The Oriental Bluebird has been de-flagged and I say its time to celebrate with drinks all round. If one thing makes me smile its seeing the obselete and brutal Japanese Fisheries Agencys' whaling death fleet slowly dismantled. I imagine there are plenty of Yakuza sobbing into their saki. LOL!!
This is just the begining.
To the destruction of the shared heritage that is the worlds whales, we, HUMANITY, say NO!!!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Friday, October 24, 2008
Is Japan trying to start a war?
In what is quite INSANE news, it seems the Japanese are going to violate the Antarctic treaty and send a gunboat into the Southern Ocean. While to many this may seem like just another attempt to assasinate Sea Shepherd leader Paul Watson, the fact is that we may just be seeing Japan making a power play for control of Southern Ocean resources.
Exactly what this escalation of Japans aggressive incursions into the Southern Ocean means for other nations of the world is unclear. It does however appear to be related to Japans plans to harvest more and more of the Antarctic krill (whale food).
These are not good times to be a whale. The Japanese up-gunning their kill fleets, increasing their harvest of the whales food and planning on taking not only more whales but also a larger selection of species.
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In an update on this it appears from this story that the Japanese will leave their navy at home.
Exactly what this escalation of Japans aggressive incursions into the Southern Ocean means for other nations of the world is unclear. It does however appear to be related to Japans plans to harvest more and more of the Antarctic krill (whale food).
These are not good times to be a whale. The Japanese up-gunning their kill fleets, increasing their harvest of the whales food and planning on taking not only more whales but also a larger selection of species.
____________________________
In an update on this it appears from this story that the Japanese will leave their navy at home.
A Japan Fisheries Agency official confirmed yesterday that, unlike last summer, there would be no coastguard officers aboard the southern whaling fleet when it leaves Shimonoseki port, probably this weekend.
As for reports Tokyo was considering sending an armed Japan Coast Guard vessel to accompany the whaling fleet, the official said: "There's absolutely no possibility."
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Whale Farming
I have been giving this a lot of thought, and perhaps I have finally hit on the one way to make it a reality.
We currently have the technology to GROW animal tissue in labs.
IF enough whale meat tissue could be grown in a lab to satisfy the demand.... would whaling cease to even have a point?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_vitro_meat
Whale meat is the perfect test case because:
1) its a high value meat and could be an economical alternative to wild harvest.
2) the meat suffers none of the contamination problems
3) the meat is never attached to this planets largest and most complex brain in the first place
4) would help prevent whale species from suffering extinction
5) gets around international laws and drama
6) reduces racism creation, as believe it or not whale killing does result in some anger against 127 million Japanese despite it being the actions of maybe 200 Japanese fishermen behind the whale/dolphin killings
7) halts the destruction of breeding stocks in recovering whale populations
8) is an actual science, and can be started with non-lethal flesh plugs
9) Japanese have no 'culture' of HUNTING whales in the Southern Ocean but do have some history of EATING large whales. Therefor lab grown whale meat WOULD PRESERVE WHALE EATING FOOD CULTURE while avoiding the ethical nightmare and global condemnation from killing live whales.
10) its a chance for Japan to show the world they lead the way in intelligent technology based solutions!
We currently have the technology to GROW animal tissue in labs.
IF enough whale meat tissue could be grown in a lab to satisfy the demand.... would whaling cease to even have a point?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wi
Whale meat is the perfect test case because:
1) its a high value meat and could be an economical alternative to wild harvest.
2) the meat suffers none of the contamination problems
3) the meat is never attached to this planets largest and most complex brain in the first place
4) would help prevent whale species from suffering extinction
5) gets around international laws and drama
6) reduces racism creation, as believe it or not whale killing does result in some anger against 127 million Japanese despite it being the actions of maybe 200 Japanese fishermen behind the whale/dolphin killings
7) halts the destruction of breeding stocks in recovering whale populations
8) is an actual science, and can be started with non-lethal flesh plugs
9) Japanese have no 'culture' of HUNTING whales in the Southern Ocean but do have some history of EATING large whales. Therefor lab grown whale meat WOULD PRESERVE WHALE EATING FOOD CULTURE while avoiding the ethical nightmare and global condemnation from killing live whales.
10) its a chance for Japan to show the world they lead the way in intelligent technology based solutions!
BASIC MATHS
In 2000 the International Whaling Commission admitted that Minke whale numbers in the Southern Ocean had probably been overestimated.
Research has shown these whales are not experiencing a population boom as argued by Japan.
Scientists believe that it takes around 20 years on average for a female whale to replace itself with one mature female offspring. This does not account for the potential adverse impacts of new human-induced threats to whales such as bycatch, climate change, ozone depletion, marine pollution, ship strikes and underwater noise pollution."
Research has shown these whales are not experiencing a population boom as argued by Japan.
"A female sperm whale may produce one calf every five years, after reaching sexual maturity at nine years. Males reach breeding age in their late twenties. It is not known how many calves a female may bear before reaching menopause or the rate of natural sperm whale mortality. A young whale may suckle from her mother for up to 15 years.
Scientists believe that it takes around 20 years on average for a female whale to replace itself with one mature female offspring. This does not account for the potential adverse impacts of new human-induced threats to whales such as bycatch, climate change, ozone depletion, marine pollution, ship strikes and underwater noise pollution."
"Economic aspects of renewable resource exploitation as applied to marine mammals(FAO Fish Ser., 5, Vol.3) indicated that the slow growth of marine mammals was in direct conflict with profits. Operational and capital costs were sufficiently high to make harvest rates that were biologically safe economically unsound."~ Colin W. Clark.
The following cetaceans have been killed in 2008 by Japanese whalers.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Kims Antarctica Fairytale!
We have threats now that international efforts will be made now to arrest 2 Sea Shepherd members for throwing some stink bombs.
This is perhaps typical of todays law enforcement. To pursue very vigorously individuals performing civil disobedience or other protest actions, while allowing hundreds or even thousands of corporate executives to comprehensively break the laws without obstruction, or even with so-called law enforcement's help and protection.
Corporations and governments from many countries have been despoiling this last wilderness continent in complete contempt for international law.
In Japan we have the travesty of police arresting the protestors of a crime while the criminals stand right at hand. As private security for corporations it makes sense to overlook gross malfeasance while brutally pursuing small individual protest actions, which to corporations are indeed the more dangerous of the two.
So the only answer at this point is to use modern technology to act at a distance, and with perfect anonymity. With current communication technology, the means now exist to act in ways that encrypt and squester the identity of the actors so watertightly that no one will ever know who they really were.
This is perhaps typical of todays law enforcement. To pursue very vigorously individuals performing civil disobedience or other protest actions, while allowing hundreds or even thousands of corporate executives to comprehensively break the laws without obstruction, or even with so-called law enforcement's help and protection.
Corporations and governments from many countries have been despoiling this last wilderness continent in complete contempt for international law.
In Japan we have the travesty of police arresting the protestors of a crime while the criminals stand right at hand. As private security for corporations it makes sense to overlook gross malfeasance while brutally pursuing small individual protest actions, which to corporations are indeed the more dangerous of the two.
So the only answer at this point is to use modern technology to act at a distance, and with perfect anonymity. With current communication technology, the means now exist to act in ways that encrypt and squester the identity of the actors so watertightly that no one will ever know who they really were.
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