This year's whaling season in Japan adds a new species to be slaughtered and a brand new whaling vessel. Tell Japan to stop these cruel and unnecessary hunts!

Despite the International Whaling Commission's (IWC) global moratorium on whaling being in place since 1986, Japan has continued to slaughter these beautiful animals every year. Starting in 1987, Japan used the scientific research loophole to continue hunting whales. Under this guise of scientific whaling, Japan even slaughtered whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.

Then in 2019, Japan left the IWC so it could resume commercial whaling. In 2023 Japan killed 83 minke whales, 187 Bryde's whales, and 25 sei whales. This spring, Japan announced a quota for 2024 of 142 minke, 150 Bryde's, and 24 sei whales; it also included 59 fin whales, even though they are considered vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and has already killed the first one in 50 years.

Japan continues to operate commercial whaling despite a dwindling appetite for whale meat. Consumption of whale meat became common post-WWII and then declined rapidly. At the industry's peak in the 1960s, Japan consumed 230,000 tons of whale meat per year. Now less than 1% of that is consumed.

In an attempt to boost sales, Japanese whaling company, Kyodo Senpaku, opened whale meat vending machines in Tokyo, Yokohama, and Osaka. In another effort to increase whale meat consumption, the Japanese city of Shimonoseki serves 100,000 whale meat lunches per year to primary and middle schools. Despite these attempts, it is clear that younger generations don't want to eat whale flesh. Mitsunhiro Kishimoto, professor in economics at Shimonoseki City University said, “If future generations don't eat whale meat, the industry will die.” Koji Yoshida, a seller of killed marine animals, said he struggles to sell whale meat to younger customers.

Even though the trend is pointing to a decline in demand for whale meat, Kyodo Senpaku launched a new whaling “mothership” this year. The ship, Kangei Maru, cost 7.5 billion yen ($48 million USD) and was partially funded by taxpayers. The mothership system of whaling consists of more agile ships going out to hunt for whales and transferring the bodies back to the mothership for freezing and storing. This new mothership can store 600 tons of meat allowing it to stay out to sea for longer periods of time. Despite Japan denying the claims, with a range of 13,000 kilometers, this ship is fueling suspicion by activists that Japan has plans to resume commercial whaling far from its own shores including the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.

Not only is whaling unpopular and incredibly cruel, it is also detrimental to the environment. Whales are a crucial part of ocean health and the health of the entire planet. Studies show one whale is worth over a thousand trees in our fight against the climate crisis. A whale can store 33 tons of carbon in their bodies throughout their lifetime. Whales also help the oceans by fertilizing phytoplankton. Not only does phytoplankton produce half the oxygen we breathe, they're also crucial for fish and krill populations to thrive. Despite what some fishermen say, the more whales there are in the ocean the more fish and krill there are in the ocean.

Whales are already facing a number of threats and should be protected, not hunted and slaughtered. They are an important species in the ocean and an ally in our fight against the climate crisis. It is time for Japan to finally end the cruel and extremely unpopular practice of commercial whaling.

Letter to Decision Maker(s) for reference:

Subject: End Japan’s Commercial Whaling/日本の商業捕鯨を止めてください

I am writing as one of over 250,000 In Defense of Animals supporters to urge you to permanently end Japan’s participation in commercial whaling.
私は、25万人以上の「動物の擁護」支持者を代表して、日本が商業捕鯨を永久に終わらせるよう強くお願い申し上げます。

Most of the world agrees whales are beautiful and gentle animals who should not be brutally hunted. The popularity of eating whale meat has declined all over the globe including in Japan. Younger generations are less and less interested in consuming whale meat. 95% of Japanese people very rarely or never eat whale meat. 
世界のほとんどの人々は、鯨が美しく穏やかな動物であり、残酷に狩られるべきではないと考えています。鯨肉の人気は、日本を含む世界中で低下しています。若い世代はクジラ肉を消費することにますます関心がなくなっています。日本人の95%は、鯨肉をほとんど食べないか、全く食べていません。 

Not only is whaling becoming increasingly unpopular, it is also unsustainable. Studies show one whale is worth one thousand trees in the fight against the climate crisis. Whales are crucial to keeping the oceans healthy by being carbon stores and feeding the phytoplankton who provide 50% of the world’s oxygen. At this crucial time of tackling the climate crisis, pivotal species like whales should not be killed.
捕鯨は人気がなくなるだけでなく、持続可能でもありません。研究によると、鯨1頭は気候変動と戦うために1,000本の木と同じ価値があります。鯨は炭素を蓄え、世界の酸素の50%を作り出す植物プランクトンを養うことで、海の健康を保つ重要な役割を果たしています。この気候危機に直面している今、鯨のような重要な生き物を殺すべきではありません。

The ocean is significant to the health of the entire globe and we all should be doing everything we can to protect it. This includes protecting the members of important species who can help us in mitigating the climate crisis.
海洋は地球全体の健康にとても大切です。だからこそ、私たちは海を守るためにできる限りの努力をすべきです。それには、気候危機の緩和に役立つ重要な生き物を守ることも含まれます。 

Thank you for your attention and consideration of this critical issue.
この重要な問題について関心を持っていただき、ありがとうございます。

Sincerely,

Signed

This alert is no longer active, but here for reference. Animals still need your help.