hi all
i've compiled some info based on the above.
“A Message from the People of Taiji, Japan
May 23, 1994
The Village of Taiji, where we live is located on the southern part of the Japanese archipelago at the tip of the peninsula which extends into the Pacific Ocean. Steep mountains which are covered with dense forests come to the shoreline and fall sharply into the ocean. With flat land suitable for farming being so limited, the people of Taiji must depend on the resources available from the sea. As far back as our knowledge of history can tell, the people of Taiji have been catching a variety of whales. For people without farming, whales have been an important source of food as well as commodity for exchange to obtain rice and vegetables from the farmers. Particularly, since the 17th century when Yorimoto Wada and Yoriharu Wada, the well-respected founding fathers of Taiji Kujiri Gumi (Taiji Whaling Group), invented net whaling, whaling has become the most important subsistence activity and industry for villagers. This has continued into the modern period after Japan opened its doors to the west. Whaling is the very activity we have learned from our ancestors and lived by for many generations.
Because of those historical reasons, we consider ourselves to be "a whaling people." We are proud of our own heritage and want to hand it down to the next generations. Thus, it was a traumatic experience that our values were attacked fiercely by western environmentalists and animal right activists, and the International Whaling Commission (IWC) mercilessly forced us to stop whaling. The impact of the whaling ban has been tremendous. Many villagers lost their proud occupations and important means of livelihood, and wounds and scars were made in the heart of many men and women.
No matter how viciously the environmentalists and animal right activists condemn us, we will not give up whaling. We simply cannot do that, because it would mean to us not only a significant economic loss but also a loss of our pride and the unique culture of our own. A small village like Taiji would be wiped out completely by the massive forces of industrialization and commercialization without a pride for its own heritage and a strong sense of community identity.
Although Japan is one of the world's most advanced industrialized nations, there are a number of small communities which are still dependent on traditional subsistence activities based on natural resources and maintain traditional values which contrast sharply with the increasing influence of urban and western values. Taiji is one such community, and we want it to remain that way and we are trying so hard for that.
We believe our views on nature and its utilization, which have been accumulated and nurtured by generations of experience right here in Taiji, are not only valuable for ourselves but potentially for many other coastal peoples who suffer from environmental deterioration caused by mishandling of the nature. Humans, the greatest predator on earth, need wisdom and technology tested by generations of experience in order to live in harmony with the nature. The nature is so diversified that our approaches to the nature need to be diversified. We should try to understand and respect unique adaptive values of the individual cultures in their own environment, and try to utilize and protect the nature rationally by making full use of those diversified cultures. Cultural imperialism which some western environmentalist are promoting, either knowingly or unknowingly, is harmful to both people and nature.
We believe we know more about our own sea in Taiji than anyone who lives hundreds or thousands of miles away from us. We also believe we are more concerned with its protection and assume more responsibilities than anybody else in the world. We are sure that the same view is shared by Alaskan Eskimos, Faroese, Greenlanders, Icelanders, Norwegians, and Russians in Chukotka as well. We hope many environmentally concerned people in the industrialized nations will understand our views and trust us as rational and humane people, and stop making whaling a "scape goat" of the environmental crusade and making inhumane attacks on whaling people. Cultural diversity is just as important as biological diversity in order to protect the earth's environment. After all, it is only a diversified people who can really take tender care of a diversified nature and make truly rational and orderly use of it.
We people of Taiji need whaling and we have a right and a good reason to continue whaling. We hope our position is well understood by all the participants of the IWC meeting, and rational actions will be taken by the Commission. We urge the Commissioners to sincerely respond to our humble request of interim allocation of 50 minke whales to alleviate our distress caused by the unreasonable and unjustified moratorium since 1988 for four small coastal whaling communities including Taiji.
S. Hamanaka, Mayor and The People of Taiji
Note: The IWC has continuously denied Taiji's request for a quota of 50 minke whales, or .2 percent of a local stock estimated at 25,000 animals. With a global population of close to a million animals, the minke is abundant and in no danger of depletion or extinction by hunting. However, the number of people living in the whaling villages of Japan has been substantially reduced since the imposition of the "temporary" whaling moratorium.”
www.furcommission.com/resourc...ect3.htm
i've compiled some info based on the above.
