More than 70% of Japanese back limited whaling: poll

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More than 70% of Japanese back limited whaling: poll

 

More than 70 percent of Japanese are in favor of a

resumption of commercial whaling if the hunting is

controlled, according to a Japanese government public

opinion poll released Saturday.

 

More than 80 percent of the respondents said research

must be carried out in waters off Japan to determine

how whales and dolphins have affected fishing

resources such as saury and squid, according to the

poll.

 

The survey was conducted in December and reflects the

opinions of 3,453 people over the age of 20 across the

country. Five thousand people were contacted, with

69.1 percent responding.

 

The survey, the first of its kind, was conducted ahead

of an International Whaling Commission meeting to be

held in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, in April

and May.

 

" We will decide about how we should go into the IWC

negotiations based on the survey results, " a

government official said.

 

An IWC meeting in London last year ended in

disagreement over a proposal to end the 16-year global

moratorium on commercial whaling after whaling nations

such as Japan and Norway waged a tug-of-war with

countries that oppose the industry, including the

United States.

 

Japan started so-called " scientific research whaling "

in 1987, saying such hunts are necessary to analyze

the habitats and feeding methods of whales, after the

global community imposed the moratorium in 1986.

 

Japan's whaling operations have attracted

international criticism and are regarded as a front

for commercial whaling since the whale meat is

subsequently sold in Japan for consumption.

 

In the survey, the government asked if respondents

were aware that some people in the U.S. and Europe

oppose whaling because they believe whales to be

intelligent and attractive-looking " sacred animals. "

 

The survey reveals that 58.3 percent of the

respondents said yes and 41.7 percent said no. Asked

for their response to this opinion, 53 percent said

they oppose it while 22.6 percent said they agree.

 

The government, however, did not ask people what they

think about criticism that Japan's research whaling is

a cover for commercial whaling, and focused on the

alleged " sacred animal " views of people who oppose

whaling.

 

Nearly 90 percent of the respondents said they had

eaten whale meat, but relatively few respondents in

their 20s had done so, with only 62 percent of men and

57 percent of women answering yes, according to the

poll.

 

The government did not ask whether those who had tried

whale meat liked the taste.

 

The survey also found that while 23.9 percent said

they know what the IWC is, 46.4 percent said they know

its name but 29.7 percent replied they were not aware

of the organization.

 

After the survey was conducted, the government

announced in February that it has submitted to the IWC

a plan to expand its whaling program. It now intends

to catch 50 endangered sei whales annually in addition

to 100 minke whales, 50 Bryde's whales and 10 sperm

whales.

 

Sei whales are protected under U.S. law.

 

Japan also said earlier this month that it is planning

to import whale meat from Norway as early as May, the

first time Tokyo has imported whale meat in about 11

years.

 

Along with the plans to capture endangered sei whales,

the planned resumption of whale meat imports is likely

to face strong opposition from the U.S., other

antiwhaling countries and conservation groups at the

upcoming IWC meeting.

 

The Japan Times: March 17, 2002

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