Whaling and Southern Bluefin Tuna Hunting in Japan: Cultural Implications

by Jessica Chan

As the number of endangered species climbs, addressing species and biodiversity loss has become increasingly important. Which species should we protect? Which species should we hunt, and to what extent? The intricate controversies woven into species protection are exemplified in the story of whaling and southern bluefin tuna hunting in Japan.

In Japan, minke whale, Bryde’s whale, and sei whales are still commonly hunted commercially. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, the minke whale is listed as of least concern; the sei whale endangered; and Bryde’s whale data deficient, meaning they are at the very least endangered.

Overall, most whale stocks have made a global recovery and are no longer in imminent danger of extinction. Thus, many supporters of commercial whaling question why no changes to the moratorium have been made. The Southern Bluefin Tuna is listed as endangered on the IUCN’s Red List. However, because the stock has not been depleted as far as whales were initially, only cache limits have been set in place.

In 1948, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) was created with the intention of managing whale stocks in a sustainable manner for future use. The IWC is recognized by the UN as being responsible for the conservation and management of whale stocks—what the IWC decides is essentially the law that all countries must follow.

IWC decisions are voted on by its 88 members, with claims of Japan “buying votes” from other countries to make things more favorable for them, since larger binding decisions require a ¾ majority vote. As a result, in recent years, political deadlock has gridlocked members and prevented change in either direction.

In 1986, the IWC placed a global moratorium on the commercial whaling of all whale species. However, Norway, Iceland, and Japan objected to the morat- this day, these countries continue to commercially hunt whales outside of IWC regulations.

The Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT) is a regional fisheries management organization in charge of sustainably managing southern bluefin tuna stock. Main players in the commission include Australia, Japan, and New Zealand. The organization addresses the endangerment of the Southern Bluefin Tuna by setting quotas on how much each country can catch a year. The limits are set in three year periods and are based on scientific research and population data.

Whether or not cultural claims validate claims to commercial whaling is baked into the whaling debate. The cultural significance and origins of whaling in Japan can be traced back to the stone age, with commercial whaling first beginning in 1606. However, experts agree that whaling only became a significant part of the Japanese diet and culture post WWII when the U.S., under occupational authority, encouraged the consumption of whale meat as a cheap protein to feed citizens. Since WWII, consumption of whale meat in Japan has shrunk ial, or social. especially in a post war world where protein was very scarce. Those arguments don’t hold anymore, and I think there’s been a move away from that. It’s not the same argument that I think it was say 40-50 years ago. You know the world evolves, tastes evolve, cultures evolve you know if they are going to be thriving.” significantly. In 2019, individuals ate about 40 grams/year, an amount about the size of a slice of ham. This number is estimated to be even lower today.

In Japanese society, tradition is a key value. Whaling, depending who you ask, is considered to be of cultural significance to Japan, making it an issue of national pride. The combined (mainly Western) criticism and large value of tradition in Japanese culture then sets the stage for many in Japan to view whaling as an issue of racial and cultural prejudice against them.

Considering how little whale meat is consumed, many experts were curious as to why whaling has then continued today. The answer likely lies within Japanese social structure and culture. Studies have shown that we are likely to share the same ideas as the communities we consider ourselves to be a part of, whether that be economic, racial, famil-

The largely Western-influenced increase in whale consumption, alongside the recent addition of whaling to Japanese culture, has led many to question whether on the basis of cultural ties Japan should be allowed to whale when compared to other whaling countries like Iceland or Norway. Experts are faced with the issue of deciding if Japan really does have a cultural claim to whaling, and what a cultural claim would mean. Moreover, experts must decide which species circumstances entitle outside countries to intervene in the dealings of another.

Kate O’ Connell, a Marine Animal Consultant for the Animal Welfare Institute, says that cultural claims may not be enough to warrant continued commercial whaling in Japan’s case.

“I don’t think we hold any culture to a different standard than what we would expect,” said O’Connel. “At one point, perhaps, the need was there,

Doug Butterworth, an emeritus professor in Mathematics and Applied Mathematics and head of the Marine Resource Assessment and Management for the University of Cape Town, counters O’Connell’s view by asking about the ethics of intervening in other countries practices. “What would the West’s attitude be to India if they marched into the UN and said all the western countries must stop eating beef. You know they wouldn’t go very far. But isn’t that exactly what other people are doing with whaling[?]”

