Opening statement for the 52nd IWC from IKAN
- Details
- Created on Friday, 30 June 2000 18:39
IWC/52/OS IKAN
WE OPPOSE "SCIENTIFIC WHALING"
CARRIED OUT BY THE JAPANESEGOVERNMENT,
ITS EXPANSION, AND THE PROPOSAL TO RESUME WHALING
We are a citizen's group active in Japan. Our stance is that the consumption of whale meat is not an indispensable part of the Japanese diet.
It is true that in a certain period after World War II, whale meat was an important source of protein for Japanese people. However, as the war-shattered society recovered, the number of people who continued eating whale meat declined sharply. Nowadays, whale meat is typically consumed as a luxury food, a gourmet specialty item, served along with drinks, or presented as a gift.
The Japanese government has insisted to the international community that whale meat is one of the Japan's traditional foods that is indispensable for the nation. Despite this claim, the industry and government has had to run various campaigns domestically to encourage
