Japan’s War on Nature Continues Despite Apparently Losing One Battle
“Obstruction by a hardline anti-whaling group has forced Japan to cut short its Antarctic whale hunt, the fisheries minister said on Friday,” media reported.
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has been instrumental in forcing the Japanese fleet to turn back. However, Japan remains one of only three countries—along with Norway and Iceland—still hunting whales. Japanese government insists that hunting whales is an important cultural tradition.
The whales question the blood culture!
Japanese whaling fleet vessel Yushin Maru No. 3 sprays water cannons at Sea Shepherd activists in a dinghy boat during their clashes in the Southern Ocean in this February 4, 2011 file photo. Obstruction by hardline anti-whaling group the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has forced Japan to cut short its Antarctic whale hunt, the fisheries minister said on Friday, the first time the fleet is heading home early due to clashes with activists. Credit: Gary Stokes/Sea Shepherd/via Reuters.
“It has become difficult to secure the fleet’s safety,” Fisheries Minister Michihiko Kano told a news conference. “We have no choice but to cut short our research.”
Sea Shepherd considers the early return of the whaling fleet “as a victory for whales” and that “the movement was proving increasingly effective at disrupting the Japanese fleet’s operations.” Reuters reported.
“We didn’t do much differently, but got there early and intercepted them and disrupted them early before they could really begin,” Jeff Hansen, Sea Shepherd’s Australian director, said by telephone.
“Each year we’re costing them more and more money. It’s a heavily subsidized hunt and they’re spending and losing millions so we’re very much hurting them in the pocket.
“We’ll stay down there in the Southern Ocean, and if they return next season, we’ll be there to escort them northward.”
Threats and Intimidation by Japan
The Japanese government described the obstruction by Sea Shepherd as “unforgivable” and has “vowed to continue its whaling activities from next year.” Said the report.
“Sabotage like this is a dangerous, unlawful act that threatens the lives and property of the crew, who were engaging in legal research activities on the high seas, and the safety of sea traffic,” Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara told a news conference. “This is totally unforgivable.”
“The Foreign Ministry summoned ambassadors from the Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand—the Sea Shepherd vessels’ flag states or port call states—to express regret and ask them to take effective measures to prevent obstruction by the Sea Shepherd happening again.” Reuters said.
“From next year, we will not give this up. We plan to discuss across the government how whaling can be conducted safely,” Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said.
What about Renewable Energy?
Japanese establishment’s brutality against nature doesn’t end at viciously killing defenseless whales and dolphins at sea. The country is also one of the least environmentally conscious members of the so-called developed nations.
About 81 percent of Japan’s primary energy comes from hydrocarbon sources: Oil, coal and natural gas.
The nuclear energy mafia supplies just under 15 percent through 53 nuclear reactors (2009), third after U-S and France.
Just over 0.5 percent of the land of Rising Sun’s primary energy comes from solar and wind sources.
Japan’s renewable power generation by type and by proportion of total power generated (FY 2008}. Source
WE’LL LET NATURE HAVE THE LAST WORDS!
As for Norway and Iceland …
“Oil from an Icelandic container ship that ran aground Thursday night has come ashore on the coast of southern Norway near the country’s only marine national park, Norwegian authorities said Friday.”
Fire Earth 