#5, spen,
I'm not arguing that large slabs of whale meat remain unsold at the fish markets. I'll take your word that it does. As for being unpalatable --- Tht's subjective. I've tried it, not in Japan but in Norway at the Bergen fish market. It had been processed in some way (smoked?) but was far from unpalatable.
As for being unloaded for kids school lunches in Japan. I have been involved in hosting Japanese students for quite a while and whilst some of our earlier students were served whale meat at school in the early 90's, none of our recent students have had it served at school. Indeed, some have never tried whale.
I think the last sentence of #5 says it all.
I have no philosophical opposition to whaling but I think any killing should be done humanely and this doesn't seem possible with whaling.
Re; DD's comment at #8 about "ignorant bliss". I am constantly amazed that Japanese kids are so well educated in the 'three R's' but are totally ignorant of world history or current affairs.
backontheroad - I think I've read somewhere that the Japanese government has locked up a majority of their forests but certainly don't mind exploiting the rest of the world's resources with gay abandon.
i agree with Sugoi and Droversdog on this issue,
they will not lissen to anyone else,
So its up to the Japanese People to apply presure onto their own government,
and to have the Japanese corporate community behind them.
If this Fails maybe the rest of the world can treat Japan like North Korea,
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<hr> Do the Japanese ever release any of their scientific findings? <hr></blockquote>
I believe one scientist once said that they are delicious.
hmm. Is there a PhD in BBQ's?
hehe
#12 - Colin I would suspect that some students may not be aware of what they are actually eating. In the schools I visited, lunches where supplied by the school and basically just plonked down in front of the kids. Or in your case, depending on age and language ability the students may have found it easier to say NO rather than continue on with a conversation they don't fully understand.
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<hr>So its up to the Japanese People to apply presure onto their own government<hr></blockquote> In general, the Japanese people seem to neither know nor care about environmental issues. Work, family and social life seems to occupy them 100% and they have no time for trivia like saving the World from destruction.
Sugoi ---- You may well be right about language ability and saying 'No' but in my experience, if they don't understand they usually say 'yes'. Which is all very confusing really.
Our current boarder, a 17 year old boy, assures me he has never been served it at school but he goes to a very prestigious school. Maybe they offload whale onto the plebs ---I dunno.
OK, now, broadening the argument a little wider - did anyone see Australian Story last night?
Looks like a big clash coming up between environmental concerns with respect to wilderness, rivers etc, and growing Aboriginal desire to exploit resources commercially.
Or say like allowing a uranium waste dump for $12 million (I would have held out for at least 12 BILLION)
Interesting times.
[I thought Japan's forests were located in Tasmania and Western Australia. They certainly provide wood pulp for Japan, don't they? ]
I didn't see it ryb but I saw an ad for it and I thought the same thing... $12million, surely they could have negotiated better than that.
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<hr>I thought Japan's forests were located in Tasmania and Western Australia.<hr></blockquote> You'd be correct in assuming that, ryb. Why they insist on thrice wrapped parcels staggers belief. I personally think they should also put an immediate nationwide ban on the practice of origami unless they're using recycled bog rolls.
It always amuses me when the 'traditional hunting' argument is used in the case of inuit or Australian aboriginies (or Japanese whalers). I have a romantic vision of a native in a dugout canoe or seal-skin kayak hand-spearing a turtle, dugong, seal or whale. The fact of course, is they have modern aluminium and fibreglass boats with powerful outboard motors and they use modern weapons. --- Traditional hunting indeed!
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