by Natalie Ragan
 |
| iStock/Brett Atkins |
| Japan is now targeting humpback whales. |
A coalition of environmental and animal protection groups including Humane Society International is calling on Japanese seafood conglomerates Nippon Suisan, Kyokuyo and Maruha to use their power and influence to put a permanent end to Japanese whaling.
The three companies each owned major commercial whaling operations dating back decades. Together, they are responsible for killing over 450,000 whales since the 1930s. After HSI and other protection groups put pressure on them in 2006, the companies dumped their shares in their Kyodo Senpaku whaling fleet—but in such a way that would allow other entities to continue whaling and carry out the plan the companies had devised in 2005 to expand the hunt. Under the plan, more than 1,400 whales will be hunted in the internationally recognized Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary over the next three months, including 50 endangered fin whales, 935 minke whales and, for the first time, 50 humpback whales. Later in 2008, Japan will continue to target whales in the North Pacific.
|
Take Action |
|
 Ask seafood CEOs to take responsibility for whaling
Urge Nippon Suisan subsidiary Gorton's to do more to help whales |
HSI feels that is not enough that these companies are no longer actively participating in the slaughter; they are obligated to make amends by actively trying to stop the whale hunt altogether. Years of corporate irresponsibility for killing these endangered animals does not end overnight simply because they hand off the business to someone else to continue the slaughter. These companies must clean up the mess they made.
Nippon Suisan, Maruha and Kyokuyo have been a driving force in Japan to press the government to continue whaling while leading political opposition within Japan to the International Whaling Commission’s 1986 ban. By mobilizing the political influence of their industry, they have maintained commercial whaling for 21 years after the ban came into effect. It is time for them to take responsibility for what they have wrought and help put a permanent end to whaling by Japan.
Update: December 21, 2007. Japan announced that it would temporarily postpone targeting humpbacks until the June 2008 IWC meeting. Read HSI's statement.
