After 20 Years, Whale Meat Returns to Japanese School Lunch (Absolutely Sickening)

[Guest guest]

Absolutely sickening! Can Japan drop any lower on a

conscience-ness scale! I'm definitely going to start

boycotting Japanese products in any way possible. It's

very disturbing for many reasons that we've lost our

manufacturing base in the U.S. It makes it tougher to

boycott a place like Japan. At least there are other

eastern countries to buy products from. Definitely

going to pay attention when I shop. Curbing shopping

all the way around is of course the best thing to do.

Rick.]

 

 

After 20 years, Whale Meat Returns To Japanese School

Lunch

 

Source >

http://story.news./s/afp/afplifestylejapanwhaling

 

Mon May 2,10:15 AM ET

 

TOKYO (AFP) - Served as burgers and marinated with

sweet and sour sauce, whale meat has returned to

Japanese school lunches 20 years after it went off the

menu amid global anti-whaling campaigns, officials

said.

 

 

Nearly 85 percent of public elementary and junior high

schools in Wakayama, Japan's western whaling

heartland, have begun whale meat lunches with school

officials receiving positive responses from children.

 

" Whale meat is served as burgers or meat balls or

marinated with sweet and sour sauce so that children

can eat it easily. Children say it is really tasty, "

said Wakayama education official Tetsuji Sawada.

 

" The purpose of having whale meat lunch is to let our

children know Japanese whaling tradition and whale

food culture, " he said, adding 57,900 children were

enjoying the lunch in the prefecture, 450 kilometers

(280 miles) west of Tokyo.

 

International whaling was banned in 1982 with

environmentalists arguing that whale populations were

declining and that the hunt was cruel. Whale, a

traditional part of the Japanese diet, went off nearly

all school menus.

 

Since 1987 Japan has used a loophole in the global

moratorium and killed smaller mink whales for what it

calls research. The estimated 2,000 tonnes of meat

from each year's cull ends up in supermarkets and

restaurants across Japan.

 

But Sawada said such whale meat was too expensive for

school lunch and the Wakayama educational office

lobbied for months with Japan's Fisheries Agency to

lower meat prices.

 

" There was demand for whale meat but we simply could

not afford it for school lunches. Before, the price of

100 grams (three 1/2 ounces) whale meat cost about 500

yen (four dollars), but now it costs about 125 yen,

equivalent to that of chicken and pork, " he said.

 

" Thanks to the help from the government, we were able

to offer whale meat for our children, " Sawada said.

 

Japan argues that research shows that whale

populations are thriving and provides data showing

whales are consuming valuable fish stocks -- points

disputed by environmentalists.

 

Japan says the global ban is disrespectful of its

culture. Tokyo reportedly plans to tell an

international meeting that begins May 30 in

South Korea that it will start killing two larger

species of whale considered endangered by the World

Conservation Union.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

You might want to add China to your boycott list. I would say they are the lowest of low when it comes to sickening, inhumane treatment of animals.

 

Cheers - Moya

 

Our first duty to our little brothers and sisters, the animals, is never to do them any harm. Our responsibilities do not end there, however. We are obligated to help them whenever they require it. – Saint Francis

Mail Stay connected, organized, and protected. Take the tour

[Guest guest]

It is disturbing that whale meat is reappearing in Japanese school lunches, and infuriation at animal cruelty is good insofar as it motivates us to protect animals. However, I’m not comfortable with the condemnatory attitude expressed towards an entire country (Japan in this email, China in another). We can all boycott whom we choose, but in my mind U.S. treatment of animals is also abhorrent, and on a greater scale. And though I'm sure you were referring primarily to the governments of these countries, when you simply refer to the country, it would seem to include all its people as well. Maybe I'm sensitive because I'm half Japanese, but I don't see how morally judging other countries is productive, and it could alienate some people

(like me!). Perhaps petitioning the government or some other positive action is a way to vent our outrage?

 

Thanks for listening,Sara JotokuRick Stevens <ecology1st2004 wrote:

Absolutely sickening! Can Japan drop any lower on aconscience-ness scale! I'm definitely going to startboycotting Japanese products in any way possible. It'svery disturbing for many reasons that we've lost ourmanufacturing base in the U.S. It makes it tougher toboycott a place like Japan. At least there are othereastern countries to buy products from. Definitelygoing to pay attention when I shop. Curbing shoppingall the way around is of course the best thing to do.Rick.] After 20 years, Whale Meat Returns To Japanese SchoolLunch Source >http://story.news./s/afp/afplifestylejapanwhalingMon May 2,10:15 AM ETTOKYO (AFP) - Served as burgers and marinated withsweet and sour sauce, whale meat has returned toJapanese

school lunches 20 years after it went off themenu amid global anti-whaling campaigns, officialssaid.Nearly 85 percent of public elementary and junior highschools in Wakayama, Japan's western whalingheartland, have begun whale meat lunches with schoolofficials receiving positive responses from children."Whale meat is served as burgers or meat balls ormarinated with sweet and sour sauce so that childrencan eat it easily. Children say it is really tasty,"said Wakayama education official Tetsuji Sawada."The purpose of having whale meat lunch is to let ourchildren know Japanese whaling tradition and whalefood culture," he said, adding 57,900 children wereenjoying the lunch in the prefecture, 450 kilometers(280 miles) west of Tokyo.International whaling was banned in 1982 withenvironmentalists arguing that whale populations weredeclining and that the hunt was cruel. Whale, atraditional part of

the Japanese diet, went off nearlyall school menus.Since 1987 Japan has used a loophole in the globalmoratorium and killed smaller mink whales for what itcalls research. The estimated 2,000 tonnes of meatfrom each year's cull ends up in supermarkets andrestaurants across Japan.But Sawada said such whale meat was too expensive forschool lunch and the Wakayama educational officelobbied for months with Japan's Fisheries Agency tolower meat prices."There was demand for whale meat but we simply couldnot afford it for school lunches. Before, the price of100 grams (three 1/2 ounces) whale meat cost about 500yen (four dollars), but now it costs about 125 yen,equivalent to that of chicken and pork," he said."Thanks to the help from the government, we were ableto offer whale meat for our children," Sawada said.Japan argues that research shows that whalepopulations are thriving and provides data

showingwhales are consuming valuable fish stocks -- pointsdisputed by environmentalists.Japan says the global ban is disrespectful of itsculture. Tokyo reportedly plans to tell aninternational meeting that begins May 30 inSouth Korea that it will start killing two largerspecies of whale considered endangered by the WorldConservation Union. ____BAY AREA VEGETARIANS (BAV) is a non-profit community group for veggies to network, find support and promote veganism.Events Calendar - http://bayareaveg.org/events.phpNewsletter - http://bayareaveg.org/newsVeg Mentor Program - http://bayareaveg.org/mentorCharter & Post Guidelines - http://bayareaveg.org/charter.htm____