Why do the Japanese hunt whales?

Whaling.Japanese Whaling HistoryJapan has a long history of whaling. Half a dozen towns can trace their whaling history back hundreds of years, to when whales were driven into nets, harpooned repeatedly and then dispatched with either a long sword or a wooden plug driven into the blowhole. Hand harpoons dating as far back as 10,000 B.C. indicate an even longer tradition of whaling in Japan.At the turn of the 20th century, Japanese coastal whaling...

What does Japan think about the pro-whale movement?

Unwilling to Bow to Cultural DifferencesSome groups and nations support a moratorium on all forms of whaling — not just the commercial kind — and propose protecting all whales, regardless of their abundance and conservation status. Japan is not among them.In March 2008, then Minister for Foreign Affairs Masahiko Koumura stated, "There is a need for us to avoid cultural debates and rather show respect for our respective cultures and calmly discuss the issue based on scientific evidence."Japan's main...

Is whale meat popular in Japan?

Whale meat sashimi is served at a whale meat eatery in Tokyo, Japan in May 2007. According to a recent Gallup poll, males 40 to 49 are the most likely to enjoy a piping hot plate of whale meat, followed by men between 50 and 59. Whale meat is still somewhat popular in Japan, but whether you like it or not depends largely on your demographic. According to a 2006 Gallup poll conducted by the Nippon Research Center and commissioned by Greenpeace,...

Overharvesting

Passenger pigeon.One of the factors that cause species extinct is overharvesting. Before we go into our discussion, I would like to bring you some past events that prove human had over hunting certain species till they become endanger species. So, let us look at a classic example is the extermination of America passenger pigeon that once a upon a time lived in eastern North America with large population of them (population...

"The Andrews"

Animals Asia Welfare Awards -"The Andrews" Animals Asia has created a set of awards to recognise those organisations and individuals who are making outstanding contributions to the advancement of animal welfare in Asia. Over the years, we have seen many selfless supporters, celebrities, government officials, corporations, campaign partners and students helping to improve the plight of wild and domesticated animals throughout Asia. We're sure you know of many more. Animals Asia plans to launch...

5 most endangered species in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR: Five of the 10 animals and plants most threatened by the illegal wildlife trade are in Malaysia.The tiger, Asian rhinoceros, elephant and orang utan are included in the top 10 list released by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) International, together with a red and pink jewel-like coral species, Corallium borneense. All are found in Malaysia. "Malaysia’s global position in providing habitat to some of the most charismatic and endangered flagship mammal species, such as the tiger,...

20 Ways You Can Save Our WIldlife

Some "dos" and "don'ts".Do not buy bones, skulls, teeth, trophies or feathers of wild animals. To obtain these product, animals have to be killed and you are encouraging the wildlife trade.Do not think of our wild animals (such as wild boar and deer meat) as exotic food. If we continue to eat these animals at the current rate, there will soon be none left. There is plenty of beef, chicken, fish and other meats available.Don't think of wild animal...