What's Next for Japan Whaling

My blog on future of Japan #whaling is at http://bluevoice.org/blog.php
It includes information on disease in whales that cud xfr to humans.

Japan withdraws from Southern Ocean whaling

Japan says it will withdraw whaling fleet from Southern Ocean under pressure from Sea Shepherd. But what now? The butchers could return next year or move their operations to the NW Pacific where they have hunted a variety of whale species. But if few are eating whale meat and stockpiles of whale meat are huge there may be no incentive to whale. Japan is already losing millions pursuing its mindless butchery. All this while Japan's economy languishes.

Sea Shepherds Drive Japan Whalers from Antarctic

Just received email from Paul Watson re Japan's retreat. "The Nissin Maru is heading eastward still and is in the Drake Passage moving towards the South Atlantic. I think they believe they can run the Bob Barker out of fuel. They can’t. The Bob Barker can follow wherever they go – East or West. I believe they are going around the continent and so I’m sending the Gojira and the Steve Irwin West to meet them. The three harpoon vessels are heading west also. Paul

Though many deserve credit for fighting Japan's whaling it is clear that Sea Shepherd ships drove the whalers out of the Antarctic by making it impossible to whale.

Sales of Whale Meat Fall

Japanese fisheries officials have announced that consumption of whale meat has fallen precipitously and the model of using sales of "scientific" whale meat to sustain the hunt is no longer viable.

Japanese Store Sells Humpback Meat via web

Shimetani store in Taiji has placed an ad for humpback meat
on its website! What is source of meat? Greenland? More likely humpbacks caught "accidentally" in nets? There is no legitimate way they could have humpback meat for sale.

U.S. Rep to IWC in Cahoots with Japanese Whalers

Wikileaks: The U.S. representative to the International Whaling Commission, Monica Medina, discussed revoking the U.S.-based Sea Shepherd's tax exempt status with senior officials of the Japan Fisheries Agency in November 2009. It is beyond outrageous to use the IRS to surpress dissent.

Yearling Right Whale Rescued

A young right whale has been rescued from entrapment in fishing gear off St. Augustine, Florida. The whale had apparently dragged the fishing gear from New England. Wonderful New Years news.