It is another year and another early summer in the antarctic sea which means the Japanese whaling fleet is heading out again to meet its "scientific" quota of whales to slaughter, almost 1,000 of these amazing animals.
Of course the world know the scientific argument is a farce and that Japan uses this as an excuse to go around the world wide ban on whaling. All these whales will wind up for sale as meat and not scientific research at all will be done.
And as the international outcry to stop their whaling practices continues, the Japanese are now adding insult to injury by using aid money meant to help rebuild after their devastating tsunami to help fund their annual hunt. The hunt itself is a loser money wise and is subsidized by Government funds.
According to campaigners the government used 2.28 billion yen (£19m/US$30m) from the earthquake recovery fund, on top of its existing $6m annual subsidy, to pay for this year's hunt.
"It is absolutely disgraceful for the Japanese government to pump yet more taxpayer money on an unneeded, unwanted and economically unviable whaling programme, when funds are desperately needed for recovery efforts," said Junichi Sato, the executive director of Greenpeace Japan.
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Many Japanese people do not support the whale hunt especially since it has drawn such scrutiny from so many. But it is even more frustrating that this money is going to slaughtering whales and not to helping the struggling people of Japan who are still and will be recovering from the earthquake and tsunami for years to come.
"It is absolutely disgraceful for the Japanese government to pump yet more taxpayer money on an unneeded, unwanted and economically unviable whaling programme, when funds are desperately needed for recovery efforts," said Junichi Sato, the executive director of Greenpeace Japan.
"The whaling programme is a black mark on Japan's international reputation, and a black hole for taxpayer money. Pouring billions of yen into Antarctic whaling during this time of crisis is downright shameful. Japan cannot afford to waste money on whaling in the Antarctic when its people are suffering at home."
The fisheries agency said the use of the fund was justified because one the towns destroyed by the tsunami was a whaling port.
The whaling program only profits and benefits a very few people and does not feed many of the people of Japan and without the Government subsidies it would be unsustainable since it is not profitable.
The Wall Street Journal breaks down the money spent more precisely:
The Fisheries Agency said it is channeling an additional Y2.28 billion, about $30 million, to support this year’s whale hunting mission, a chunk of which is earmarked to bolster the fleet’s defense against aggressive confrontations with the anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. The funds are a part of the Y498.9 billion that was allotted for the agency in Japan’s Y12 trillion third extra budget, passed last month to cover additional costs for rebuilding the northeast region torn apart by the barreling tsunami.
About Y1.8 billion will be spent on “supporting whaling research” and the remaining Y480 million will go towards “safety measures against disturbing activity,” according to Shigeki Takaya, assistant director of international affairs at the Fisheries Agency. That will be on top of the Y700 million Mr. Takaya said the agency spends annually on efforts to ward off the group’s harassment.
Of course anyone with half a heart wants to see every part of Japan rebuilt but must it come at the cost of the lives of whales? Many biologists believe that non-lethal research is valid and preferred and that a great deal of successful cetacean study does not in any way harm the animals. And there is also a movement to give cetaceans special rights because of their intelligence.
The Sea Shepherd society is prepared to disrupt and stop the Japanese again this year and the Japanese are anticipating this, so they have sued the organization in US court but some see this as an opening to maybe end modern whaling as we know it.
But the Greens are taking it seriously. Senator Brown says the US legal action could complement legal action brought by Australia against Japan in the International Court of Justice.
He says the Australian Government should take this opportunity to intervene.
"Japan has gone to an international court - effectively the US - and Australia should use this opportunity to bring forward a case which may have otherwise taken years to have Japan found guilty of its breach of international law by killing the whales in the first place," he said.
"It's a great opportunity here to have the whaling fleet stopped in its tracks through this action (the US case) rebounding on Japan when it goes to the court in Seattle."
This is a long battle that has been going for years and as whales face more threats than just whaling but there is some good news to report:
Humpback whales' record breeding
Australian wildlife experts are celebrating after what is believed to be the best humpback whale breeding season for 50 years.
Hundreds of mothers with newborn calves have been spotted migrating south past Australia to the cooler waters of Antarctica.
Geoff Ross, from the National Parks And Wildlife Service in New South Wales, told Sky News: 'It's been a really cracking year.
'The season used to go from June to just after July, but it is now going on for much longer and we have seen many calves.'