WHY IS IT WRONG THAT THE JAPANESE HUNT WHALES FOR CULTURAL REASONS?
Japan does indeed have a long history of whaling. The oldest records date back to the eighth century when Emperor Jimmu was fed whale meat and the villages used whale oil in their lanterns. The numbers of whales killed is disputed, however all sources agree it was no more than 10 whales a year per major coastal town. Food was scarce and the oil provided a valuable means for lighting. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/14/world/asia/14whaling.html?_r=1&pagewanted=2&oref=slogin However, It was a long time later, after World War 2 when whale meat became a large part of the majority populations diet. Again, food was extremely scarce and the people were poor. Whale meat was a cheap source of protein and it was critical to harvest it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whaling_in_Japan Japans whale consumption peaked in 1962 when 226, 000 tons were harvested. In 1985 (a year before the global ban on whaling), Japan only harvested 15, 000 tons as many Japanese citizens were beginning to shun whale meat
