ECO: The environmental voice at the IWC

ECO is published by Earth Island Institute’s International Marine Mammal Project at the meeting of the International Whaling Commission on behalf of environmental and animal welfare organizations around the globe.

For further information, please contact: Mark J. Palmer, Associate Director, Earth Island Institute, International Marine Mammal Project.

Previous volumes of ECO are available here.

Eco

Volume LXIV · Panama City, Panama · No. 4 · Thursday July 5, 2012
Acrobat .pdf of issue

23.7 Grams

The Iruka & Kujira (Dolphin & Whale) Action Network of Japan (IKAN) has announced that the average Japanese eats 23.7 grams—less than an ounce—of whale meat each year.

This is the equivalent of eating half a bar of chocolate or a slice of ham.

graphic showing a bisected whale, tiny human figure pointing to the front half
Scientific whaling research data: "The brain is in there."

The Japan Fisheries Agency has spent 18,321,589,000 yen ($229,496,224 US) on so-called “scientific” research whaling since its inception after commercial hunts ended. Japan has spent an additional 110,000,000,000 yen ($1,377,860,000 US) for fisheries aid to developing countries.

The IKAN report concludes: “What the Japanese government has been doing, and what it is trying to do in the future, is not acceptable for a mere twenty-four grams.”