“A Message from the People of Taiji, Japan
May 23, 1994
The Village of Taiji, where we live is located on the southern part of the Japanese archipelago at the tip of the peninsula which extends into the Pacific Ocean. Steep mountains which are covered with dense forests come to the shoreline and fall sharply into the ocean. With flat land suitable for farming being so limited, the people of Taiji must depend on the resources available from the sea. As far back as our knowledge of history can tell, the people of Taiji have been catching a variety of whales. For people without farming, whales have been an important source of food as well as commodity for exchange to obtain rice and vegetables from the farmers. Particularly, since the 17th century when Yorimoto Wada and Yoriharu Wada, the well-respected founding fathers of Taiji Kujiri Gumi (Taiji Whaling Group), invented net whaling, whaling has become the most important subsistence activity and industry for villagers. This has continued into the modern period after Japan opened its doors to the west. Whaling is the very activity we have learned from our ancestors and lived by for many generations.
Because of those historical reasons, we consider ourselves to be "a whaling people." We are proud of our own heritage and want to hand it down to the next generations. Thus, it was a traumatic experience that our values were attacked fiercely by western environmentalists and animal right activists, and the International Whaling Commission (IWC) mercilessly forced us to stop whaling. The impact of the whaling ban has been tremendous. Many villagers lost their proud occupations and important means of livelihood, and wounds and scars were made in the heart of many men and women.
No matter how viciously the environmentalists and animal right activists condemn us, we will not give up whaling. We simply cannot do that, because it would mean to us not only a significant economic loss but also a loss of our pride and the unique culture of our own. A small village like Taiji would be wiped out completely by the massive forces of industrialization and commercialization without a pride for its own heritage and a strong sense of community identity.
Although Japan is one of the world's most advanced industrialized nations, there are a number of small communities which are still dependent on traditional subsistence activities based on natural resources and maintain traditional values which contrast sharply with the increasing influence of urban and western values. Taiji is one such community, and we want it to remain that way and we are trying so hard for that.
We believe our views on nature and its utilization, which have been accumulated and nurtured by generations of experience right here in Taiji, are not only valuable for ourselves but potentially for many other coastal peoples who suffer from environmental deterioration caused by mishandling of the nature. Humans, the greatest predator on earth, need wisdom and technology tested by generations of experience in order to live in harmony with the nature. The nature is so diversified that our approaches to the nature need to be diversified. We should try to understand and respect unique adaptive values of the individual cultures in their own environment, and try to utilize and protect the nature rationally by making full use of those diversified cultures. Cultural imperialism which some western environmentalist are promoting, either knowingly or unknowingly, is harmful to both people and nature.
We believe we know more about our own sea in Taiji than anyone who lives hundreds or thousands of miles away from us. We also believe we are more concerned with its protection and assume more responsibilities than anybody else in the world. We are sure that the same view is shared by Alaskan Eskimos, Faroese, Greenlanders, Icelanders, Norwegians, and Russians in Chukotka as well. We hope many environmentally concerned people in the industrialized nations will understand our views and trust us as rational and humane people, and stop making whaling a "scape goat" of the environmental crusade and making inhumane attacks on whaling people. Cultural diversity is just as important as biological diversity in order to protect the earth's environment. After all, it is only a diversified people who can really take tender care of a diversified nature and make truly rational and orderly use of it.
We people of Taiji need whaling and we have a right and a good reason to continue whaling. We hope our position is well understood by all the participants of the IWC meeting, and rational actions will be taken by the Commission. We urge the Commissioners to sincerely respond to our humble request of interim allocation of 50 minke whales to alleviate our distress caused by the unreasonable and unjustified moratorium since 1988 for four small coastal whaling communities including Taiji.
