Namaste, iam Ricardo Suddoth, Asalam walekum.
Well, here’s the deal: does Japan hunt whales? It’s a controversial topic that has been debated for years. You might be surprised to learn that yes, Japan does hunt whales - but only for scientific research purposes. Despite this, many people are still against it and believe it should be stopped altogether. It’s a complex issue with no easy answers, so let’s take a closer look at why Japanese whaling is such a hot-button issue.
Does The Japanese Still Hunt Whales? [Solved]
Well, that’s a wrap for Japan’s commercial whaling. On July 1st 2019, they decided to leave the IWC and get back in the game. Fast forward to 2021 and they’ve already hunted down a whopping 383 whales - 171 minke whales, 187 Bryde’s whales and 25 sei whales. Talk about making up for lost time!
International Whaling Commission: The International Whaling Commission (IWC) is an international body that regulates the hunting of whales. Japan is a member of the IWC and has agreed to abide by its regulations.
Japanese Whaling Practices: Japan has traditionally hunted whales for centuries, primarily for food and other products such as oil and fertilizer. In recent years, however, Japan has also engaged in scientific whaling, which involves killing whales for research purposes.
Controversy: The practice of whaling is highly controversial due to concerns about animal welfare and conservation efforts to protect whale populations from over-exploitation. Many countries have condemned Japan’s whaling activities as cruel and unnecessary, leading to international pressure on the country to stop or reduce its whaling operations.
Current Status: Despite this pressure, Japan continues to hunt whales in certain areas of the Pacific Ocean under a loophole in the IWC regulations that allows it to conduct scientific research on whale populations while still harvesting them for commercial purposes.
No, they don’t. Japan has actually stopped hunting whales since 1988, so you won’t find them doing it anymore. They used to hunt them for food and other products, but now they’ve switched to more sustainable sources.
