Today I will be answering the question, Japanese whaling is a controversial policy issue which involves both domestic and foreign policy. What factors have influenced the response of the Australian Government to continued Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean?
As of the 1st of April this year, The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled Japan must immediately stop its whaling program in the southern ocean because it was discovered that the Japanese were not using it for scientific purposes Australia has agreed with this edict and also agreed with anti-whaling stance from domestic pressure and also international pressure from the UN, societal pressure is a large part of this decision, however theres more specific reasons to why Australia disagrees with japans ideals.
These two nations are on polar opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to whaling policies, while japan have always and obviously been pro-whaling since its fruition for the last 20 or so years Australia has voiced distain for this obscene endeavour. The catching and counting of whaling has been measured since its signing in 1946 on the 2nd of December, with the creation of the international whaling commission (IWC). In 1982 the IWC adopted a moratorium or a suspension in an activity, as it stands Russia and japan oppose this, along with a substantial amount of other nations. As of 1994 the southern ocean sanctuary was formed, obtaining 50 million square kilometres, girting the continent of Antarctica, the Indian ocean was also designated a sanctuary of late. The IWC has non-zero whaling quotas for artisan or subsistence fisherman mainly aboriginal whaling which is passed down as tradition, other than that it’s disallowed, with the ‘unwilling exception’ of ...
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...ferences in whaling policies comes down to the differences in political structure, potential profit and cultural influences. Australia’s political structure makes it harder to get something like this through, however with no potential profit it is more beneficial to put on the save the whales face for international purposes. Environmental government policies were earlier reactive, unsystematic and tactical. It was also seen as a discrete unit, which was usually taken care by a specialised agency such as the environmental ministry. One of the biggest reasons was that economic growth was often taking the priority in governmental policy hierarchy, leaving environmental interests outside (Carter 2007: 181-182). This is still the issue to date.
Class question:
If Australia did have a larger market for whale produce, would the government become pro-whaling once again?
After evaluating the above factors, it is clear that the partnership between Australia and Japan is of significant importance to both countries. With reference to the Centre for Study of Australian-Asian Relations (1997:152) the future prosperity of Australia will to an increasing extent, be dependent on that of her neighbours in the Asia-Pacific area. Currently the Australia-Japan relationship could be described as “comfortable and relaxed”. However both Australia and Japan need to be alert to the changing environment and must ensure that the right frameworks and policy settings are in place in order for the two countries to prosper.
There is a high degree of complexity in this question. Should Australia, as a mature nation, be taking part in moral issues around the world even though they are not happening on our doorstep? Do we ignore the deaths in Bosnia, the starving millions in Biafra and Ethiopia, the worldwide environmental issues raised by Greenpeace? What is the purpose of developing alliances, both economic and military, with other countries? At stake, in all of these issues, is our desire for a better world to live in.
“… building a tank the size of Rhode Island wouldn’t be large enough for a six-ton male killer whale such as Tilikum, an animal capable of swimming 100 miles a day,” states an anonymous whale expert. Whales have been in captivity since 1861 when P.T. Barnum displayed the first live whale that was captured in Canada. However, Barnum had no idea how to care for the mammal and it died after only a week in captivity. (Animal Legal and Historical Center, 2014) Being up close with killer whales could give us some clues about how they interact with each other, including physical behavior, their dialect, and how their pods work together as a family unit. However, what we are finding is that whales who belong in the wild are suffering in captivity. Killer whales have no record of ever harming a human being in the wild. In captivity, there have been many incidents of killer whales harming or even killing their trainers. What would cause them to do this in captivity, but not in the wild? They have been known to resort to aggression toward themselves and each other, in what scientist believe to be a stress induced behavior. (Animal Legal and Historical Center, 2014) Evidence against having these wild animals in captivity is increasing and we need reevaluate the value of capturing and holding killer whales for our educational purposes, enjoyment, and profit.
Of the lessons of this course, the distinction made between story and situation will be the most important legacy in my writing. I learned a great travel essay cannot be merely its situation: its place, time, and action. It requires a story, the reader’s internal “journey of discovery.” While the importance of establishing home, of balancing summary and scene, and other lessons impacted my writing, this assertion at least in my estimation the core argument of the course.
Whaling is one of the biggest problems for the Humpback whale population. Because of whaling the Humpback whale population has decreased dramatically to 125.000. Whaling became popular in the 17th century, this led to a dramatic decrease. To stop the decreasing a whaling ban was codified in 1966.
