The Exemption for Whaling Issue
1. Do you agree with the Norwegian and Japanese position on permitting the hunting of non-endangered species of whales as a cultural exemption?
My position on whaling is that it should be permitted for non-endangered species of whales. I respect the aspects of nature preservation, but judging culture and rating the life by how it disturbs emotions is favoritism. These countries are not whaling for a hunting game. Also, I do not like the idea of eugenics thoughts, justifying the actions of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society to attacking whaling ships endangering human lives. I agree we should all respect the lives of wild animals, so I do not agree to over-hunt whales only to obtain for byproduct like whale oil, but controlled number of whaling should be allowed in cultures to consume whales for food.
2. Do you think the whaling ban constitutes a violation of these nations’ sovereignty?
Yes, I feel this banning is more to do with political issues. Japan is widely pilloried in the world because they are an easy target. Japanese agree to process legal action with the Statute of the International Court of Justice when they could just ignore it. However, Norway and Iceland ignored demand
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Allowing the US’s double standard for aboriginal subsistence whaling of the bowhead whale that is an endangered species and its killing method in supposed to be traditional way, but it is actually killing with blunt instruments. On the other hand, whaling of resourceful species is not allowed for Japan. Both have traditional cultures and yet IWC is treating them differently. Whaling nations are not asking for special treatment, rather asking for equal rights. The US is contradicting within own nation and IWC is not functioning properly. IWC should recover its function because this is the only public place where whiling nations and anti-whiling nations come together for the