vessels the latest information on whale sightings. Stuart Chapman of WWF told BBC News Online: "This species needs as much help as it can get. "During storms, and at other times, whales are invisible both to the Coastguard and to shipping. WWF wants to impose seasonal closures of the fisheries involved, in order to reduce what it says is an unacceptably high death rate. Since 1998 commercial shipping entering northern right whale areas has been required to radio the US Coastguard, which gives vessels the latest information on whale sightings. Stuart Chapman of WWF told BBC News Online: "This species needs as much help as it can get. "During storms, and at other times, whales are invisible both to the Coastguard and to shipping. WWF wants to impose seasonal closures of the fisheries involved, in order to reduce what it says is an unacceptably high death rate.

20. I am absolutely not making this incident up; in fact I have it all on videotape. The tape is from a local TV news show in Oregon, which sent a reporter out to cover the removal of 45-foot, eight-ton dead whale that washed up on the beach. The responsibility for getting rid of the carcass was placed with the Oregon State Highway Division, apparently on the theory that highways and whales are very similar in the sense that both are large objects. So anyway, the highway engineers hit upon a plan (remember, I am not making this up) to blow up the whale with dynamite. The thinking was that the whale would be blown into small pieces, which would then be eaten by seagulls and fish.That would be that--a textbook whale removal. So they moved the spectators back up the beach, put a half-ton of dynamite next to the whale and set it off. What follows, on the videotape, is one of the most priceless events in the history of the universe. First you see the whale carcass disappear in a huge blast of smoke and flame. Then you hear the happy spectators shouting "Yayy!" and "Whee!" Then, suddenly, the crowd's tone changes.You hear a new sound like "splud, splap," and you hear a woman's voice shouting "Here come pieces of...OH MY GOD!" Something smears the camera lens. Later, the reporter explains: "The humor of the entire situation suddenly gave way to a run for survival as huge chunks of whale blubber rained down everywhere.� One piece caved in the roof of a car parked more than a quarter of a mile away!! Remaining on the beach were several large rotting whale sections the size of condominiums... Posted on: Saturday, June 15, 2002 Removal of carcass a whale of a task By Mike GordonAdvertiser Staff Writer State and city officials are used to removing things that wash up on island beaches, but two tons of smelly, decomposing whale carcass was a challenge yesterday. The dead sperm whale � what's left of it, anyway � floated in on Thursday night's high tide, coming to rest at Kualoa on a sliver of beach within sniffing distance of Kamehameha Highway, just north of the ruins of the sugar mill smoke stack at Kualoa Ranch. Normally, the city takes care of removing things that wash ashore but this was too much. "This thing is big," Jeff Walters of the Department of Land and Natural Resources' division of aquatic resources, said yesterday morning as the state weighed its options. "We need something big. We either have to have a crane to lift it up whole or something to cut it up into smaller pieces.� At one point, he thought a backhoe could be used to chop it up, but anyone getting close to the carcass would have to wear protective clothing. "It is putrid," he said. So yesterday afternoon they hired a crane from Bob's Equipment. By 4 p.m. the biggest chunk had been removed and taken across the highway to Kualoa Ranch. DLNR spokesman Mike Markrich said four large chunks still remaining on on the beach will be taken away today by backhoe. The dead whale was first spotted Wednesday on a reef about 100 yards offshore, and signs were posted warning beachgoers to stay out of the water because of the possibility of sharks. The signs remained up today, but Walters said the carcass is so decomposed that even sharks probably don't want it. I am absolutely not making this incident up; in fact I have it all on videotape. The tape is from a local TV news show in Oregon, which sent a reporter out to cover the removal of 45-foot, eight-ton dead whale that washed up on the beach. The responsibility for getting rid of the carcass was placed with the Oregon State Highway Division, apparently on the theory that highways and whales are very similar in the sense that both are large objects. So anyway, the highway engineers hit upon a plan (remember, I am not making this up) to blow up the whale with dynamite. The thinking was that the whale would be blown into small pieces, which would then be eaten by seagulls and fish.That would be that--a textbook whale removal. So they moved the spectators back up the beach, put a half-ton of dynamite next to the whale and set it off. What follows, on the videotape, is one of the most priceless events in the history of the universe. First you see the whale carcass disappear in a huge blast of smoke and flame. Then you hear the happy spectators shouting "Yayy!" and "Whee!" Then, suddenly, the crowd's tone changes.You hear a new sound like "splud, splap," and you hear a woman's voice shouting "Here come pieces of...OH MY GOD!" Something smears the camera lens. Later, the reporter explains: "The humor of the entire situation suddenly gave way to a run for survival as huge chunks of whale blubber rained down everywhere.� One piece caved in the roof of a car parked more than a quarter of a mile away!! Remaining on the beach were several large rotting whale sections the size of condominiums... Posted on: Saturday, June 15, 2002 Removal of carcass a whale of a task By Mike GordonAdvertiser Staff Writer State and city officials are used to removing things that wash up on island beaches, but two tons of smelly, decomposing whale carcass was a challenge yesterday. The dead sperm whale � what's left of it, anyway � floated in on Thursday night's high tide, coming to rest at Kualoa on a sliver of beach within sniffing distance of Kamehameha Highway, just north of the ruins of the sugar mill smoke stack at Kualoa Ranch. Normally, the city takes care of removing things that wash ashore but this was too much. "This thing is big," Jeff Walters of the Department of Land and Natural Resources' division of aquatic resources, said yesterday morning as the state weighed its options. "We need something big. We either have to have a crane to lift it up whole or something to cut it up into smaller pieces.� At one point, he thought a backhoe could be used to chop it up, but anyone getting close to the carcass would have to wear protective clothing. "It is putrid," he said. So yesterday afternoon they hired a crane from Bob's Equipment. By 4 p.m. the biggest chunk had been removed and taken across the highway to Kualoa Ranch. DLNR spokesman Mike Markrich said four large chunks still remaining on on the beach will be taken away today by backhoe. The dead whale was first spotted Wednesday on a reef about 100 yards offshore, and signs were posted warning beachgoers to stay out of the water because of the possibility of sharks. The signs remained up today, but Walters said the carcass is so decomposed that even sharks probably don't want it.