Quote:
Originally Posted by davidmash
My understanding from watching a few of the episodes is that there is a difference of interpretation regarding the whaling laws.
The Japanese claim they are hunting whales for scientific purposes. As Swamp pointed out, there is every indication that their claim is BS of the first order. As far as I am aware, the Japanese are signatories of the international whaling treaty.
The Sea Shepard folks seem to be arguing that since the science claim is a load of crap, they are in violation of the treaty and since no one else doing anything to stop them and save the whales, it is up to them to exert pressure.
They do not believe they are vigilantes and nor do I. I believe they have firm legal ground to stand on and the rest of the of world is just sitting by because they do not care and have no interest in pissing off Japan.
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Do you dispute that the law allows for the harvesting whales for scientific
purposes?
ICRW, Article VII(1) provides that a party may “grant to any of its nationals a special permit authorizing that national to kill, take and treat whales for the purposes of scientific research”.
Here is the Japanese position:
In 1982, the IWC adopted the moratorium on commercial whaling on the grounds of insufficient scientific
knowledge concerning whales. The Government of Japan lodged an objection, but withdrew it in 1985, and
the 1986/87 whaling season marked the last commercial operation in the Antarctic by Japan. Thereafter, all
commercial whaling in the Antarctic has been suspended to this day.
In order to resolve the scientific uncertainties and pave the way for the resumption of sustainable whaling,
Japan started a research program, the Japanese Whale Research Program under Special Permit in the
Antarctic (JARPA), under Article VIII of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling. The
main purpose was to elucidate biological parameters of Antarctic minke whales (GOJ, 1987). The program
was launched in the 1987/88 austral summer season as a two-year feasibility study (1987/88 and 1988/89
seasons). The full program started in the 1989/90 season and it was a long-term program over eighteen years,
including the two years of feasibility studies. Since all commercial whaling had been suspended in the
Antarctic, the world's largest source of whale resources, JARPA was in effect the only comprehensive
research program that provided a time series of useful biological and ecological information for the
management of whale stocks in the Antarctic.
The IWC Scientific Committee conducted an interim review of JARPA results in 1997 (IWC, 1998). It was
agreed that information from JARPA has the potential to improve the management of Antarctic minke
whales.
http://www.icrwhale.org/eng/SC57O1.pdf