Southern bluefin tuna in both the past and present has played a large role in Japanese culture as one of the most prized fish in the Japanese restaurant industry. Bluefin tuna in general is largely sought after in highend restaurants. As supply shrinks due to climate change and warming waters, the market for bluefin tuna meat has become extremely profitable.

Since only cache limits were set in regards to the southern bluefin tuna, the question of whether or not cultural claims are valid have not had to be asked. However, the resulting knee-jerk response seen in whaling would likely be seen in response to a moratorium by Samantha Johnson or lower cache limits because the southern bluefin tuna is so highly sought after.

The IWC was one of the first commissions to come together and set marine standards on a global level. However, the conditions under which the IWC’s moratorium was decided are simply not the same as today. Despite the increase in certain whale stocks, it’s been hard for the IWC to come to any new agreements regarding the moratorium due to the inter-member stalemate. As a result, the Japanese Fisheries Agency has raised concerns that should they concede on whale hunting they will have to make concessions on other species as well.

In an interview with David Mchneill, Nakamae Akira, Deputy Director General Of Japan’s Fisheries Agency, expressed concerns regarding more of Japan’s fishing practices coming under fire should they stop commercial whaling. “If we lose on whales, what will happen next?” asks Akira.

There’s a fear in Japan that by giving into global pressure and stopping commercial whaling, Japan will be forced to concede on other marine species such as tuna, further costing them both culturally and economically.

O’Connell would more or less disagree with the sentiment that should Japan concede on whaling, they will have to concede in other areas, such as tuna. “If we see something going wrong with tuna fish management and tuna fish conservation we are gonna raise it. People do raise it,”said O’Connell. “There are organizations out there that concentrate on going to the regional fisheries management organizations and raising concerns about fishing.”

For her institute, it’s not so much that whaling is the invisible line. Rather, all animals should be treated well, and if they discover they are not, they will raise the issue, whether the species be the bluefin tuna or the factory farmed chicken.

With cultural importance and economic gain driving both whaling and bluefin tuna hunting, the issues are often key points on which elected officials can win votes over. As a result, certain measures like promising to bring back commercial whaling become ways for current officials to keep their seats or new officials to be elected.

Butterworth explains that for politicians “what matters to you is getting sufficient votes to be reelected next time. It’s the same as Darwinian evolution, survival of the fittest. The politician has to act in such a way as he is best likely to survive, and for him survival means being elected in the next election. And for that you do not upset your constituents.” The resulting atmosphere is one that very rarely changes.

An issue for many animal activists regarding both whaling and bluefin tuna fish hunting is the fact that fish experience pain, and current fishing practices often result in excessively long and painful deaths for the fish.

Oftentimes, when fish are caught and pulled up from the nets in the ocean they begin to suffocate. Once pulled out of the water, the tuna are generally killed with harpoons. The process is often long, resulting in a painful and fearful death for the fish caught. International organization Animal Equality writes that “The tuna industry is not only terrible for the environment and human health, but it’s also hell for the animals who are trapped and killed.”

Whales are hunted and killed using large grenade harpoon guns, and the process can result in the whale suffering anywhere from a few minutes to several hours. The Animal Welfare Institute states that, “Whaling is inherently cruel. Is it nearly impossible to instantly kill a large moving animal from a moving vessel on a rolling ocean.”

Yet, many would argue that the way in which chickens are factory-farmed is equally inhuman, with the main differentiator being the species in question. As a result, the argument quickly snowballs out of control and becomes a question of personal morals and ethics.

Another factor affecting popular opinion on the whaling movement is speciesism, or the idea that one species is more important than another. Whales are notoriously iconic animals, which have made their way into the hearts of many, especially after Greenpeace’s “Save the Whales” movement. The resulting bias towards whales makes it harder for those with no cultural association to empathize or perhaps understand why others would whale.

“One of the fundamental differences is whales are, shall I say, more iconic than tuna,” states Butterworth. Bluefin tuna, on the other hand, generally don’t invoke the same sense of awe as whales.

However, in recent years, O’Connell has seen an increasing awareness of all ocean creatures.

“I think that you really have to value each species and each individual within that species on an equal basis,” says O’Connell. “One thing I will say is that if people are interested in charismatic megafauna like whales, it perhaps can help have a trickle down effect for everything else that’s in their habitat.”

There are so many factors threaded into how we view and thereby act upon endangered species. Looking at the comparison between whaling and the southern bluefin tuna, it’s easy to see how protecting endangered species is a complicated and intricate process when culture, economics, politics, and animal welfare come into play and influence how we view topics that are often not as black and white as they initially seem.