Hatoyama hates eating whale meat
The international media has jumped on a Sankei report about Hatoyama’s dislike of eating whale:
“I hate whale meat,” Hatoyama said during a meeting with his visiting Dutch counterpart Jan Peter Balkenende on Monday at the prime minister’s office, the Sankei Shimbun reported.
The Netherlands is one of several anti-whaling countries that allows the radical environmental group Sea Shepherd Conservation Society to register a vessel in the country.
The group’s activists have repeatedly harassed Japanese whaling vessels in Antarctic waters. During the last hunt a Sea Shepherd vessel collided with a whaling ship, sparking allegations that the group was behaving irresponsibly.
Despite Hatoyama’s reported dislike of whale meat, however, he urged Balkenende to take action against the group over its attacks on Japanese whalers in the Antarctic, government officials said.
It doesn’t look like he’s letting his personal opinions on certain types of food get in the way of his responsibility to fulfill the promises the DPJ made in its election manifesto:
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we should have a halloween costume submission contest! wooh halloween!
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F*** you whale! (Southpark)
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Yes but does he like “Fish Sticks”?
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its not about whales and dolphins. its about the nuclear bombing and chikens and cows flying around..
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I’m glad Hatoyama said this to Balkenende. (Who actually happens to be my Prime Minister. (ーー;)
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It seems to me Mr. Hatoyama is making a childish excuse to deflect a criticism on him (as the prime minister of Japan): “I hate whale meat like you guys do. So, please don’t be angry with me. I am not responsible for the whaling. I am not a bad guy. I wish I could do something… but I have no plan to make the Japanese stop whaling.”
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How? There is nothing legally wrong and he can’t do too much without making it a bigger issue than it already is in Japan (not a big one). He’s saying he doesn’t like (or agree) with it, so they do not have some personal dislike toward him.
However for Japan as a whole, they’re not really doing too much of anything illegal, just something you don’t agree with.
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According to the link James has provided, the Democratic Party of Japan’s whaling policy is
“Regarding whale species that are recognised to have sufficient abundance, promote the resumption of commercial whaling conditional on appropriate management being undertaken.”
As the top of the DPJ, Mr. Hatoyama DOES agree with the Japanese whaling. Then, what did he try to do by revealing his personal dislike (true or not) of eating whale meat at the official meeting with Dutch prime minister?
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Two words: lip service.
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No, I don’t think so. To give the Dutch man lip service, Mr. Hatoyama had to say something positive about Netherlands. He is just a hollow man who plays up to anyone he meets.
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Jon [comment above] the fact is they are doing plenty ‘illegal’ stuff. Here’s a few examples:
Japan’s continued and expanded program of scientific whaling is inconsistent with its obligations under the Law of the Sea Convention, the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling Convention, the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), and the Convention on Biological Diversity to protect and preserve the marine
environment, to protect rare and fragile ecosystems and endangered species, to prepare environmental impact assessments when changes to the marine environment are likely to be caused by its activities, and to refrain from claiming resources under the guise of marine scientific research. This program is not legitimately “scientific” because it has not been
peer-reviewed and does not have precise quantifiable goals. It is inconsistent with Japan’s obligations under the Convention on Biological Diversity because reduces the sustainability of whale species and has “adverse impacts on biological diversity.” It is unquestionably an abuse of right because it invokes Article VIII of the Whaling Convention in a manner
that certainly was unanticipated by the framers of the Convention and has been repeatedly condemned by the majority of the other contracting parties to the Convention.
Japan’s actions can be challenged by concerned states in the International Court of Justice or through the dispute resolution procedures of the Law of the Sea Convention and the conciliation procedures of the Convention on Biological
Diversity.
Japanese whaling methods are in breach of IWC regulations.
It would really be nice if commentators actually knew what they were talking about-rather than repeating lies they have read. All it takes is research [in my case a lot].
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Dave Head,
Sorry mate but all you seem to have “researched” is Sea Shepherd’s propaganda. Japan’s activities are entirely legal and in accordance with every international agreement that is relevant.
The real problem is that there is an international whaling commission which is not regulating whaling.
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