S. Hamanaka, Mayor and The People of Taiji
Note: The IWC has continuously denied Taiji's request for a quota of 50 minke whales, or .2 percent of a local stock estimated at 25,000 animals. With a global population of close to a million animals, the minke is abundant and in no danger of depletion or extinction by hunting. However, the number of people living in the whaling villages of Japan has been substantially reduced since the imposition of the "temporary" whaling moratorium.”
www.furcommission.com/resourc...ect3.htm
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Re: taiji fishermen's perspectives and other dolphin slaughter related stuff
Sat, September 24, 2005 - 10:58 AMmy opinion and analysis...
The issues that the Taiji people face with regards to whaling can be correlated with the issues they face towards the dolphin tradition as they feel that it is part of their life and their culture. Heritage and a common identity are strong cornerstones in this issue, as well as the survival and the economic viability of their people. They feel threatened if this part of their life is taken away. Also, the geographical location of the village is one of the factors that has caused the dolphin/whale slaughters. Of course, the letter is also used to evoke sympathy and has been cleverly phrased to meet the purposes of justifying their actions. If one extends the scope of the issue to dolphin hunting, one can tell that Taiji’s capture of dolphins for captivity is definitely not cultural, neither is it in their heritage. This makes a strong point of refute against their stand of maintaining traditional values in contrast to the onslaught of “Western” values. It is obvious that the dolphin capture for captivity is fueled solely by economic incentives.
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Re: taiji fishermen's perspectives and other dolphin slaughter related stuff
Sat, September 24, 2005 - 10:59 AMActivists to Japan: Stop Hunting Dolphins
By Lisa Lambert, November 4, 2003 01:09 PM
SAN FRANCISCO -- Holding a large inflatable dolphin decorated with a sign reading "Japan: Stop the Bloody Dolphin Slaughter," Bay Area animal rights activists stood outside the Japanese consulate this morning to protest Japan's traditional dolphin hunts.
About six activists gathered at the consulate at the corner of Fremont and Mission streets to participate in the protest, which coincided with other demonstrations in 20 cities around the world.
The protesters wanted Japan's government to ban dolphin-hunting expeditions known as "drive fisheries," that take place when dolphins migrate along Japan's coast between September and March.
"We're hoping to keep this issue in the public spotlight," said Suzanne Roy, program director for Mill Valley's In Defense of Animals, who helped organize the San Francisco protest. "The best way to stop it is to shine the light of the world on it."
Tsutomu Matsumoto, the Japanese Consular of Agriculture and Fishery, accepted a videotape made by Sea Shepherd Conservation, which coordinated the international protests, of a recent hunt in the Taiji village. He said he disagreed with the protesters.
"Personally, I think it's a very particular part of our culture," he said about the hunts "Japan is traditions and traditions are disappearing. There should be something to preserve it."
Although dolphin meat is primarily used in fertilizer in Japan, it is still canned and sometimes used in stews.
Roy noted the expeditions frequently capture some live dolphins as well.
"They'll sell a few off to the aquariums," she said. "It's very profitable to sell dolphins. The captivity industry has a role in perpetuating this slaughter."
Few passersby took flyers from the protesters. Some noticed the small collection of foam dolphins, each bearing red paint marks that represented blood, clumped on the sidewalk at the activists' feet.
Clare Perry wrote in England's Daily Mail last month that the Japanese kill about 2,000 dolphins each year for food.
Perry watched a dolphin hunt three years ago and wrote that around 12 fishing boats will encircle a pod of dolphins. The fishermen hammer on their boats to scare the dolphins into a bay, where they seal off the entrance with nets and leave the dolphins to go hungry for a night or two. They then slash the dolphins' throats.
According to The Japan Times, fishermen may also drive the dolphins onto the beach and stab them in the brain.
Roy said that hunting and eating dolphins is primarily limited to small villages, in a tradition that dates back hundreds of years.
"There's a cultural issue of Americans telling Japanese what to do," Roy said about the protest. Still, she said, people should know how dolphin meat "gets to the shelves."
"Because something's a tradition, doesn't mean it has to continue," she said. "Slavery was a tradition."
Matsumoto, from the consulate, has never eaten dolphin meat. He said this is the case with many Japanese.
