Australian activists and Japanese whalers clash at sea

**hellheaven1987** · January 18, 2012, 09:28 AM

Three activists says they have cuts and bruises after clashing with a Japanese whaling ship in the Southern Ocean.

The incident happened about 300 miles north of Mawson Peninsula off the coast of Antarctica.

Anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd said whaling crew used grappling hooks and a bamboo pole to strike the activists.

Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research said the activists had tried to cut ropes and tangle the Japanese ship's propellers with ropes.

Sea Shepherd follows the Japanese fleet south every year in a bid to disrupt its hunt.

Source

I wonder, is what those activists done an illegal move? I mean, they are literally attacking other people's ships, isn't it illegal?

**Eien** · January 18, 2012, 09:48 AM

While i don't support Japan's hunt for whale, i'd wish they sink those whale-huggers down to the bottom of the ocean, so they can be eternal friends with those creatures.

**matmohair1** · January 18, 2012, 09:51 AM

- http://mythologies-of-late-modernity...i-whaling.html

**Sphere** · January 18, 2012, 10:58 AM

Yeah, there is no shortage of irony in the efforts of enviromental activists who try and stop the Japanese from harvesting Minke whales.

Minke's are small and have a fast reproduction cycle and have had a booming population, while their larger, slower reproducting balleen relatives have struggled to compete and have been much slower to recover.

It is hard to put solid numbers down, by conceptually it is not far fetched to conclude that hunting Minke whales actually aids the recovery of endangered whale species by removing competition for common food resources.

But try telling that to a hippy.

**The Despondent Mind** · January 18, 2012, 04:22 PM

Originally Posted by matmohair1

- http://mythologies-of-late-modernity...i-whaling.html

I agree with this guy except :

mean, if you were a scientist, is it good ethics to sell a specimen after you’ve dissected it?

Why should i refuse a perfectly good steak just because a scientist dissected it

**Kanaric** · January 18, 2012, 11:12 AM

Why are they even hunting whale?

**nameless** · January 18, 2012, 04:12 PM

Originally Posted by Kanaric

Why are they even hunting whale?

It's politics

They do it because they don't want to have anyone else telling them what they can or cannot do.

The thing though last I recall is that it's not that popular in japan so the government actually have warehouses that are overflowing with whale meat because the people aren't actually interested in it at all. It's got to the point that they are introducing them into school menus to get the kids to eat them and reduce the supply.

That's what I read awhile back though.

**Balian76** · January 19, 2012, 01:45 AM

[QUOTE=molonthegreat;10903467]

Originally Posted by Eien

There is no issue with supply of Minke whales, so that point is moot.

Except they don't just take hunt Minke's. Just saying.

**matmohair1** · January 18, 2012, 11:18 AM

**Kanaric** · January 18, 2012, 11:20 AM

Don't compare bear and whale hunting lol. There is no commercial bear industry.

**s.rwitt** · January 18, 2012, 12:41 PM

Apparently there's a big demand for it in Japan. I guess they eat it, I don't know.

**hellheaven1987** · January 18, 2012, 02:18 PM

Originally Posted by s.rwitt

Apparently there's a big demand for it in Japan. I guess they eat it, I don't know.

Whale steak is awesome - imagine beef that has a lot of fat, and you can grill that whale steak slowly with some sauce.

Originally Posted by matmohair1

if its sustainable & not endangering species then its officially legal

Indeed, I am also shock about the aggressive actions those activists, such as attempt to ramming the whaling ship (come on, this is not Aegean Sea 4th Century BC when ramming was popular sport).

**matmohair1** · January 18, 2012, 01:02 PM

if its sustainable & not endangering species then its officially legal

**Kanaric** · January 18, 2012, 02:19 PM

Originally Posted by hellheaven1987

Whale steak is awesome - imagine beef that has a lot of fat, and you can grill that whale steak slowly with some sauce.

What does it taste like? Just like beef?

**hellheaven1987** · January 18, 2012, 02:22 PM

Originally Posted by Kanaric

What does it taste like? Just like beef?

Not sure since I never have one; I only saw a Japanese food program introducing whale steak and how to cook it. However since it is red meat it should taste similar as beef.

**Vaðarholmr** · January 20, 2012, 04:46 AM

Originally Posted by Kanaric

What does it taste like? Just like beef?

Its kinda weird, i dont realy know how to describe it. Its very dry.

**Sir Winston Churchill** · January 20, 2012, 06:27 AM

Whale meat is kind of like tuna on steroids. That's how I'd describe it at least.

**Kanaric** · January 21, 2012, 06:49 PM

Originally Posted by Weary One

Whale meat is kind of like tuna on steroids. That's how I'd describe it at least.

Sounds like the greatest thing on earth and that we should be all eating it.

**Roboute Guilliman** · January 18, 2012, 03:16 PM

I got a make to that trip to Japan soon, if I ever want to taste some juicy whale steak.

**Stívarðr Reynitré** · January 18, 2012, 03:20 PM

I bear a relative amount of animosity towards an emerging majority of global warming/animal/nature activists...

I love natural history, I love the intricacies of the animal kingdom, I'm a country boy down to my core...but people first, okay?