IKAN Iruka(Dolphin) & Kujira(Whale) Action Network
IWC/52/OS IKAN
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 whale meat consumption. These campaigns include providing distorted information on people overseas who are opposing whaling as well as routinely attempting to manipulate public opinion by announcing arbitrary reports on IWC. The situation, however, has not changed and the majority of Japanese still do not eat whale.
When the contamination of whale meat became an issue, the government contended
that it would pose no health concern pointing out that the average amount
of whale meat consumed annually per person in Japan is less than 1g. Despite
these circumstances, the Japanese government has pushed ahead with an enlarged
scale of "scientific" whaling and has attempted to resume commercial whaling,
ignoring the international rules.
These actions benefit only a minority of people and businesses, and
do not represent the general consensus of the Japanese people.
As groups and individuals acting in Japan, we demand the following of the Japanese government.
