Japans relief money to kill whales, not save people

Japans relief money to kill whales, not save people

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Apache

Original Poster:

39,731 posts

286 months

Monday 19th December 2011
quotequote all
I just got this email

Right now, the Japanese whaling fleet is barrelling south to hunt thousands of majestic whales, escorted by a $30 million private security force paid for out of the tsunami disaster relief funds! The Japanese PM is already under enormous pressure for failing to help victims of the tsunami - a global outcry can shame him into using relief money to save people, not kill whales -- sign the petition, and forward to everyone:


Right now, the Japanese whaling fleet is barrelling south to hunt thousands of majestic whales, escorted by a 30 million dollar security force paid for out of the tsunami disaster relief fund!

Anti-whaling champions were successfully blocking the Japanese whale hunt -- which is exactly why the Japanese government decided to swipe money from relief efforts to stop the activists from bothering the boats while they engage in their brutal slaughter.

If we can stop the whaling security and get the relief money back for desperate Japanese citizens still languishing in radioactive hotspots, we could help end the whale hunt for good. Japanese PM Noda is already under enormous pressure after scandalous failures to compensate victims of the nuclear disaster. A massive global outcry can spark outrage inside and outside Japan and force Noda to use precious relief funds to save people, not kill whales - sign the petition and forward to everyone:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/japan_disaster_funds_whali...

Whale hunting is astronomically expensive, and it's made possible by ludicrous government subsidies amounting to $35,000 per whale! If these subsidies are cut back, the whaling industry could collapse. Now the Prime Minister will squander $30 million to provide private security for whale slaughterers to make sure they’re not bothered by environmental activists in the ocean. With the added muscle, Japan plans to kill 1,000 Minke whales for commercial meat sales this year.

Officials claim that whaling subsidies will support coastal communities hit by the tsunami -- even though Japan has had to stockpile whale meat because so few people wish to consume it. All the while, the government has turned a blind eye to victims trapped in radiation hot-spots, with the few who are entitled to compensation pocketing a pitiful $1,000.

Let's urge Prime Minister Noda to stop caving to the whaling lobby and spend relief money on the people who need it most: the victims -- sign the urgent petition now, and forward widely:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/japan_disaster_funds_whali...

ast year, our community came together in record numbers, and we won the fight to keep a global ban on whaling. And last month, 130,000 Japanese Avaaz members joined together, pressing the government to use tsunami relief funds to protect radiation-exposed children by funding their evacuation from unsafe areas. Time and again we see how powerful lobby groups like the Japanese whaling lobby put profits before people and planet. And time and again, we stop them. Let's do it again.

With hope and determination,

Stephanie, Jamie, Emma, Ricken, Morgan, Laura, Wissam, Wen-Hua and the rest of the Avaaz team

More Information:

BBC: "Japanese tsunami fund used for whaling programme"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16064002

Guardian: "Japan whaling fleet accused of using tsunami disaster funds"
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/dec/07/japan-...

Letter: "Greenpeace Japan and 15 other NGOs letter to Japanese government"
http://www.greenpeace.org/japan/Global/japan/pdf/2...

WSJ: "Use of Government Recovery Funds Stokes Japan Whaling Row"
http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2011/12/08/use-...

TheHeretic

73,668 posts

257 months

Monday 19th December 2011
quotequote all
Is there any proof,mor is this just another publicity thing from Greenpeace? Most of the articles use Greenpeace as a source, and I can't seem to find any evidence from Greenpeace.

Jasandjules

70,042 posts

231 months

Monday 19th December 2011
quotequote all
If this is true then is it not fraudulent use of the fund?

TheHeretic

73,668 posts

257 months

Monday 19th December 2011
quotequote all
Sorry, but the letter Greenpeace sent to the Japanese government says NOTHING about using tsunami charity funds for the security force. It says that taxpayers money should not be used for the industry.

Where is the evidence please? The petition has zero info, the news articles has no info, and the Greenpeace things has no info.

AndrewW-G

11,968 posts

219 months

Monday 19th December 2011
quotequote all
Sounds like Greenpeace are twisting the story somewhat . . . . . . The stories would suggest that the funds for the whaling would seem to be coming from a Japanese government regeneration fund and not from the charitable donations.

Question for the people against whaling . . . . .are you against the slaughter and consumption of other intelligent animals or is it just whales?

Ahonen

5,020 posts

281 months

Monday 19th December 2011
quotequote all
AndrewW-G said:
Question for the people against whaling . . . . .are you against the slaughter and consumption of other intelligent animals or is it just whales?
This has been done very recently, several times.

thinfourth2

32,414 posts

206 months

Tuesday 20th December 2011
quotequote all
Apache said:
I just got this email
Which is normally suffiecent proof that what follows is complete bks


Apache

Original Poster:

39,731 posts

286 months

Tuesday 20th December 2011
quotequote all
thinfourth2 said:
Apache said:
I just got this email
Which is normally suffiecent proof that what follows is complete bks
very possibly,

sjn2004

4,051 posts

239 months

Tuesday 20th December 2011
quotequote all

TheHeretic

73,668 posts

257 months

Tuesday 20th December 2011
quotequote all
sjn2004 said:
That means nothing. Still no evidence of the claim.

sjn2004

4,051 posts

239 months

Tuesday 20th December 2011
quotequote all
TheHeretic said:
sjn2004 said:
That means nothing. Still no evidence of the claim.
It sounds as though its just the factory ship and the three harpoon ships that left port. No sign of any extra "security" ie warships.

Murph7355

37,947 posts

258 months

Tuesday 20th December 2011
quotequote all
Apache said:
thinfourth2 said:
Apache said:
I just got this email
Which is normally suffiecent proof that what follows is complete bks
very possibly,
But what the heck, let's just perpetuate it anyway biggrin

EDLT

15,421 posts

208 months

Wednesday 21st December 2011
quotequote all
What does whale taste like, maybe it's worth it?

Bing o

15,184 posts

221 months

Wednesday 21st December 2011
quotequote all
EDLT said:
What does whale taste like, maybe it's worth it?
It's not quite as nice as shark's fin, which is delicious.

hidetheelephants

25,512 posts

195 months

Wednesday 21st December 2011
quotequote all
Bing o said:
EDLT said:
What does whale taste like, maybe it's worth it?
It's not quite as nice as shark's fin, which is delicious.
Chicken surely?

Bing o

15,184 posts

221 months

Wednesday 21st December 2011
quotequote all
hidetheelephants said:
Bing o said:
EDLT said:
What does whale taste like, maybe it's worth it?
It's not quite as nice as shark's fin, which is delicious.
Chicken surely?
A really big, blubbery chicken, yes. Panda also tastes like chicken curiously enough.

thinfourth2

32,414 posts

206 months

Wednesday 21st December 2011
quotequote all
sjn2004 said:
In which case i'm doubly certain its bks

Murph7355

37,947 posts

258 months

Wednesday 21st December 2011
quotequote all
EDLT said:
What does whale taste like, maybe it's worth it?
Unpleasant to my taste. But then all sorts of places eat all sorts of stuff that we'd find weird and vice versa.

harryowl

1,114 posts

183 months

Wednesday 21st December 2011
quotequote all
AndrewW-G said:
Question for the people against whaling . . . . .are you against the slaughter and consumption of other intelligent animals or is it just whales?
Rearing and slaughtering livestock is slightly different to hunting endangered species...

thinfourth2

32,414 posts

206 months

Wednesday 21st December 2011
quotequote all
harryowl said:
Rearing and slaughtering livestock is slightly different to hunting endangered species...
Just as well the whales they are hunting aren't endangered then