"That is very rare," he said. "Most Japanese have never eaten it. I'm very confident in that. Basically, most of the Japanese people don't know about dolphin hunting. Most people are not aware such activity exists."
The Times of London reported that dolphin meat is primarily turned into fertilizer or pet food and demand for the canned meat has been in decline.
According to Roy, the meat contains hazardous levels of mercury.
There is a demand for dolphin meat in other parts of the world, as well. Peru has outlawed dolphin hunting, but the practice continues. A black market in the meat developed after the ban because it was still cheaper than beef or horsemeat. In India, fishermen poach dolphins to sell the meat in China, where it's considered an aphrodisiac and cure for impotency.
In the future, Roy said she hopes the Japanese will turn away from hunting and use the dolphin pods swimming off the coast for eco-tourism. She pointed to former dolphin hunter Izumi Ishii, who transformed the village of Futo into a dolphin-watching destination.
Sea Shepherd has recently begun rallying interest in the anti-hunting cause, first by releasing its videotape of the Taiji hunt in early October and then by organizing today's protests. Roy said her group would participate in any future political actions. ??For now, Matsumoto could not say if the protests will influence his government's opinion on the matter.
journalism.berkeley.edu/ngno/s...36.html
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Gloomy Debate on Greedy Whaling: Is the debate about whaling really a conflict of interests between Japan and Western countries?
Sat, September 24, 2005 - 11:01 AMhomepage1.nifty.com/IKAN/eng...1jul.html
Jul. 2001
Gloomy Debate on Greedy Whaling: Is the debate about whaling really a conflict of interests between Japan and Western countries?
Those who support whaling argue that the conflict is between Japanese who try to maintain what they claim to be their cultural traditions, and Westerners who not only lack understanding of other cultures but also impose their cultural values on others. On the other hand, there are arguments that Japan is an "environmental predator" or behaving like a "gang of thugs" who continue environmental degradation for the sake of optimal use and bully domestic environmental and conservation groups to "keep silent" on the issue. There are also arguments on whether the habit of eating whale meat is really a tradition and if the government allows anything or legitimizes it it is named a "tradition." But it must be understood also that the labeling of Japanese as "environmental predators" or other not so endearing terms is certainly making the problem worse. There is no miniscule percentage of Japanese who say "the conservation of whales is going too far" or "the Western nations are imposing their cultural values on us" when faced with the high-handed attitudes of the anti-whaling advocates. It is clear that it must be the choice of the Japanese people which is indispensable in solving the problem of whaling (and dolphin hunting).
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Re: Gloomy Debate on Greedy Whaling: Is the debate about whaling really a conflict of interests between Japan and Western countries?
Sat, September 24, 2005 - 11:01 AMmy take on this..
Obviously, a lot of value-judgement and perspective ideals are coming into play in this debate, which I believe can be extended to the dolphin hunt. One way in order to curb the dolphin slaughter for the use of canned meat would be to critically examine whether the habit of eating dolphin meat is a tradition.. and what exactly constitutes a tradition. It would be imperative to consider what the Japanese, especially the Taiji folks deem as a tradition, and how long does it take for an ongoing practice to be considered as traditional.
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dolphin flesh and riftnet fishing
Sat, September 24, 2005 - 11:02 AM"Slaughtering dolphins in order that dolphin flesh can be a more affordable substitute for whale meat which is becoming more expensive and in short supply due to pressures on Japan to stop whaling (Donoghue and Wheeler, 1990, p. 49).
riftnet fishing which indirectly kills large numbers of other marine life, for example, turtles and dolphins. This practice of fishing is one of the most wasteful methods ever used yet Japan remains one of the major users of driftnet fishing in the world. This kind of overexploitation in the high seas pays scant regard to future implications. "
mcel.pacificu.edu/aspac/pap...anaher.htm
The above is an excerpt from a PhD paper, What Price The Environment?:?An Analysis of Japanese Public Awareness?of Environmental Issues by Mike Danaher. It reinforces the assertion about the use of dolphins as meat, as well as the implications of riftnet fishing on the dolphins.
