Whale Played

Aussies release gruesome footage of Japanese whale hunt

Posted at 2:30 PM on 08 Feb 2008

There's a new twist in the twisty tale of Japan's off-then-back-on-again whale hunt: the Australian government has released gut-wrenching footage of what it says is a mother and baby minke whale being harpooned and hauled aboard a Japanese ship. An unamused official at Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research denied that the large and small whales were a mother and calf, and warned that the Australian photographs and subsequent media coverage "have created a dangerous emotional propaganda that could cause serious damage to the relationship between our two countries." The bright side, according to Aussie Environment Minister Peter Garrett: "Images like this ... have been very powerful forces in building up global and world opinion on [the whaling issue]."

sources: Reuters, Associated Press, Agence France-Presse
for the strong of stomach: Pictures and video of the whale hunt

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Comments: (5 comments)

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Don't forget...

...While Japan hunts in the south, Norway is also on the hunt in the north. The only other country to still have whale hunts (excludin' tribal communities), they're set to kill several hundred this year. And they don't even hide behind Japan's excuse of "scientific research", they know it's commercial whaling.

Luckily, their quota is above a thousand whales, but in recent years, have only gotten 'bout half that number due to fuel costs, weather, and increasin' health concerns over whale consumption.

by Tasermons Partner at 3:54 PM on 08 Feb 2008

"serious damage"

What is it that the Institute of Cetacean Research do not understand? How can they fail to see that their side is the one perpetrating "damage"? Or, could anyone possibly believe that it is unpermissible "damage" to publish evidence of grave wrongdoing?

It will be interesting to know exactly how profoundly the actions of the Australian coast guard, and the complaints of the ICR, may make difficulties for Mr. Rudd and his government.

Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.

by caniscandida at 2:10 AM on 09 Feb 2008

Don't Count On The Australian Government

While the current prime minister is clearly a large improvement over the old one, governments are almost always far more concerned about money than about the environment. I wouldn't expect the Australian government to demand anything from Japan if push comes to shove over economic issues.

by Wolverine at 1:11 PM on 09 Feb 2008

The Truth

The truth is always damaging to the clothes wearing monkeys that call themselves homo sapians ..... what a joke the species is ....... whores, pimps and thieves calling themselves an intelligent species.

"We Have Found the Enemy and It Is Us" ... Pogo

by rrecroc at 1:54 PM on 11 Feb 2008

PS

Screw the Japanese ..... we don't need their damn transistor radios anymore ..... and we should be designing and building our own tv sets

We could ask citizens to boycott those large screen tv's ...... stop buying them but the folks who watch those things don't know what a whale is ....

"We Have Found the Enemy and It Is Us" ... Pogo

by rrecroc at 6:27 PM on 11 Feb 2008

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