Japan Using Tsunami Funds for Whaling

Written by Heather Faraid Drennan

Posted 12-08-2011

It must've been a terribly hard decision—whether to use 2.3 billion yen ($29 million) from Japan's tsunami reconstruction budget for, you know, tsunami reconstruction or to put it toward propping up the country's barbaric and widely condemned whale slaughter …. Well played flayed, Japan.

Tags:

The Cove, Japan, whales, Japanese whaling

Recent Comments

Janeen commented:

Dec 15, 2011 6:25 AM

I would think it would depend on the agency one sends funds to. Reckonized ones would be monitored but that is not to say "the greed" of man is necessarily dependable, but with the cost of security this would have to be "other" forces together with perhaps donations. We have the Nelson Mandela Children Fund, which the world knows of, but do they know that Mandela used funds from this fund to host a party for his second term in office. His comment when questioned was "these are my children" What 20 to 80 year olds, I don't think so.
alina commented:

Dec 13, 2011 7:14 PM

Peta is more or less right. The funds are going towards their SECURITY against the Sea Sheperd this year. Japan is actually suing the Captain as well to try and prevent him from bothering them during their ILLEGAL whaling, but since his boats are not US jurisdiction, it will most likely falter
PETA commented:

Dec 11, 2011 10:47 PM

For more information on this story, you can read the report at CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/08/world/asia/japan-whaling-funds/index.html
Jon commented:

Dec 11, 2011 2:10 PM

Kaera is right. YOU ARE ONLY SHOWING VIDEOS OF WHALE ABUSE. WHERE IS YOUR PROOF WHERE??????????? EXACTLY WHAT PART OF THAT VIDEO PROVES MY DONATIONS WENT TO THAT OR ANY SLAUGHTER
Kim commented:

Dec 9, 2011 5:20 PM

If they are doing it on their own land and water. I don't really see it as illegal. Maybe SSCS & Pete Bethune should MYOBs
Kaera commented:

Dec 9, 2011 3:18 AM

This is just horrible. I have lived in Japan for years and have never been okay with what they do to whales during their hunts. HOWEVER I was also there when the Earthquake and Tsunami happened and I see no where in this video how the Tsunami Aid was given to these whalers. From the 4 months I was volunteering in ground zero the Japanese government worked very, very hard to take care of the tsunami victims and to start to get their lives back together. They have even published how the funds will be distributed to the victims in the long-term future. To be completely honest this doesn't even look like a government run whaling operation at all... Although I truly believing that whaling needs to be stopped I don't think this video AT ALL represents the Japanese government is using Tsunami funds to go whaling, and it is slightly horrible to suggest that they are without definite proof. I'm just speaking from what I have seen over the 3+ years I have lived in Japan and from the time I spent in the Tohoku region after the Tsunami. The people who were affected by the Tsunami will continue to need help for years to come, and throwing rumors like this around without any actual hard evidence may impact how people feel about helping Japan. Not all Japanese people whale, and the people affected by the Tsunami were no different than you or I, and even though some people in their country do do terrible things to these animals, your opinion of Japanese society as a whole should not be based on that. And the hardship the Tsunami victims have had to go through should not be forgotten.
Jess commented:

Dec 9, 2011 2:45 AM

So glad this is finally being heard about!! I hate to say it, but Japan is on its own next time. I NEVER thought I would regret trying to help people, this just has me completely sickened that they could betray people this way. But I guess when you kill whales in the first place, your vslues are already questionable at best.
Marie commented:

Dec 9, 2011 1:54 AM

If you donated via the Red Cross, your donation went to the Red Cross. As far as I can tell, the funds for this whaling crap are coming from their own government budget.
Rex's Mom commented:

Dec 9, 2011 1:02 AM

I thought Japan stopped whaling because of the harrassment by The Sea Shepherd's ships. Captain Paul Watson of the Steve Irwin and Bob Barker ships said at the end of last season's Whale Wars on Animal Planet that Japan has stopped whaling. So what happened?
Plerion commented:

Dec 9, 2011 12:46 AM

And we know that these are government officials how? If these are people from a private company then the money may not be the money from donations.

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