Japan aims to resume commercial whaling. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said so. But the international community is opposing this cruel practice, trying to persuade the country to abandon its intentions.
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himJapan aims to resume commercial whaling. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said so. But the international community is opposing this cruel practice, trying to persuade the country to abandon its intentions.
A commercial agreement between the EU and Japan, but for it to be initialed, it must be approved by the European Parliament. The agreement will be examined for the first time by the European Parliament's Trade Committee, and will subsequently pass definitively into the hands of the Parliament.
For the past three decades, Japan has ignored the 1986 International Whaling Commission ban on commercial whaling and has continued to kill whales and sell their meat and other body parts.
Although whaling is often justified as "scientific research", the country has repeatedly shown that it does not want to abandon this practice.
Yet Japan's consumption of whale meat is shrinking. Demand is lower than ever due to the serious health problems associated with consuming whale meat which can be contaminated with high levels of mercury and other organic pollutants such as PCBs (used in commercial refrigerants), dioxins (a by-product of medical waste or commercial incinerators) and PBDEs (flame retardants). These harmful toxins are easily stored in whale fat and can be dangerous to humans.
Not to mention the environmental damage. Whales are key species in the fight against climate change and have a huge impact on the marine ecosystem.
For this, Whale and Dolphin Conservation has launched a petition addressed to Bernd Land, Chairman of the Trade Committee, asking the European Parliament not to sign the trade agreement unless Japan promises to permanently ban whaling.
For its part, Europe has already made it known that it is an active participant in the International Whaling Commission and to ban trade in products derived from whales, in line with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The EU-Japan trade agreement will not change the position of the Old Continent.
Furthermore, the EU is already holding periodic talks with Japan on the subject:
"As part of the trade agreement negotiations, we are discussing a chapter on sustainable development with Japan, intended to provide an additional platform to foster dialogue and collaboration between the EU and Japan on environmental issues relevant in the context of commercial exchanges".
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The possibility of putting an end to whaling in Japan could therefore pass through Europe. We too can make our own contribution by signing the Whale and Dolphin Conservation petition and asking the Chairman of the Land Trade Committee not to sign the agreement unless Japan ensures that it does not resume whaling.
To sign the petition click here
Francesca Mancuso