The book In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick, is an inspiring story about an Essex from Nantucket, getting attacked by a eighty-five ton sperm whale miles deep out in the ocean. In these times, going on any ocean expedition had its precautions. While much focus on food, drinking water, medication and a method to cure illness, the most overlooked impairment was the creatures of the ocean. While the men of this vessel left the docks as predators, the survivors of the ninety- three-day journey on three small harpoon boats came back as prey. This story gives a great depiction of the potential of the sperm whale as well as the devastation that they can bring.
How would you feel if your mother was murdered directly in front of you and you were only a few weeks old and you did not know how to fend for yourself? That's what these poacher are doing of these whales. They look for mother with fairly new calves because it means they have more fat on them. The more fat the more oil they produce which makes for more money. In Greenland they kill at most ten whales a year. While in Japan they kill five hundred and thirty to seven hundred
With all the information I found, I learned more in-depth about the causes and effects of killer whales while they are kept in captivity. I learned horrible information about their diet and how they have to take supplements and vitamins in order to live. If the public was informed about the studies I state, I truly believe Commercial Parks’ total revenues will decrease. It is obvious these commercial parks care about profit over the animals. They pass on false information about the animals in order to cover up the health and emotional problems these animals go through specifically killer whales. I hope more research and studies are made so more of the public will be informed.
Orcas, also known as killer whales, are amazingly intelligent and are a top predator, much like humans. However, when the top predator of the ocean collides with the top predator of land, the situation can become fatal for both humans and the whales. Holding these incredibly massive marine animals in captivity is not only inhumane and detrimental to the whale’s health, but also a potentially fatal activity for humans to participate in.
Blue whales, also known as (Balaenoptera musculus), are considered one of the largest animals today (NOAA). A blue whale can grow up to “80- 100 feet in length and may weigh up to 200 tons” (World Wild Life).
I agree with the Norwegian and Japanese positions on permitting the hunting of non-endangered species of whales as a cultural exemption. Both of these cultures have been whaling for thousands of years. One stipulation that I would add in order to qualify for a cultural exemption is that the hunting should take place in a historically accurate manner. For the Japanese, this would mean using nets to catch the whales.
The quest to gain international agreement on ethical and legal norms for regulation of whaling has had a long and troubled history. The modern phase of global concern over whaling ethics and conservationist management originated in 1946, when the International Convention on Regulation of Whaling was signed. Thus the International Whaling Commission was created. The International Whaling Commission was designed to control and mandate the whaling industry. From it’s beginning as simply a whalers club with scientific guidance, to the current day conservationist body; the IWC has undergone many revisions and transformations since the start. In 1982 the IWC voted to implement a “pause” on commercial whaling (which is still in effect today). Which major whaling nations, Japan, Norway, Peru, and the Soviet Union (later replaced by Russia) lodged formal objections, due to the fact that the moratorium was not based on advice from the Scientific Committee. One major disappointment of this regulation was due the fact that the moratorium only applies to commercial whaling. Thus, whaling under scientific-research and aboriginal-subsistence is still allowed. Japan and other countries have continued their hunt in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary under the “scientific research” loophole. However, environmental activist groups openly dispute the claims and continue their rally to end the whaling industry for good.
A hero is someone who will attempt everything in their power to help others and risk everything they have to help others. In the movie, The Whale Rider, you can clearly see all the elements of The Hero’s Journey. A young girl named Paula Apirana, is living in a small village with her grandparents. Paika’s dad, who is living in Spain, returns to see Paula and proposes that she should come live with him. She declines the offer and decided to stay with her grandparents. Paula then secretly tries to learn the important ritual, that only males are allowed to learn. Her grandpa, Paka, gets extremely angry at her until he realizes that she is the “chosen one” to perform the ritual. Paika goes through many difficult challenges, however she manages
For almost 400 years, whales have been chased to near extinction. Vessels have travelled the globe to find and extract precious oil and gather whale meat to eat. This has resulted in over 10,000 whales being executed since the moratorium in 1986. A moratorium is a delay or suspension of an activity or a law and in this case a suspension of whaling. Also a ...
Recently the highly controversial date of Australia Day has been garnering much media attention after the decision by the Fremantle council to cease its celebrations on January 26th due to it being culturally insensitive. Supporters of having Australia Day on the 26th of January argue that it is merely a patriotic declaration of pride, whilst others condemn the date as a celebration of the massacre of a culture and its people.