Did you know there's a war off the coast of Antarctica? Between Japan's whaling fleet and environmentalists. There's been a worldwide whaling ban since 1986 but Japan hunts 1000 whales annually in the name of science which skirts the treaty.
The latest show down involves environmentalists chasing down the whaling ships and boarding them. Japan has declared it an act if piracy while the environmentalists claim they're being held hostage. Australia is doing its best to mediate but with the whaling ban ending in a few years, it seems no immediate resolution is in sight.
So what do you think? Japan views whaling as a cultural right while the rest of the world sees it as a conservation issue.
meanwhile, i saw on the news last night that Bush has supported the U.S. Navy refusal to take their underwater sonar tactical maneuvers to deeper waters off the west coast. The U.S. Navy continues to kill whales (as well as dolphins and other marine-life) by hemorrhaging their eardrums.
Damn you Bush, ya f**kin ape!! >:(
Australia is opposed to whaling and recently formed the opinion that it is against their law and consequently if the whaling boats enter their territorial waters they will arrest them! Unfortunately they have dubious claim to waters around Antartica.
See the Japanese position here: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/466/story.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10488010
Eventually we'll find a safe and easy way to start killing the whalers, semantics aside.
lol, you'd think Japan would've learned it's lesson when dealing with the 'round eye' some 60 odd years ago.