Survival of the fittest What is the point of not allowing the Japanese to hunt whales? Japan is the world's largest consumer of whale meat (Shimbuu 1). As you may already know, I'm not a big whale activist. If these whales were an endangered species, I would feel they have a right to be protected. However, these whales that are being hunted are not endangered and I believe they are fair game. This article will cover many topics in support of Japanese whaling, such as economics, culture, and history, as well as the health issue of whaling. Additionally, we will talk about the International Whaling Commission and the fight between the United States and Japan. One of the goals of this article is to open your mind to the Japanese position on the whaling issue and gain a better understanding of how this moratorium is affecting them. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In 1982, the International Whaling Commission adopted the whaling moratorium, which ended all commercial whaling (Abe 1). The Japanese continued to hunt whales until around 1988. It was then that they began to hunt whales for "research" purposes due to a loophole in the IWC document that allowed limited such hunting (Elder 52). The research programs were funded in a process where they caught whales, conducted research on them, and then sold the whale meat across the country. The IWC document stated that there would be a review of the moratorium by 1990. This never happened. Finally, in the last five years some things have begun to change. Whales not previously affected by harvest may be hunted, and the initial annual catch rate would be set at approximately 0.5% of the current estimated number in the wild (Misaki 2). Some activists of this clause say that if they allow whaling, the Japanese will be able to lie about the number of whales caught by not reporting all catches. The IWC would enforce the limit by placing inspectors aboard the few factory ships that will operate (Misaki 2). Then, in 1994, the IWC adopted the Southern Ocean whale sanctuary that included most of the region below the 40 degree southern parallel (Abe 2). This calmed activists because most of the whaling takes place in this area. As an island country, Japan's economy is primarily centered on whaling and fishing. Many oceanfront cities depend almost entirely on these industries. Due to the IWC moratorium, many of these cities are facing economic hardship. The livelihoods of Japanese fishermen and their families are endangered by the 12-year whaling ban (CFRA 1). Many of these Japanese don't understand why they can't hunt whales anymore. The Japanese syndicate stated that whales are now so abundant that they can easily be hunted commercially (CFRA 1). We need to ask ourselves why we continue to ban whaling. We are letting these whales ruin the life cycle that every other animal lives in. Whales eat fish but no one hunts them. They only act as hunters instead of conforming to nature's life cycle and sometimes being preyed upon. If they continue to multiply freely, they will damage the marine ecosystem because they consume too many fish (CFRA 1). To maintain the balance between killing all whales and letting these whales have free rein in the waters, we have adesperate need to develop a better plan in which some whales can hunt while leaving others free. It is up to the IWC to develop this balance that meets not only the needs of these Japanese communities, but also the needs of all whaling activists. Right now, all developments appear to be one-sided, favoring the anti-whaling side. One of the major differences between North American and Japanese whaling is how we differ in our use of the whale. The Japanese consume almost the entire body of these whales, while we would only use a small part of it and then throw away the rest of the whale as waste (Abe 1). Every part of the whale is very useful and in most cases very healthy. Whale meat contains more protein than any other type of meat and is also an excellent source of iron (Abe 2). A little-known fact is that whale meat is rich in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). EPA is the acid that helps prevent blood vessel disease and carcinogenesis and DHA is a brain activator (Abe 2). These are two precious acids that are very difficult to find elsewhere. We must exploit this resource. “A Taste of Japan” is an article written by Donald Richie that compares and contrasts the attitudes towards food of the Japanese and the rest of the world. In his article he talks about the difference in the type of tools they use depending on the season they are in. It also talks a lot about how they enjoy the texture of the food as much or more than the taste of the food. Putting all of this together helped him come to the conclusion that Japanese cuisine is unique in its attitude towards food (Richie 68). If you've ever eaten at a Japanese restaurant, like I have, this is very illustrated. Japanese food isn't the tastiest food in the world, but in an economy dominated by fast-food restaurants and Americanized food, Japanese people often choose to eat in their small restaurants. I think this is because of how their food plays such an important role in their culture. Whales have been an important part of Japanese culture for a long time. Whale meat was recorded on menus 1000 years ago (Abe 1). Whaling first began in Japan in the 2nd century BC and remained a huge industry for Japan until this moratorium went into effect (Abe 1). While other countries began whaling but have since ceased the practice, the Japanese whaling industry has remained strong throughout this time period. An example of this is the United States, which stopped whaling in the 1940s and soon after became activists against the practice (Abe 1). This leads to the great struggle of the United States against Japan. Everyone can see that we are obviously different in many ways. The main point of this article is that they support whaling and we don't. I want us to ask ourselves: who are we to tell them what to hunt? Honestly, how many Americans have actually eaten whale meat? Our differing opinions on the whaling moratorium are due to the fact that Americans generally do not eat whale meat, while the Japanese do (Elder 53). The whaling moratorium not only asks the Japanese to stop hunting whales, but also asks them to completely abandon a part of their culture that has been with them for almost 2,200 years. We must therefore realize that by asking the Japanese to give up whaling, we are asking them to radically change their culture. Are we ready to face the same kind of drastic change in our food preferences (Elder 56)? I guess it's up to each individual.