I feel that another issue to think about would be the dolphin slaughters during tuna fishing, which is why individuals aware about this happening are encouraged to buy canned tuna with the words “dolphin-friendly” on the label. I’m not sure whether this is linked to Taiji village, but some action in this direction might help reduce the merciless dolphin slaughters globally. -
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Unsu...
Re: dolphin flesh and riftnet fishing
Sun, September 25, 2005 - 1:54 PMHi Perpetua,
There was a similair line of questioning brought up with someone who was looking at helping out. I forwarded their question to Ric O'Barry who is the r). The 1) is the person asking and I do not mention their name...
My intro paragraph:
Your concerns are concerns a lot of people would have and rather than answer them myself...I asked Ric O'Barry the organizer of the protest. I wanted to come from a place of knowledge rather than opinion or heresay...he is the most educated individual I know on the issue (from the dolphin's perspective). I forwarded your message to him and asked him to respond..this is what he wrote:
1)Hey Sweep, I'm still unsure as to where everyone stands on the issue. Especially morally. Yes dolphins are being murdered, but the village has been doing this longer than Canada has been a country...
R)Bull fighting and many other blood sports have been going on longer than Canada has been a country. That does not justify these brutal, anachronistic, sports. Same is true with allowing woman to vote in many middle east countries. The fact that woman have been persecuted longer that Canada has been around, does not make these injustice right. When this kind of injustice is absolute, we must oppose it ABSOLUTELY.
1)Aside from my own ethics, no electricity means no projector or laptop to play it on. So as it stands, I would have to hold back on making any serious commitments to this protest. I really do wish you would all step back and take a serious look at what consequences will evolve from these actions. Putting a village out of an income could hold more serious outcomes, and then what organize a group to help the people survive or send them food like a third world country?
R)Taiji and Futo are not third world. They have more money than us. The fisherman have expensive boats, cars, and homes. They are well off and most likely doing better than you are. We spoke to some of the younger fisherman. They told us that it's only the old guard who want to continue killing dolphins. The younger fisherman want to stop. When asked what they would do if they did not get a permit to kill 20.000 dolphin each year from Tokyo, they replied: "We would switch to fishing for lobster."
1)I do believe if everyone put in as much energy into helping them transition into another income or way of sustaining themselves, instead of just saying " what you do is wrong!" then maybe everyone would win. Please visit the link below.
Also please email me back so I know where we stand. No heart feelings I hope.
R)They don't need help with this transition. All they have to do is switch fishing targets. Simple as that. You can completely understand this urgent issue in a 30 minute crash course by viewing the One Voice DVD: Welcome to Taiji." -
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Unsu...
Re: dolphin flesh and riftnet fishing
Sun, September 25, 2005 - 2:51 PMi would like to at some point rip the dvd and upload it so EVERYONE can see what ric is talking about. it's not oooh poor fishermen as i originally thought...it's exactly opposite of that...even down to their equipment wich is new and shiny and most likely funded by...? the dolphinariums.
the dvd will explain everything in 30 min...and leave you sick to your stomach. i kid you not.
the last video is saw that made me ill was a show about young girls being circumcised (genitally mutilated) with a dull knife to make matters even more worse. this too was a tradition. how many people here would support that? -
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Unsu...
Re: dolphin flesh and riftnet fishing
Sun, September 25, 2005 - 2:53 PMand thank you perpetua for taking the time and doing research...i am in no way dissing you.... there just seems to be lots of wrong info circulating... -
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Unsu...
Re: dolphin flesh and riftnet fishing
Sun, September 25, 2005 - 2:56 PMthe tuna thing is a seperate issue - yet another harm being done to dolphins - check out djwhite from earthtrust, he's in the 1dpc tribe, he's been fighting that cause for years and you can visit his site if you want to learn more.
i think this could be our next focus after the protest. eventually it all ties in...so thanks for bringing it up :-)
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Re: dolphin flesh and riftnet fishing
Tue, October 4, 2005 - 10:05 PMwhere do u get the dvd from?
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